The Wood Lot Carnage

Now there's a title that will grab you! And not far from the truth either. We have a very dense replanted area close in by the structures. Every spring it is mentioned that it needs to be thinned and every year, I take off for MA and it doesn't get done. Well, not this year! Saturday morning we both went out and started in on it. Me dragging branches and brush (grunt work) and Gene cutting the trees and dragging them out ( better grunt work).



 All told about 12 trees were taken, a path opened up to a very large dead fir and a couple of tight snags that have to cleaned out.



 More still needs to go for this tree stand to thrive but it is a start. You can start to see sunlight coming between the trees, lighting the understory.



 Yesterday I went out and cut 4 more trees and spent a good amount of time limbing up the ones that were staying. Most of these trees are small, all were replanted at the same time, probably about 30 years ago when the property was last logged. We are leaving Douglas Fir and Cedar trees and of course, a good portion of White fir and the occasional Ponderosa Pine tucked in there. More work will be done today. I can say the small chainsaw I received as a 2012 Christmas present has been the perfect tool for the job. Light, small and powerful, perfect for working in tight areas. It's going to be one heck of a burn pile for next week, hoping for some wet weather to damp things down a bit.

In the weaving studio, I tried out a combination of dark brown and red with that pink warp. I rather like it.



This will be a runner, and then we will try out all the color suggestions on towels. I added a floating selvage and stopped using the fly shuttle. It is gross overkill on a 18" wide warp and almost impossible to use with those floating threads.



 So, how am I liking my big AVL Production loom? I love it. Once set up she is fast and easy. The dobby portion has been steady and true. The shed is not what you get on the Louet's or even the Murphy Counterbalance loom, but it is a good shed and with adjustment, might even get better. Looks like Big Sal is in it for the long haul.

Meanwhile, up in the sewing room, things have languished a bit. I did get a marathon cutting session done
and have lots of fun things up and coming, but it was just too seductive to be outside than up sewing. Spring in April, what a concept! Most years we still have wet snow and slush and mud. This year is totally different. Gardens are growing, flowers are blooming, hummingbirds are back and the flippin deer have arrived too. DAMN IT!

I was hoping my plants would get a good start before the pasture rats arrived for their warm weather buffet. I even added some new plants to the garden. I have no qualms about yanking those things that died or are suffering from failure to thrive (nipped last year beyond recovery). Gardens are a living work in progress as far as I am concerned. Here are some of our picks from Friday's plant nursery excursion.


Perennial Geranium (one of two), very fragrant.


Nodding Chocolate Flower- as it says flowers that smell like chocolate. We'll see.


New variety of Santolina/ Lavender Cotton


Hellebore of unknown color. It was cheap...:)


Quince, the one survivor of a tough winter at the nursery. It was REALLY cheap, but should come back and do well up here. It is a thorned variety. Take THAT Bambi!


Sweetbox shrub, flowers in the winter and smells like honey. Should get berries for fall.

Artemisia, Lamb's Ear, more Creeping Thyme of some variety and an ornamental switch grass (Panicum) round out the selection. All of them are "deer resistant" and I can say, the Hellebore at least has remained untouched from last years planting.

Gene and I did jump into action when we spied the first deer. The water scarecrow is out and ready and so are the shocker stakes. I am hoping the double whammy right from the get go will discourage them from even putting my garden on their map. One does always have hope.

Parting shot: Springtime in Jail. So sad.....