I knew snow was coming, but it wasn’t until I saw the updated prediction for how much that I got my butt in gear and went out to gather some things from the woodsy pile. I also made sure all of the snow and ice removal tools were back inside the house and not in the garage.
I’m glad I did, because it is not a dusting outside. The winds are fierce and gusty, and we already have drifts on the porch I’ll have to clear up some before I go to bed in the wee hours so the postman won’t kill himself trying to deliver the mail. (The railing on the porch is still not as reinforced as it should be. In truth, that rail is just 2 x 4s someone put up hastily, though I don’t know when or by whom. I had put some shims behind the part that attaches to one of the columns, but the real problem is the way they attached the bottom 2×4 “post” to the stairs. I meant to fix that properly a few weeks ago, and still haven’t gotten around to it. I guess I’ll just shim that connection as well and keep an eye on it for the winter if the weather just stays challenging in the near future.
Earlier this week, I noticed something hanging from a branch on one of the trees that lines up near the fence line with our neighbors to the south. So I went to investigate on Wednesday, and I am honestly baffled at what or why it is there. Technically, they almost tied it dead over the fence line, so I can’t really dither about property line related issues, but from what I could read on the cylinder, it’s some sort of float? I didn’t feel like dragging out the ladder to be able to better read the writing. No idea when they put it up other than my notice of it maybe Monday I think? They affixed it with rope, and maybe they were practicing knot work…I’m still unsure what it means or why it was done, especially if it’s a float meant for being in water. It’s not like we get flooding near even top of toes high on our block, given our altitude.
While I was out there puzzling, I noticed a lot of branches that I know for certain had fallen on their side of the fence that they had unceremoniously dumped on our side. By unceremoniously, I mean they just heaved them over, paying no attention to what they were squashing or damaging on our side. There were other naturally fallen branches as well that I’m pretty sure weren’t theirs, but from at least some sawed bits, it was evident which side some of them came from because we haven’t sawed anything yet.
On one hand, it would have been nice if they had asked before dumping them–especially because of how much they dumped. On the other hand, more fodder for future hugel culture beds. So I got them into the wood pile, and decided it was an awkward neighbor gift. *chuckles*
It really is amazing to see how much the oak leaf bin broke down in less than a year. Oak leaves are known for taking their time at it. I added a bit more of oak leaves that were blowing around the trash and recycling bins. I’m still trying to figure a good way to gather some of the oak leaves in the yard without disturbing the soil too much now that I know how beneficial it can be to just let leaves stay for the winter. Truth is, with a yard this small, it won’t kill me to do it by hand with my wagon in tow.
Of course, now, who knows how long it will be until this snow melts and I can get at them again. Also, this year we did the bulk of the raking in spring and they’ve all moulded down just fine too.
Getting back to the woodsy pile area and why I was poking about there today to begin with before the UFO in the tree distraction, II was gathering materials to make some small wreathes and hanging sprigs to sell. I have yet to hear back about a holiday fair a nearby church is holding in early December. Finances are still tight, so every little bit can help.
It also doesn’t hurt that we still have all the vines from the oriental bittersweet last year that I can use for wreath bases, and I just happen to have a peach basket plus worth of holly clippings from October. I could also trim back both the one bordering barberry bush and may be outright pulling up a volunteer of same I spotted now that everything has been dying back. The bright red oval berries were hard to miss. I have some other odds and ends I can use, and may finally trim back some of the bordering pines as well for more sprigs. I also had found a smattering of different sized bells while sorting out the craft room that I can use on some of them, and there’s also that green garden jute plus odd and ends of ribbons about in the craft room.
We still haven’t managed to can anything this year. Since our first batch of jam was/is? going to be from frozen fruit we have, it’s not like there’s a rush. I’d have rather tried it before we put them in the freezer, but time was not with us, so in it went.
I do hope the snow doesn’t stick around too long, as there’s still some more yard clean up I’d like to do this year. Time will tell!
