The November Chill ~

I was expecting to enjoy the same type of weather we had last November - this November! So much for my expectations! Instead of those crisp, sunshine days, we've had almost nothing but bitter cold & wind! I could add the two skiff's of snow we received this last week. There was almost no moisture in them at all. It was just an irritant, to blow off the cars, porches etc.

After getting in at least four beautiful rides November of 21, I've only enjoyed one so far this month... Not enough by a long shot. Instead, we have had a couple days where I could work outside, with thermal pants & a couple layers.

11-5 Marsh looking SW

I ended up raking most of the Marsh. First time for that, as usually the winds blow all the leaves out. It did stay so much greener than higher up on the hillside. The creek is still flowing too.

Friday the 11th, I'd hired a company to come in & cut out all the dead limbs, branches & trees in the woods. It was a new-to-me company & I should have known eough to outline the scope of work in writing. I ended up with two beautiful snags cut down :-( One had been the home of a woodpecker family.

11-5 Our property to the left of the white tape~

It wasn't that there wasn't plenty to cut! Plenty! But none of the wood got hauled out - the excuse being that the ground was too soft. It was, but a wheelbarrow has worked in the past. If equipment can't be used, it doesn't get done. The big windstorm we had in June, made a mess.

The neighbor had to cut down our big Box Elder tree (stump far left) to get the trunk of the Cottonwood on the ground. 

11-5 hung-up limbs~

Another Box Elder near by, had two big limbs broken off that were hanging in another tree. I wanted those gone. At least two other trees had large limbs broken. The trails were torn up quite a bit, just getting the chipper down the hill. I was told it wasn't big enough to chip up all the limbs.

11-11 -After

Instead, it was decided the rounds & limbs etc. could be laid out where they thought they looked good. Not the look I wanted. I'd asked that anything left, be cut to a size I could move. I must I look stronger than I thought!  

Sunday the 13th, I worked on the Marsh again. I'd had two trees taken down there. One long dead by the creek & the other a Mulberry with insect bore holes in the trunk. It was still growing every year & too close to our south fence.

11-13 SE corner, no mess here!

I raked up what was left of the small branches, what a difference it makes. Just doing things by hand. The dead tree had been a Silver Maple & had been dying off when I first cleared this area.

11-14 Start of my cleanup~

Monday, I went back into the woods... I'd delayed long enough. All the sedum's & hosta's I've planted along the edge of the trail were well smashed manuvering the chipper & track skid loader in/out. All of this to be left with a small pile of chips. Most from the pile of smaller limbs I'd made since the storm.

11-16 Looking SE

I was out again Wednesday afternoon. It had warmed up just enough that wearing thermal lined gloves, my hands didn't freeze. Where to put it all was the problem. I finally decided to try to make it work - re-establish the edge of the trail & curve of the hillside.

11-16 View SW

By the end of the afternoon, things were looking a little better. I've still a lot of work to do before I can use the chips to cover some of the bare earth on the trails. It won't go very far. I'm using some of the leaf debris to throw over the bare, beaten ground where the flowers were. It will be interesting to see if the root systems are hardy enough to survive.

Tinkle Branch Trail~

The far west end of the woods is much more open than before the storm. A new look that will be less barren when spring rolls around again.