02.04.2024 February - one cool month

 Spring by far is my favorite time of year. I love the singing birds, the flowers blooming and the trees n blossom. But February is a really special month. The days are appreciably longer, the skies blue and you can feel Spring is just around the corner, even if it is really, really cold! Our Carolina wren is back and sleeps in the Christmas wreath on the front door, so I have to be careful when I go outside at night. The dogs do not bother her, but when I go onto the porch, she gets herself into a flutter and flies off the wreath. I'll leave the wreath there as she is getting better each year with her nest design. Maybe she will build another one this year. I also moved the bluebird nesting boxes to two trees where I can see them from the door - maybe we will have bluebirds nesting again this year. Oh, yes, Spring is in the air!

Our big excitement was having a large pine tree removed. Three strikes and you are out is the saying and three times a large branch has fallen from this tree and hit my car. While the damage has always been minimal with only one needed trip to the autobody shop for repairs, I cannot chance it anymore. Every day I looked at the tree and watched a hanging branch and thought - no chance I am letting it hit my car. So it was New England Tree Masters again and they removed this tree and all of the dead branches and another dead tree and my very disease apple tree. Yes, I had my apple tree cut down. Every year I look at this poor thing and plot on how I can cut her down. She has some type of fungus that had spread to other trees. But while I trimmed branches and treated her with Antifungal solutions, nothing worked. Then Spring would arrive and she would have pretty apple blossoms and apples in the summer and I did not have the heart to remove it. And the longer I delayed the inevitable, the larger she grew and the more difficult it became to cut branches. So I decided not to wait unto Spring when she flowers and just remove her when the crew was in the yard. It was the right decision, but I will miss that apple tree. It was here longer than I lived in this house - 30 years. But the apples were really bitter. I will find a new flowering tree to replace her this Spring. 

The tree removal technology is fascinating, and I wish I could have watched the whole process. I did get to see the tree suspended above the driveway and yard.  

The tall pine tree with her precarious branches leaning toward the house. 

 

This is just the top third of the tree! I asked if only the bifurcated trunk closest to the house could be removed but was advised the tree would not survive. It came from a line of pine and hemlock trees and won't really be missed. It opens up the area a bit and maybe the rhododendron will grow a bit more in that direction with more sunlight. And there are still plenty of trees for the birds. But the house and car and fence are now safe from falling branches.

Nice sunlight and hard to really notice the tree is gone. And look at that beautiful blue February sky!

  We still have a lot of snow in the yard and the dogs are really have a great time. With the sunshine, blue sky and white ground, it is quite beautiful. The boys roll around, run and chase each other and generally have a great time. They also line up really well when the camera is out. Shorty loves the camera!

  

Sweaters are worn when it is cold. Gunnarr wanted to be chased in the worst way and Fionnegan was not up for it. Gunnarr tried pulling him along to chase him and even pulled his sweater over his heard. 

 

Fionnegan just wanted to roll around in the snow. He was not interested in running and I was wondering if the packed snow was hard for him. He sprained his left front leg earlier and he may just want to do things that would not put any stress on his legs. He did have Lyme disease and his joints do bother him. While I understand that, no doubt Gunnarr hasn't any concept of this and he just wants to run and play and wrestle. He ran all around the yard by himself and it was obvious he missed the company of his brother chasing him. Shorty only chases when they find a squirrel or rabbit to chase or a deer outside the fence.

 

 After an afternoon playing outside, dinner time is much anticipated! They are patiently waiting for me to cook their dinner. They are having meatballs and carrots and an apple. A real treat and worth the wait.  Have you cooked dinner with six eyes glued to your every move?

 

Hope you all are well. It has been a good start to the year for us. I am hoping you all also have a very good February and year.

 

Until next time......................