STILL WORKING ON THAT TREE

 

“We should have taken ‘before and after’ pictures,” said son Murray as we left the farm on Tuesday (Feb. 3). Taking pictures of our work to delimb the big tree in the north field is problematic. It’s so big that it’s difficult to show our progress (or lack thereof), and it’s also difficult to manage the camera when I need to keep up with the work.

Mike and I worked at the farm on Saturday (Jan. 31), and son Murray helped us on Tuesday. Progress seemed slow until Mike started removing limbs from the lower part of the tree, which actually lies uphill. It’s hard work when you’re senior citizens, and Murray also fits that description, but Mike wants to do it.

Farmer Kyle came in on Tuesday, and he and Mike discussed the best way to cut the tree so that it can be hauled out of the field and into the yard near the barn. Kyle said he would do it as soon as the ground freezes, and I wondered if he was kidding. We’re having such a mild winter. It was in the 50s as we worked – in the 50s at altitude in central Idaho in early February!!! Murray took off layers of clothing – jacket, sweat jacket, sweatshirt – until he was down to his shirtsleeves.

People have speculated that we would have winter in January and February. Well, January is gone with neither snow nor rain, and I find it hard to believe that these springlike days will turn to winter. I saw crocus in bloom today and daffodils making an appearance. Yesterday it was 60 degrees in the Valley. However, I see that around Valentine’s Day, the forecast is for highs at altitude to be in the 30s with lows in the 20s, so maybe it will happen. If it does, what will it do to the fruit trees? We’re running low on elderberry jelly. KW