Meteorologically Spring is sprung. It certainly feels like it with days of unbroken sunshine and nights of a gloriously bright snow moon illuminating our covidly dull lives, even if winter’s chill is still very evident. Having spent a weekend of hacking, slashing and pruning, the garden feels ready to burst into spectacular technicolour. I’d been a bit concerned about how I was going to reduce a rather large Smoke Bush that had become a Brobdingnag tree, back to Lilliputian proportions. I’ve had a chain saw for many years and despite a few close shaves have so far avoided any unintended amputations, but I knew this was going to be a tricky operation. By chance, the still unused scaffolding that is awaiting gutter repairers to do their work, has a loose heavy ladder that proved perfect for scaling the aforementioned Bush/tree. With guide ropes in place and a slightly reluctant wife as the puller, I was able to complete the felling operation almost perfectly, without slicing myself open or decapitating Mrs T. Sadly as the main part came down it tore some bark off the remaining stump so I’ve been forced to shorten that rather more than planned. In time, we hope, it will once again flourish as a beautiful bush, rather than a garden-dominating tree.
Talking of close shaves, are you an admirer of beards? I’ve never been a great fan personally, although I do think they look better on men than women, if I’m allowed to make such radical distinctions. I remember as a very young teenager inheriting beautifully tailored evening dress tails that had belonged to my Grandfather and being told that while fashions change, some things are timeless. The Oxford Bag style trousers would, I was assured, come back into fashion one day. I grew up in a clean-shaven era when facial hair was reminiscent of Edwardian times and seemed incredibly dated. How odd it was then, when young men and sportsmen in particular, started the bearded tendency again a few years ago, thinking they were trendy. I wonder whether Covid might bring a premature end to the trend? Have you noticed a new style developing; the Chin Mask? Now that face coverings are compulsory when shopping, it’s so much easier (especially if like me you wear glasses that steam up with your nose covered) to just lower the mask onto your chin when flitting between shops, rather than constantly donning and undonning the wretched thing. It also makes sipping coffee from your go-mug rather more pleasant and straightforward! But masks, especially when worn at half mast, can’t be particularly comfortable, with an enormous untended bush attached to your jowls. As masks are probably an unwanted but legally required fashion accessory for the foreseeable future, does this herald the end of facial hair? I haven’t checked as to whether GQ and other men’s mags are majoring on this issue, but if they’re not it’s surely only a matter of time…..what could be more important after all?
The sun still shines and a half-completed brick path awaits my attention. It will feature old red bricks rather than yellow ones, so sadly there’s little chance of bumping into Dorothy or the Tin Man as I complete my labours. I’ve been putting off further work because the intended route is criss-crossed with roots and I can’t decide which root or route is more important. To achieve a smooth pathway I need to dig down, which endangers the roots and their dependant apple trees and other shrubs, but undamaged roots will make for a most uneven route. Do you see my dilemma and why, without an obvious solution, I have been hesitating? Time to sally forth and meet this challenge head on. Wish me luck……
ADayInTheStrifeOf 