Give a boy an axe....

As you know we are clearing the last area of our garden to make place for more beds and for fruit trees. The job has turned out to be bigger than we wanted it to be. It's easy to chop down an invasive tree, but to then deal with the leaves, twigs and branches is another story!

We had thought of hiring a felling company but it's simply too expensive. Then we thought we would hire a chipper, but that too is expensive. So it left pure old muscle power, time and patience.

Yesterday after my son's open water swim competition we brought home a friend of his. The were each handed a saw, machete or axe and set to work. They slept like babies last night :-)

Said friend enjoyed it so much that he was back here at 9 this morning to carry on. This time Superman and I got involved and we got a little production line going. Superman and son sawed logs for winter fires, friend and I worked through the branches, cut off leaves for compost, shredded small branches and twigs and sorted larger (but still small) branches for kindling.

This means that we still have the trunk of one tree and a whole 'nother tree to go...but even the youths with their fresh strong bodies called it quits at 2pm and headed for the pool to cool off.

Every now and again I get this little panic attack about how much work we are making for ourselves. Another 4 veggie beds to prepare, plant up, weed, water etc. I know when the work is done it will be worth it but right now it's a huge job.

Then as we were going through the leaves we found a few chameleons (which were rehoused) and some bird's nests. I know eventually we will have the fruit trees in and all the companion herbs growing which will attract them all back, but right now this patch looks like a wasteland...hence no photo...and I am feeling a little down about it. Maybe tomorrow I will put a photo up... :-(