Making Hay While the Sun Shines

The last 2 days have been wonderful! Temperatures in the mid 20's and warm breezes - just perfect! Needless to say I have been outside, and you get so much more done when you're not restricted to weekends. It also takes the pressure off. My biggest problem is (as usual) keeping the ADHD at bay. If it's shiny, it's distracting and off I go.

I've been pruning and pruning. Most of it has been rose bushes and my forearms are a scratched mess. If only I healed like a normal person. These scratches will be with me forever! Many more bushes to be pruned. Many, many, many.

The warm weather has brought an end to the sap run. It isn't as good when it's warm, so I'm doing the last boil tonight. No more ridiculous propane bills, but no more liquid gold. We have a bit more than 3 litres. Doesn't seem like much for all that work, but it does taste Sooooooo good. 

The willow fence is breaking bud. I hadn't trimmed it yet, so that needed to be done. It took hours but yielded a lovely crop of willow to build baskets and garden cages for tomatoes and peas and things. OMG! I sound just like Little House on the Prairies! I'm thinking a little red osier will highlight the green willow nicely, and that hedge needs trimming as well. The problem I need to solve is how to insert willow sticks in the ground without them taking root. It's not good if the tomato cage grows better than the tomatoes. Here's the fence after a haircut. Still a bit messy, but you try cutting with dull shears off a step ladder when you'd rather be drinking wine on the patio.

But there are little signs of spring popping out everywhere. Isn't it grand?