tower of tree tops

 A whole week! Actually, over a whole week of brush stacking, chainsawing (Carm), and a few visits with my parents. Time is neither going quickly or slowly, actually it seems I’m trapped in some sort of weird time vortex. I know that the calendar is still ticking by as the fields are turning a vibrant green and I can see the beginnings of leaves on the trees. Spring is marching towards summer, a bit late, slowly but surely.

Carm got the pool half opened Friday - the parts are assembled and the pump is in place but it still needs several inches of water before it can be started. No big rush though as the weather is not warm enough to get the pool to swimming temps.

Last Sunday we had Trudie & Leo for a traditional Italian ragu & meatballs. Monday Carm and I visited Mom & Dad. I brought Lupa with us so she got lots of duration practice on her mat. I kept her on her leash as I didn’t want her to jump onto Dad’s lap… Dad commented that she’s a handful and I guess she is! I try not to label her though as it can affect how I treat her and how frustrated I get. We are so used to her that we take it all in stride now and celebrate the small wins (oh how expectations have changed!).

Tuesday I drove back into the city for another visit, this time with Kirsten as well (and no Lupa). We had fun with Mom trying on her outfits for her upcoming cruise :-) 

Wednesday was Lupa school night - I forgot to give her the CBD but she did pretty well regardless. She was (almost) rock solid for her stays but had more trouble when the other dogs were moving plus she wanted to sniff everything when we practiced loose leash walking. Oh well!

Thursday we went to Pet Valu - Lupa did the best she’s ever done at a pet store - I was pretty proud of her progress. Then we hung out in front of another store for more loose leash walking. We met up with a lovely older woman who rained pets onto Lupa. We need to work on walking past people without the expectation of pets…

Carm had his first golf game on Friday! He came home tired but triumphant from his mastery of the ball (ha ha). I got a shot by shot recap so felt that I could have been on the course with him ;-)

The trailer is still sitting in the laneway hooked up to the truck… Nick (the repair guy), took the broken leg away to be machined so we are still waiting… We are so glad that this happened in April and not May when all the trailers come out of hibernation needing work.

The forecast is calling for several days of rain... the dogs have been enjoying all the time we’ve been spending outside - we’ll all be sad at being stuck inside.

Construction guy John came Saturday morning to give us an estimate for the front deck :-) Once that’s done we’ll get a new front door. The front looks like hell right now!

Today I made garlic chili oil (so much garlic) to use in an Asian cucumber salad - there will be no vampires within a mile of our place as the smell of garlic is heavy in the air. It’s a combination of thinly sliced garlic deep fried in oil until crisp and slightly brown, then the whole thing, oil and all, is poured into a jar with chili flakes with a bit of salt.

After leaving it sit for an hour, I opened the jar with butter fingers and spilled the whole thing! Oil, chilis and garlic everywhere. With Carm’s help I used my dough cutter to scoop it off the counter - thankfully it didn’t go onto the floor - and didn’t lose too much 😱

Awesome!

“a warm sunny day”

“another bunch of brush piled”

“generator coming on when the power went out”

from ChatGPT!

An ice storm can cause significant damage to trees, especially if the ice accumulation is heavy. When ice coats tree limbs and branches, the added weight can cause them to snap or break. This can result in fallen trees or broken branches that litter the landscape, causing hazards and property damage.

Cleanup efforts typically begin as soon as possible after the ice storm passes. The first step is to assess the damage to trees and determine which trees or limbs are hazardous and need to be removed. This is often done by trained professionals such as arborists or forestry experts, who can evaluate the extent of the damage and recommend the best course of action.

Once hazardous trees and limbs have been identified, they are typically removed using chainsaws, cranes, and other specialized equipment. The debris is then hauled away or chipped into smaller pieces for easier disposal. This process can take several days or even weeks, depending on the severity of the storm and the amount of damage.

After the hazardous trees and limbs have been removed, the cleanup effort shifts to removing fallen branches and other debris from the ground. This can involve using heavy equipment such as loaders or skid steers to clear the area and move the debris to a central location for disposal.

In addition to removing fallen trees and debris, it is also important to assess the health of the remaining trees and provide any necessary care. Trees that have been damaged by the ice storm may require pruning or other treatments to help them recover and prevent further damage.

Overall, the cleanup process after an ice storm can be extensive and time-consuming, but it is an important step in restoring the affected area to its natural state and ensuring the safety of people and property.