Yesterday it was blowy. As we're on a ridge, the NNE wind was quite noticeable. It wasn't cold, just windy and shredded leaves bowled across the parched grass. The odd dead branch fell and more pine cones than normal clattered to the ground. To our left is a small woodland. No one maintains it so as a result it is dense with undergrowth and quite tangled. Occasionally something crunches to the ground in there as well.
Yesterday some friends of ours came round for a pre-dinner drink. We all heard a crack, not a very dramatic one and didn't notice anything amiss so we assumed it was yet another dead branch. Quite a bit later, our friends had gone and we'd finished watering the orchard; Niall went to turn off the outside tap and saw that one of our trees on the edge of the woodland had come down.
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| horizontal tree |
Well not exactly.... the tree in question had been growing at a 45 degree angle when we bought the house last year. It was --sort of-- wrapped round another. The crack we heard must have been it slowly losing its fight with gravity -- it is now fully horizontal.
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| new 90 degree angle |
The interesting thing is the bark has just cracked a tiny bit but not split at all. So, in theory it could carry on growing as it is. No doubt, in time, it would develop a kink where the young branches would bend slowly back to the vertical for the light.
Obviously both cats are delighted with their new exciting climbing frame. They should enjoy it while it lasts as it will soon be turned into logs!
6 comments:
With the size of your woodburner it should keep you in wood for at least a day ;o)- in winter of course!!
WV is 'noneski' and we certainly won't be skiing today.
It is roasting on our terrace, but at least the stiff breeze gives a little bit of relief. The cherries are being blown off the tree!
Brocante at Ferriere Larcon was enormous....
@Gaynor-- LOL if we're lucky. You could try water skiing ;-). Re: Ferriere Larcon--wasn't it just! We went for a bit.
Very strange tree... in this drought it really should have been so dry as to just snap and break off... unless the drought hadn't completely dried out the heartwood.
It is a Field Maple and will bush back if you coppice it... but wait until after the end of November.
We went to FL as well... as did Jean! We escaped with an old watering can with holes in the bottom [but more will be added], an umbrella stand and a couple of 2CV models... as well as two plastic troughs, some duck sossij, etc,etc.
Had some superb Green Tea ice-cream from a stall, too!
@Tim--thanks, knew it was a maple of sorts. As it isn't bothering us in the slightest we'll leave it till when you suggest and turn it into logs then.
We escaped F-L once we'd bought some foodie items. Wanted a specific size of oven dish; but all I could find was either too large or too small.... But there's always another brocante somewhere :-)
Yep.... Grand Pressigny... Dimanche 12th Juin! Next Snuddy!
WV is Monymasy.... done the lottery lately?
@Tim--sadly not; duely noted: 12 Juin at LeG-P
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