Picking up apples

 Of course we have been picking up apples also this year, but this post is not about that. I will spare the story telling on our efforts this year in another moment.

However, I try to keep some themes in the house. We have iris a bit everywhere, in the garden, on vases, on mirrors, on the windows... but then we have plenty of apples, as said.

I did found this textile tapestry on some online auction and, well, I simply just liked it a lot.

I thought that a gracious, jugend like, lady picking up apples would make a great connection with the yearly effort of collecting (and throwing) as many apples as possible from trees where apples are almost up in the sky.

I think its placement is possibly not the best one, but it is at least placed where some softening of the environment is needed. Although, probably a carpet would be a more proper investment.

Mattias hanging the apple picking lady

A Christmas picture of how it looks

We have a bad connection with the wind

 I guess we have never connected properly with the local wind deities as at storm time, we are always the ones that manage to be creative in damages.

I was down in the basement, after barely sleeping thanks to very strong wind tonight, when I heard Mattias screaming from the kitchen and then Isabella came down announcing that a tree had fallen.

I was of course terrified that it had fallen on the house, people, garage or even the cars. So, I took one of Mattias jackets and out, in pijamas, I went on the street.

I met one of our neighbours but before even realizing he was there, I just cursed loud.

This is what I saw:

At the sight I got mostly irritated at our arborist. I had asked him now for few years to check the tree and possibly cut it down. We had got already some big branches on the way, at some past storm and it was obvious that the tree was not in the best shape. I do not know why he insisted that it was not going to be a problem, but I will face him with facts now and I will ask him how he could think that it could stay...

For how strong the wind was, it would have never brought down the tree like this if it was not completely rotten inside.

It was a complicated morning this one. Mattias had a lecture at 815 and Oscar had to be at school before 8 for his gymnastic class. 

We have one chainsaw and there was breakfast and kids to get ready. Luckily, most of the breakfast was in place and the kids, when there is some emergency, they are quite cooperative, so they were ready in a blink of the eyes.

Mattias started to cut off some of the branches with the support of our neighbour, who realized he was lucky. He had been driving at 6 and back at 630. Not only he was lucky. We were very lucky too.

The tree fell perfectly on the street. Probably some of the hedge got damage, but who cares. The garage is in one piece, the gate still work, no cats or people ended up under the tree and definitely noone with a car.

I went and took my chainsaw gear and went to give a change to Mattias, so he could get ready. He had started to saw a big piece of wood. So I started to cut from there, but a change in the tension of the log made sure that my chainsaw got stuck. The piece was so big and heavy that I manage to get the chain out just long after...

We ended up gathering some of the neighbours, equipped with saw and chainsaws that managed to get more and more branches off the way, until the whole crown got removed and now it is lying in our garden, ready to be chopped for firewood or simply to be put for being thrown.

Mattias managed to leave in time. I was there and helped cleaning out the last big pieces and finally, I also removed the small parts that one of the neighbour had collected to clean up the road.

I locked the garage, put back all the tools, except the chainsaw that needs to be mounted back. I moved a bit the logs in the garden to give space for the cars to drive (but it is a bit too tight).

I took then some pictures and I have sent them to our arborist. He will come to cut the last of it.

Mattias did suggest we would go and buy some firewood, as the logs we have had have been too wet and in a bad condition. Now, we really don't need to do that.

And I think we will have to have a small gathering with our neighbours, both to celebrate the perfect fall of the tree and that we managed (or better, mostly them) to clean out the road in time for everyone to start their day.