Preparing for winter!

The temperature this afternoon was...

and what were we doing?

Breaking up sticks for lighting our fire during the winter. The sticks are mainly dead branches which get blown down from our large poplar trees when it is windy. We collect them up and then when it is very dry we break them into usable lengths and store them in the shed..

This year we also had some of our own logs from the trees we felled. These have matured outside for the last couple of years and now, as they are dry as a bone, they have been moved to our woodpile and sheeted up.

So we have a bonus of about three steres before we get our usual delivery from M. Bourreau...

If you need any kindle we have a hole full and you are free to come and help yourself... 

But if you think we are breaking it up for you... 

Poplar Trees 2...

We have been contemplating, this week, about the fate of our rather large poplar trees that surround our garden. In April 2011 David calculated the height to be around 23/24 metres.

When we had our french neighbours round, Jean Noel asked if we were going to cut them about halfway up... This started us thinking, especially at this time of year as they do cut out the sun. The other problem is they suck all the water and nutrients out of the garden, BUT according to the locals before the house was built the site was very boggy!!!

When you look at this type of tree it appears to have a limited lifespan... and be prone to various diseases...

The trees will have some value but only as firewood... and some of them will be hard to fell or trim due to their positions...

We feel that the time is approaching where we need to do something... BUT what!!!

You can see our dilemma...