We are in Orange County now. Going home tomorrow. It is raining here now, so there will be more snow at home. We got about 12 inches Sunday/Monday, and it has been really cold! The low Monday night was 14F. I hope this doesn't kill any of our fruit trees.
Our neighbor came over and helped Duane "prune" this apple tree. Except "butcher" is a more accurate word. There are very few branches left. I understand the rationale for it - the tree had been badly neglected for many, many years. Many of the branches were tangled or growing in a way that won't encourage fruit. Still, i imagine that it will be another year yet before we can hope for apples.
They also did work on our one established peach tree. However, the pruning was much more conservative. (These trees are not blooming yet. The pics are from other years.)
I hope that our trees survive. We were having an unusually warm spring and the trees showed signs that they wouldn't be waiting the 4 to 6 weeks they needed to wait before leafing out. Our current cold weather could kill them.
We were amazed at our drive down on Tuesday how much snow was in the trees. It was a wet, heavy snow, really bending the branches. It was also at a very low elevation. The road was quite icy about half the way and i was driving very slowly.
We've been very busy. Duane's parents were up a couple of weekends ago. They had just gotten the new iPad II and wanted him to teach them how to use it before they took it with them on a trip to Italy/Sicily. The weekend before and the weekend after (this past weekend) we had our "rented kids" at least one day.
I've decided to assign them names here. "K" is Kip the oldest, who is a 12 year old boy. "S" is Sierra, an 8 year old girl. And "J" is Joshua, a 4 year old boy.
Saturday was Joshua's birthday. We had both boys on Saturday, and Joshua alone on Sunday. (His parents had to work the weekend and had already taken all the children to Disneyland to celebrate his birthday.) We enjoyed it very much. It was especially sweet to have him in church with us Sunday and have him snuggle up in my arms as we said the liturgy.
I am very glad, however, that i sensibly spent much of Monday in bed resting in preparation to be at work in Orange County. I did not do that the past 2 weeks after busy weekends and paid for it dearly.
Next week is the first week of the kids' spring break (they get 2 weeks off). The week after i already had folks scheduled, so i'm taking next week. Part of that is so i can catch up on resting, but part is also so that i can spend some time with the kids.
I'm keeping up to date on the projects for Christmas (did i tell you that already?). I'm also doing a lot of knitting. My one New Year's resolution this year was to keep up with sending out birthday cards to family and friends, as well as keeping in contact with friends and family more regularly. I am doing 100% of that for the closer family members, not quite as good with the more distant ones. I can live with that, however. It is 100% improvement over what i've managed other years.
I can hear the rain coming down rather heavily, as well as being plowed thru by the cars outside. Both the umbrella and my sweater are in the car. I'm hesitant to go out.
So, that is what we have been up to!
How are things in your part of the world? If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, has spring arrived? Do you garden? If you are in the Southern Hemisphere, what do you do to prepare for fall?
I hope you know how much i appreciate that you come here and read my words. Thank you so much. :)
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Our neighbor came over and helped Duane "prune" this apple tree. Except "butcher" is a more accurate word. There are very few branches left. I understand the rationale for it - the tree had been badly neglected for many, many years. Many of the branches were tangled or growing in a way that won't encourage fruit. Still, i imagine that it will be another year yet before we can hope for apples.
They also did work on our one established peach tree. However, the pruning was much more conservative. (These trees are not blooming yet. The pics are from other years.)
I hope that our trees survive. We were having an unusually warm spring and the trees showed signs that they wouldn't be waiting the 4 to 6 weeks they needed to wait before leafing out. Our current cold weather could kill them.
We were amazed at our drive down on Tuesday how much snow was in the trees. It was a wet, heavy snow, really bending the branches. It was also at a very low elevation. The road was quite icy about half the way and i was driving very slowly.
We've been very busy. Duane's parents were up a couple of weekends ago. They had just gotten the new iPad II and wanted him to teach them how to use it before they took it with them on a trip to Italy/Sicily. The weekend before and the weekend after (this past weekend) we had our "rented kids" at least one day.
I've decided to assign them names here. "K" is Kip the oldest, who is a 12 year old boy. "S" is Sierra, an 8 year old girl. And "J" is Joshua, a 4 year old boy.
Saturday was Joshua's birthday. We had both boys on Saturday, and Joshua alone on Sunday. (His parents had to work the weekend and had already taken all the children to Disneyland to celebrate his birthday.) We enjoyed it very much. It was especially sweet to have him in church with us Sunday and have him snuggle up in my arms as we said the liturgy.
I am very glad, however, that i sensibly spent much of Monday in bed resting in preparation to be at work in Orange County. I did not do that the past 2 weeks after busy weekends and paid for it dearly.
Next week is the first week of the kids' spring break (they get 2 weeks off). The week after i already had folks scheduled, so i'm taking next week. Part of that is so i can catch up on resting, but part is also so that i can spend some time with the kids.
I'm keeping up to date on the projects for Christmas (did i tell you that already?). I'm also doing a lot of knitting. My one New Year's resolution this year was to keep up with sending out birthday cards to family and friends, as well as keeping in contact with friends and family more regularly. I am doing 100% of that for the closer family members, not quite as good with the more distant ones. I can live with that, however. It is 100% improvement over what i've managed other years.
I can hear the rain coming down rather heavily, as well as being plowed thru by the cars outside. Both the umbrella and my sweater are in the car. I'm hesitant to go out.
So, that is what we have been up to!
How are things in your part of the world? If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, has spring arrived? Do you garden? If you are in the Southern Hemisphere, what do you do to prepare for fall?
I hope you know how much i appreciate that you come here and read my words. Thank you so much. :)
445
7 comments:
Hi Kath, I was going to ask how you were on FB. Glad everything is OK. May you weather warm up quickly. Brrr its so cold out on the mountians.
Glad you had the kids out.
I hope your trees survive. I think we are having an endless winter!! We got another few inches last night and the ground is covered again. I like reading what you been up too!
We have lived in this new house for 4 years, so our trees are young. The last couple of years we had an ice storm that damaged the front yard tree. Last year there were branches that didn't bud out. I asked hubby to prune those off...but he thought they might not be dead....so he didn't. Trees are expensive...so I hope it survives.
I hope your trees make it through and produce fruit for you.
Linda
Hi. I don't do much to prepare for autumn. We live on the side of a hill, so don't have much of a garden. The main thing is for my husband to make sure the gutters are clear of leaves and pine needles.
Our winters aren't so harsh here - although days of 10-12 degs Celsius, and windchill, are cold enough for me.
Today however is still lovely, and I sat at the beach yesterday with a gelato, so winter isn't quite here yet!
Hi Kathryn,
Finally getting around to reading blogs that aren't Japan-related! I always marvel at your continued growth in self-understanding and emotional maturity. I admire that about you and some others (my mom included) that they are (were) always growing and learning in some area. (What is that quote about the unexamined life not being worth living?) It is hard for me to be around people that aren't. It's like they aren't really alive. So even if your trees and flowers don't bloom this year, rest assured you will!
Hi Amrita! You've had company, too. Hope all things are well with you and that it doesn't get too hot too soon. David and Debi should be back to the cold weather soon.
Lisa - i think we are like "sister cities" right now! The same weather at different coasts of the country.
Hi Linda! Thank you for coming and commenting! It must have been heartbreaking to lose young trees. We have a three young ones (peach, pear, cherry) and a concord grape that have been planted in the past year or two, but it is the established ones that have me more worried right now.
Hi Mali - i want you to know i DO read your blog, but i feel like i never can find intelligent things to comment. I leave your pages open for days hoping that my brain will come up with something worth saying. :/
I hope you enjoy your fall weather! Gelato on the beach sounds divine. :)
Jessica, you are always so kind and patient with me. I treasure your friendship. I think if we talked in person more often, we might find that we are saying the same things but perhaps using different language. I love you.
:o)
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