renewal too

Flushed with success with my grape vine, I decided to tackle the PG hydrangea next.  It has grown out of control, with arching branches that bear their flowers close to the ground and make it very hard to mow around it.  So I have taken drastic action, cut out the oldest shoots, and ended up with a pile of trimmings bigger than the resulting shrub.  I'm hoping that the flowers stay off the ground this year.

renewal

My grapevine - before and after.  I showed a vineyard owner a pic of my wild vine, and he was shocked at the size of it.  Some of the branches reach 20 feet or more.  He said 90% of a grape vine should be pruned  out every year.  It seemed drastic, but once I got going, it felt kinda powerful!  When I feel brave enough, I may do even more damage, but I'm thinking it's ready for spring.

snow's back

Last week, the temperature went up to 23 C, and it was lovely to feel the warmth of the sun. The first pic shows the melted field.  The second snowy shot was taken 2 days earlier.   I figured that there would be no more cross-country skiing this year.

But it ended after 3 days, and winter came back.  Today we have 90 km winds, and blowing snow that makes visibility tough.  The province has virtually closed down - schools, the college, the university, and many businesses are closed.  It may seem inconvenient, but it's like being given the gift of time.  A day off work lets me catch up on other tasks, and take a breather in the midst of a busy week.