Some of you may have noticed the drastic changes at our place on Kirsop Road. After lengthy consideration and with heavy hearts we decided to have our front line of Fir trees taken down. Do not be alarmed! We are still tree hugging, dirt worshipping nature lovers all the way! But those trees were never what nature intended for that space. What we had there along Kirsop Road was three lines of Firs planted on a five foot spacing, much too close. Every winter a few trees would blow down in the wind, blocking the road and knocking out the power for the farm and our neighbors. For the past few years we have been having the most sickly trees taken out to prevent them from falling across the road. Each time the arborist recommended that we take them all down as it would be only a matter of time before they all would sicken and fall. They were suffering from a root rot disease.

In addition to being a sad process, having those trees removed was expensive. We will sell some for firewood, but that will only serve to defray the total cost of the project.

We were pleased to be able to hire our neighbors at Rodda and Sons to do the work for us. We liked getting to know them, and they did a very efficient job, quick and clean. They made it as painless as possible for us.

We are trying to appreciate the larger amount of light that we now receive. We now have a lovely view of the hills to the North, and have seen several low rainbows across there that we never could see with the trees there before.

Our arborist has recommended a fall planting of mixed trees and shrubs, so we have the spring and summer to dream up some beautiful plans for that space and to make it happen. This project also presented us with an opportunity to repair and improve our deer fence.