It was Saturday the 20th and I’ve only just got around to writing this post. I missed out on this spring greenery last year due to my wife’s illness so I am making the most of it this time. Everything is bounding ahead with growth and it’s absolutely the best time of year for me. But it goes so fast, it’s nearing the end of May already. I didn’t have many jobs in mind so not an awful lot to write about.

If you remember a previous post, a rotten sycamore had gone over and was sitting on it’s stump. It looked like a hefty whack with a sledge hammer would dislodge it and make it safe, so that was my first task. Well that was an error of judgement. To be safe as possible, I tried first to pull it sideways with a rope at a safe distance. Nope, all I could do was wobble it slightly. A few hefty thumps with the sledgehammer said it’s going nowhere pal. So I started nibbling away with a hand saw at the part that was still attached. Several attempts at pulling and hammering again failed until finally with more sawing and pulling, it came off. Disappointingly it’s still hung up though but stable. It can stay there till winter now.

I had a good walkabout, the Hawthorn everywhere this year is laden with flowers. I only just found out the old adage “Ne’er cast a clout till May is out” actually refers to the Mayflower coming out and not the end of the month as most people thought. Pleased to see my old crab apple has set some fruit. Haven’t had much from it for a few years so hopefully it will be a good year for them.

I love wild garlic (aka ramsons). Such an aesthetically pleasing plant, big green strappy leaves and the flower, like a a firework explosion at night. I love this photo of a single flower against the dark background.

I collected some logs to take home, then just to pass time usefully, decided to trim down a a rather rotten oak log. The sapwood rots fairly easy but the darker heartwood will last for years outside. I know it will come in useful at some point as a post for something. It was hard work and not quite finished yet, even the sapwood was tough where it hadn’t yet rotted.

So that’s it for today, just a couple more photos of the day