True to his word, Graham took himself and our new chipper out to the left-hand corner of the back garden and set about reducing the great 20-year tangle of forsythia to three buckets full of chippings. Might seem sad, and it is, but in our climate forsythia needs careful annual pruning if it’s to be prevented from developing into a non-prickly bramble patch, producing a few miserable strands of yellow bloom in early spring and then sulking through summer and autumn, looking close to death but never quite getting there.
Unless a Graham gets his hands on it of course.
The job took about three hours, two tea-breaks, and several laughing chats with our neighbour, who was as pleased to see the tangle go as we are.
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Die, darn you, die!
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After yesterday’s glitch the new chipper worked faultlessly, grinding away without hesitation. Graham says it’s because he applied WD4o to the grinders. Maybe, but I suspect that sheer terror at having caused offence to such a fearsome chap may have something to do with it.
Ah, but it was wonderful out there in the sunshine! It is still officially winter but if they’d suddenly announced it as the first day of spring I’d have agreed with them. I stood in a patch of sun at Graham’s side, feeling the beneficial rays penetrate to my chest and my lungs heaving a great sigh of relief. I’ve made it through another winter without further damage, and I’m profoundly, eye-mistingly grateful for the gift.
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