Just when I thought I had finished whacking bushes, I got curious the other day while looking up the hill just a little ways beyond the two trees I freed up. I saw an oak tree I decided to take a look at.
It doesn't show in this photo, but it's located on a little knoll along with some pines. All of the trees on the knoll were loaded with dead branches. I started hacking away at them as I couldn't even walk around this tree without getting my hat whipped off and my hair tangled in them. I decided to put in all the ensuing effort because this oak tree has an unusual feature.... a ready made place to sit ... with a backrest! A very rare thing in the wild.
I started by clearing out the leaves and debris from the hollow.
Oh yeah... I'm planting daffodil bulbs in there, C. :-) Deer don't eat them. Then I proceeded to spend the next two hours sawing limbs, clearing leaves, making a rudimentary trail and generally going just beyond my capabilities.
I thought many times... "You have officially bitten off more than you can chew. Time to admit this is a dumb idea. Stop now and save yourself."
But I didn't listen.
However, it tests one's patience to the utmost when at almost every step, something is trying to rip off your hat, tear your hair, snag your clothes, or trip you and dump you unceremoniously down the gully in defeat.
But I persevered.
Notice all the little places where branches had to come off. AND there were other trees out of sight that I had to trim so I could make the trail up to the knoll.
None of these photos conveys very well the steepness of this area.
I then proceeded to work on the trail between here and the little meadow by the trees I worked on before. THAT'S where I reached the end of my rope. During the last bout of wrestling with some tangled dead brush, I realized that I was DONE. I cannot be doing this all over the hillside. I will lose my mind. So I made myself a heated little statement... [explitives deleted] that amounted to an "I QUIT!" to an abusive employer - only thing is... that's me. I was embarrassed to have me quit. But I couldn't blame me. I'd quit too if I was me.
The incident happened right around here....
The trail up there still needs one spot worked on with the trail pick. But the ground is too frozen right now. So that will have to wait. There are no more branches to deal with thank goodness.
Now my involvement with Heartwood Trail will consist of trodding along day by day to make it more and more distinct. Staking my claim step by step. AND employing supreme self control not to take on the transformation of some messy vista along the way.
Wish me luck.
(I give it a week. She'll be back at it. Her name isn't Dillweed for nothing. And at this stage in the game she is one or two cupcakes shy of a dozen anyway.)
