the power of frozen water

i'm still working on cleanup from the snow storm. i got my in-laws yard all cleaned up, my chain saw went into the shop - so my progress is a bit stalled. but i wanted to show a few pictures the the damage that 12 inches of snow inflicted upon 2 oak trees on the the property.the first picture shows a major branch which was shattered by the weight of snow on the extended branch. the branch is approximately 6-8 inches in diameter and i have a lopper next to it to give you an idea of scale. this branch was approximately 20 feet up in the tree and when it broke, it didnt fall to the ground - it stayed attached to the tree where it snapped and fell onto the truck (no damage thankfully). i thought about getting a tree cutter out to cut out the failed branch - but once this one was down, what was left was a pretty twiggy remnant, so i dropped the major branch.

the next 2 shots show whats left of another oak tree in the backyard. this is the tree that had its canopy shattered. 3 major limbs broke out of the tree - it no longer has its top. fortunately, when it fell, it missed the fence - i hope i am as lucky when i cut down the tree and fall the trunk. merry christmas - please remember the reason for the season.

the days are getting longer...

i overlooked the official day, but katie @ the punks didnt....

http://www.gardenpunks.com/

my least liked day of the year, is also an annual turning point that provides me with optimism - as the days do start getting longer. its a shame that the long days peak in june (way to early) - i would really like to see a peak around august and a minimum - well could stay where its at. going to work in the dark and getting home in the dark - just leads to a bad general attituds overall. 3 months until equinox - hurry, hurry, hurry.

ge

low snow in the garden

man did we get nailed. not only is this unusual in this area - but this early and this much, a very rare event. we got upwards of 10-12 inches of snow. we lost limbs on oaks and digger pines.

one particular oak (first pic) , saw its canopy shattered - this is actually not a bad thing as this tree being removed will open up the garden area a bit more for summer sun.

the second picture shows how much snow was in the garden - almost 12 inches. given the cold temps, we will see snow on the ground for quite awhile.