Trail Maintenance

Today we decided our morning exercise would be trail maintenance. We have a network of very lovely trails in the forest that would be grown over with salal or Oregon grape or fallen branches if we didn’t keep them open with regular maintenance. I set off with the clippers and rake while H took bigger choppers to do some broom patrol on the top since it was a cool morning. Much bending over for an aching back, but the dabbled sun and the fresh clean smell were the best!

Had the little Sony in my pocket and altho I tried all sorts of ways to photograph the trail and trees, (an ambiance I find really hard to convey) nothing beats how it looks like this watercolor setting. I wish I could paint like this!

Chose this one as it shows our 3 main trees, the Cedar on the left, and the red Arbutus in the back of the large Doug Fir. The island has been logged in the last century but there are still some trees that could be 300 years old like this one. That’s a trail marker sign on lower right …

My back is still “rubbish” (I’m learning to love this word, thanks to blippers:-) ) so I can only do so much before it needs a rest. Altho it’s lots better than a month ago, it really likes this new habit we started when there were kids here- “quiet time”- a nap or a least a lay-down-and-read-for-an-hour if possible in the afternoon. I’m growing very fond of this bit of time…..even tho it makes me feel old. (I AM old…! ha)