Odd convolutions of life, yes. A lovely afternoon in the orchard, starting the long overdue tree maintenance pruning, and the removal of the dastardly transparent tree (oh, the tree is quite solid, but the "transparent" apples it produced were fairly useless). The task made all the more fun with the assistance of Eric and Peter, two of the instructors from the Bikram Yoga studio. Eric volunteered for chainsaw duty, and Peter was no sooner in the orchard than he was up a tree, helping with the serious pruning. Nik tended to the cut branches and logs, and I was mincing around the other trees with a small clipper and a pruning saw, pretending to know what I was doing. After attending a couple of pruning seminars earlier in the month, I was relieved to know that the renovation of long-neglected trees is a gradual, 2 to 3-year process, so we didn't have to get every crossed or downward-growing branch snipped. At one point, Peter demonstrated why he is a skilled instructor with a delightfully goofy flair for physical comedy as he perfomed the Tree Pose while high up in an apple tree. Nik had her camera--we'll put the photos up somewhere, soonish.
 
I used the term "odd convolutions of life," because it occurred to me, while happily nipping branches, that none of it would have happened without a flat bike tire. My flat tire in the summer, where I was saved by two road workers, that led to a karmic payback when we met young Chloe after she'd had a flat bike tire. Meeting Chloe led to joining the yoga studio, which led to . . . two really sterling lads helping the farm broads clean up the orchard. Thanks, eh? And come back any time.
 
Posted by Hane2SO4 at 10:39 PM | Link
 

Batface watches Oscars. Yeah, big surprise about Best Actress going to Sandra Bullock for that weepfest football thing. Yeah, yeah, thank this, that and -- and -- damn. Sandra Bullock gives the best acceptance speech of the night. Batface shuts the hell up at last. [But but BUT -- The Hurt Locker wins what it should! Marvelous.]
 
Posted by Hane2SO4 at 10:40 PM | Link