Vicki Lane's Blog, page 508

Hard Decisions

The so-called dwarf evergreens that I planted around our fish pool over twenty years ago have grown far taller than the word 'dwarf' had led me to expect. Evidently dwarf means 20 feet as opposed to 40.
I love these plants but they have been blocking our view for too long. Our good friend, Doc Adams, got the ball rolling by volunteering himself for a spot of chainsawing. John and Justin assembled the implements of destruction and the guys went at it while I stood around pointing at things I thought needed cutting back.
John dragged numerous huge piles of branches to to a field to pile up for later burning.
As things progressed and things began to open up, I grew bolder -- "Oh, just take that entire thing down to give the azalea and the Hinoki Cypress more room."
Tough love in the garden. 
It looks like a war zone now but I have faith that it will be an improvement. By summer, most of the evidence of this destruction will be covered in new growth.
Maybe it's the New Year -- but it feels so good to be making long overdue changes.
Pruning here, pruning there . . .kind of a life lesson, I'd say.

Another View

After yesterday's post, which set the Deliverance banjos twanging for more than one of us, I wanted to bring this interesting book to your attention. Barbara Woodall, a native of the north Georgia mountains, writes of growing up Appalachian. She specifically mentions how hurtful many mountain folk found the Deliverance movie as it seemed to show their entire culture in an extremely negative light.

Woodall's heart-felt account of watching the changes that have come to the mountains is well worth reading, especially for those, like myself, who are part of that change. The book is also an excellent record of life as it was lived in the mountains, not so very long ago. And by the way, the junky place in yesterday's post is definitely not typical of where I live. There are far more homes and farms that are well-kept.

Iconic?

If I were to describe this place in a book . . . I'd probably be accused of stereotyping . . .

Along the Branch

Panther Branch, Anderson Branch, Doe Branch, Long Branch, Dry Branch, Laurel Branch, Back Branch -- in my neck of the woods, lots of the roads are named for the branches ( or creeks) they  follow. 
For years and years, all of us who lived along a particular branch -- even if it was miles long -- used that branch as our address. We were one of a number of families with the Anderson Branch address. But when 911 came to our county, there was a need for a bit more precision and all our various private roads and long driveways needed to be given names.
We chose Wool Branch, as that was what we had been told was the name of the little branch that flows down our mountain into Anderson Branch.  Lots of folks used their family names; some were, more creative. And very often, the choice of the name is a clue as to whether the family living on that private road is local or a transplant.
I wonder who lives on Lothlorien Lane (which I just discovered on Google is about seven miles away) native or 'new' person?

In Search of Summer

 Yesterday the temperatures didn't get out of the teens. In spite of two wood stoves going, the house was chilly. So I went to to Chile, to enjoy Maria Cecilia's lush summer gardens at Casa Dulce Hogar. 
I recommend blog travel to anyone looking for summer in the midst of snow and ice --  it's free; no security lines or baggage fees; and, unlike James James Morrison Morrison's mother, you can be back in time for tea.
South Africa and New Zealand are lovely at this time of year. . .

And Then There Was Snow . . .

Mild weather and gorgeous sunrises. . . Clouds rolling in . . . The past few days have been a whirl of breaking out the blue and yellow to replace the red and green . . .
Now the house feels fresh and spare -- a good way to begin the new year . . .

And yesterday afternoon, the snow began . . . The weatherman says it will be short lived . . . and that's okay with us.

Book Club Alert!

If you're a member of a book club here in the US or Canada, your club can enter to win eight (count them, 8!) autographed and personalized copies of Signs in the Blood, the first Elizabeth Goodweather mystery.  Find full information over at NYT best selling author Dianna Love's Quantum Book Club.  There are several titles available each month (many of which have rather steamy covers -- Signs looks a bit like a maiden aunt in comparison.)
QBC gives away books every month. Mine is available in January but if you're a book club member, you might want to remember this site.  On the home front, I'm feeling better. All of Christmas has been put away (except for a stack of red and green napkins that need ironing and I hope to resume blog visiting tomorrow.  

Excuses, Excuses . . .

I'd like to be profound, here at the beginning of my fifth year of blogging, but I have a bad cold and profundity just isn't possible.   Best wishes to all of you in 2012 -- may this be a good year for Earth and all her people.

Marriage of Arnolfini

When I saw Ali and Willa in this pose, I immediately thought of Van Eyck's Marriage of Arnolfini . . .
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A December Day