Christmas Clearout

On Tuesday it was another bright, clear day, and the weather forecast shows no change for the next week. As usual we were working outside and we were working on tidying the area under the trees along the top hedge. We have cleared a lot of shrubs and saplings which were encroaching out into the grass. I looked up at about 11am to see a small lorry arriving. It belonged to the chap who lives a field away the other side of a stand of trees. He deals in scrap metal and our neighbour Bernard had promised to talk to him about the agricultural equipment which we have freed from the undergrowth under the trees. He and I set to and loaded the things onto the back of his lorry ( with a bit of grunting and groaning).
















It needed 2 trips for him to clear us out.


















We were pleased to see all of this old stuff removed; it helps to show off what improvements we have so far made about the house.

In the afternoon I carried on clearing out the stumps of the shrubs and trees along the top hedge and Sue set to and lit bonfires with the leaves which I had cleared to be able to see the stumps! She ended up with 5 bonfires and managed to fill the whole valley with smoke!!!

This morning we inspected and virtually all of the leaves have burnt out. It was very frosty to begin with, ( -6 degrees at the back of the house ) but by lunchtime I was sitting on the terrasse eating my lunch and opening the mail (Christmas cards ). This is why we have come to France! Eating outside on the 20th December!



Where the sun could get to the frost had gone, so I set to and finished clearing and mowing where Sue's bonfires had been. Even though there is no grass there, it now looks cared for and like the edge of a garden.

We are really pleased with the results of our efforts but you soon forget what it looked like when we arrived. However we just turn to the next job - clearing the remains of years and years of rubbish! I guess in times gone by, before the introduction of council tips and rubbish collections, the nearest corner would do as a rubbish heap. Now that we have cleared away the undergrowth, we can start to work our way into the garbage.