Timber!

My landlord came in over the weekend to say that he would be removing the wattle tree that fell into the backyard during the big rain a couple of weeks ago. I asked him to start the chainsaw up away from the rabbit shed so they're weren't startled and I would sit in with them for the duration. He also mentioned wanting to cut down all the trees on the eastern boundary (along my driveway). This was pretty startling as it meant I would lose all my privacy but on the plus side some sun would come into the end of the cottage.

Sunday morning work began but stopped almost immediately when the chainsaw broke. Resuming at lunchtime Ken took nearly two hours to chop down the wattle and remove it. I sat with the angoras who were absolutely terrified. I put my hand on Cadbury who was nearest to the noise in order to keep him settled.

After finishing with the wattle the shelter belt along the drive was the next to go including twenty foot high bottlebrush trees and a few native shrubs. I asked for the smoke tree and a very tall native tree that I don't know the name of to be left. Also two silver birches and a gum down the end were left as they really don't take any sun from the cottage (the photo is an old shot showing the gum tree near the gate- you can see how dark the backyard was from the shelterbelt). Ken then got his tractor and pulled the branches into the middle of the paddock and these will later be burnt.

Yesterday was the moment of truth- would the sun come into the cottage? The answer was sort of. Yes it is lighter in here but there is a shelterbelt of tall pines on the northern boundary of the field next door and this is what is stopping the sun coming in here during the winter.