Almost Before

 Here's the afternoon sky. They are predicting the first snow of the season for tonight. Does this look like snow clouds? Not sure, but I like the lighting.

If we get snow, it's not going to last.

I found out about an herbicide from a friend that supposedly really kills the autumn olive. Roundup, when put on the cut stumps only slows it down. In about 3 years, it's back. However, this one, Tordon, motivates me a lot more effectively since it apparently really kills the stuff.

I'm going to keep working on the hedges of it that now surround our yard this fall until the weather becomes too big an issue. I like it cool for doing the hard work of sawing and hauling.

This is an "almost before" picture because I didn't think to take one before I had cut out several of the trees. There is a picture of this area from the other direction in the link in the footer. It will also motivate me to do enough work on this that you will be able to see a difference when I decide to do an "after," or at least a "partway" picture.

The hole is a garden pond I dug, and actually had water in one year. The deer and Maggie punched holes in the too lightweight liner, and I never could afford to get a sturdier one. But, ever the optimist, I don't want to fill it in... just in case. I'm not dead yet, right!?

The larger tree, right of center, is a mulberry that gets to stay. Near center back are the maple I told you I planted 30 years ago and some quaking aspen. Behind them you can see the white pine that I blogged about last year. It was 4 inches tall in 1992, because I ran over it with the mower. Almost everything else is autumn olive. Will I get it all this year? Heck no. But I'm going to try to make a dent.

The autumn olive is alleopathic which means it kills other plants that try to grow near it. I'm hoping that the aspen clone will reassert itself if I kill this horrible stuff.

It was a heavy, heavy editing day. I'm working on some of my own stuff too. And still contemplating the next few chapters of Vacation from DMS.

See I want my garden back