It’s been a funny old week, and it looks like it has decided to continue like this for a while or so. Some reference points are missing, many balls are in the air, and with a lack of finishing successes, it’s proving difficult to track time and progress.
In the snow, it has been cold and silent, so much that you can hear your heartbeat and see your thoughts. Until the winds come roaring through the canopy and whistling down the chimney. It’s much harder to get warm when the katabatic Böhmischer Wind of the Vogtland blows all night.
Daylight continues to expand into the night. Working until 5pm is now a thing, and it feels good.
Pruning fruit trees is not a thing which can be done simultaneously with warm fingers. Being thankful for the cold might not be the easiest task, but it is good that the trees and bushes have all gone properly back to sleep. I’ve cut the bushes back a lot harder than the trees, I think. The gooseberries especially were getting carried away with themselves. The goji has sent out dozens of shoots all of which I shall cut out and transplant or give away. Does anybody want a goji bush from the barracks?
In developments for the kitchen, I have mostly been waiting for bricks to dry. They’re nearly there now, I think. And I have decided that the big wooden cabinet thing will be made with the 10cm beams. I was avoiding this because my table saw can only cut 8cm depths, so it’s all going to have to be done by hand. Which is fine.
This week
Back to chopping wood. Lets see if I can get all of February’s inside in a couple of days.
I have to make a table for a painting studio. This will be fun
Hopefully some kitchen stuff
Sow broad beans. Why not, eh?
Plan the planting. Order seeds where needed.
On the reading front, I’ve noticed a bunch of Twitter threads mentioning Art Spiegelman’s Maus. I have it here, and I think it’s probably a good time to re-read it. If you haven’t, you should.
Have a great week - February already! See you all next time,
The Pirate Ben x
great book great photo perspective less great month…
Ahh February - the wrath of winter keeps everything cold and dark, seemingly pressing down on hope and squeezing it out of our heads. But spring is persistent and nature is ever-changing; it keeps winter's cold grip just weak enough until the warmth of the sun dissolves it...and one can only hope that occurs before May! Peace ✌️