My volunteer gardener, Fred, came this morning after his 3 week holiday in Spain. He wasn't terribly brown, despite the fact that it was lovely and warm over there!!!!

Anyway he came early this morning and proceeded to chop down my elder tree just outside my kitchen. It's size had crept up on me - and I suddenly realised a couple of months ago that it must be about 20 feet high!!!!!! Also the hallway and kitchen were getting quite dark.

Before the chopping down
Before the chopping down
Before the chopping down

Now it's roots spread themselves everywhere and as the tree was very close to the drains, I thought it wise to have the tree chopped down. Shame in a way really cos I was thinking of making elderberry wine but I probably wouldn't drink it anyway!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL

Then Fred asked me if I wanted the yew tree which was right next to the gate in the fence, trimmed, but I said I wanted it gone. It was a problem all the time, and it was better to be rid of it.

The trees have been chopped down and it's so airy


So this is what it looks like now just outside my kitchen...........

Now it's lovely and open


It's amazing how open it is now. It's going to make an incredible difference to my hallway and kitchen - they are going to be so light now.

Pippin in the clearing


Pippin explored the clearing which Ann & Peter had made when they had the bonfire, do you see the old rusted wheelbarrow at the back they discovered???? LOL ............

Pippin talking to me


And proceeded to tell me what he thought of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whilst he was here, Fred dug up several sprouting sycamore trees, they are the bane of my life - I left one grow at the bottom of the garden and now it's a 60 foot monster!!!!!!!!!! So he wandered around the garden and trimmed and dug up unwanted items as he went along. I am so blessed to have these volunteers helping me out here.

Tomorrow Mandi is coming up to see me, no shopping apparently - thank heavens. We are just going to watch a film called Contagion - a thriller disaster sort of thing. So I've made some home-made shortbread to munch on while we're watching it.

My other neighbour, Yvonne, popped up for a chat - I really do like that - just having a coffee and a chat. We covered all sorts of topics and had a giggle at some of them!!! I'm lucky that she enjoys our chats too. So all in all - a very good day.

Oh yes, I also had a letter from the Department of Works and Pensions, who told me they were giving me £200 (approx $380) towards my winter fuel bill - so that's a nice surprise. So yes - as I've already said - a very good day was had by me.

That's all folks,