Preparing for Winter

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=105 BGCOLOR="#66CCCC" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="209bf761ezvthe.jpg"> <div> <B>   </B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#66CCCC" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B>Nature and Spirit   </B></FONT><B>|  </B><B> </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Spirit and Nature_Alan Lorefice"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The trees"><U>The trees</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id16.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Their home"><U>Their home</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Wild visitors"><U>Wild visitors</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id48.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Their plant neighbors"><U>Their plant neighbors</U></A>   |   <B>Preparing for Winter</B>   |   <A HREF="southwest_.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Winter Injury"><U>Winter Injury</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id87.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Preparing for Spring"><U>Preparing for Spring</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id162.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Water"><U>Water</U></A>   |   <A HREF="preparing_for_winter.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Preparing for Winter 2002"><U>Preparing for Winter 2002</U></A>   |   <A HREF="preparing_for_spring.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Preparing for Spring 2003 "><U>Preparing for Spring  2003 </U></A>   |   <A HREF="preparing_for_spring189.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Preparing for Spring 2003 (page 2)"><U>Preparing for Spring  2003 (page 2)</U></A>   |   <A HREF="preparing_for_spring196.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Preparing for Spring 2003 (page 3)"><U>Preparing for Spring  2003 (page 3)</U></A>   |   <A HREF="winter_preparations2003_1.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Preparing for Winter 2003"><U>Preparing for Winter 2003</U></A>   |   <A HREF="winter_preparations2003_2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Preparing for Winter 2003 (page 2)"><U>Preparing for Winter 2003 (page 2)</U></A>   |   <A HREF="winter_preparations_2003_3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Preparing for Winter 2003 (page 3)"><U>Preparing for Winter 2003 (page 3)</U></A>   |   <A HREF="winter_preparations_2003_4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Preparing for Winter 2003 (page 4)"><U>Preparing for Winter 2003 (page 4)</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#66CCCC" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=375 BGCOLOR="#66CCCC" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div> Fall is here.  The wild geese are making their flights.  You can click on their page, <A HREF="http://www.alanloreficeandcompany.org/Friends/id253.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.alanloreficeandcompany.org/Fr"><U>Canada Geese </U></A> to see them or follow me as I work in the grove.  No contest, eh?  Well then, this page will still be here when you come back ( their page is short- they move quickly!).   </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1b480e00.jpg" border=0 width="640" height="480" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>               <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Times New Roman" > Fall</FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div> With winter just around the corner, there is lot to do in the grove.  First I wind up the pump tubing that brought water to the trees all through the long, hot summer.  I then haul the coils back across the stream to the shed.   This is a big job (for me anyway) , because when wound up, each coil can be as large as 10 feet across and weigh 175 pounds.  </div> <div> As usual,  I use the very best available technology...<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >   </FONT></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1ae80e00.jpg" border=0 width="640" height="480" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">                                                <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Times New Roman" >Moving the tubing </FONT></div> <bR> <div> With this completed (Whew!) I bring back all the hose using my all terrain vehicle. The faster I go,  the faster it goes.  One of its wheels is loose and occasionally it falls off ; this gives me the opportunity to take a rest.  So here too, as in all things, there is balance.   </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1be80e00.jpg" border=0 width="640" height="480" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> </div> <div>                   <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Times New Roman" >  Moving the hoses</FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div> Beaver's dam acts as a bridge of sorts and allows me to move everything across without having to get soaked - most of the time anyway. </div> <div> Now,  it is time to clean up around each tree and  cover the ground with maple leaves.  I'm going to try this as a way of  providing organic matter to the soil.  This will help the soil  to better hold water and nutrients  next year for both the trees and the grass that grows around them.  I bury the leaves of the fruit trees themselves  because they get leaf fungus diseases that overwinter in their leaves.   Under the maple leaves, they will decompose  and not trouble the young trees next year.  </div> <div>         </div> <div> At least, this is my plan.  </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1ace0800.jpg" border=0 width="480" height="640" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>                  <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Times New Roman" >Mulching the trees</FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> In any case,  it looks rather nice don't you think? </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1c280e00.jpg" border=0 width="640" height="480" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#003399" FACE="Times New Roman" >                      </FONT> Cherry trees<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#003399" FACE="Times New Roman" > </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div> The  fruit trees  are putting on a splendid show.   Here is one of the cherry trees...<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1b0e0800.jpg" border=0 width="480" height="640" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>          <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Times New Roman" >Cherry tree  </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> And a little pear tree.  The big blob is a part of my shadow.  Shadows are harder to avoid this time of year because the sun is lower in the sky.   I think you can get the general look though.  So very beautiful these trees  are. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1c080200.jpg" border=0 width="384" height="288" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>        <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Times New Roman" >Pear tree</FONT></div> <bR> <div>  I am glad the newly reinforced fence is holding up well.  This  reminds me of my friends <A HREF="http://www.alanloreficeandcompany.org/Friends/id243.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.alanloreficeandcompany.org/Fr"><U>Mike and Pam</U></A> .  You can of course click on their names to find out why.  </div> <div>  </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>