The prune-a-thon continues!

As spring has decided it has waited quite long enough and that by whatever means necessary it is going to push winter out of the way and take its turn it's become a race to finish all the pruning, it's US vs MOTHER NATURE, except today our own trees would have to wait as Mom and I were off to Lanciole for the day.

After breakfast and making lunch we loaded the car with dog and tools and went up the valley along the now familiar route along the valley bottom dotted with its paper mills, it really is the best commute to 'work' I've ever had and today was especially so as the sky was again crystal clear, the journey does have a little room for improvement sometimes though as occasionally it's marred by the appearance of an artic truck coming in the opposite direction with no intention of giving way, not a regular occurrence fortunately and we didn't have to contend with one today either, we did however encounter a team of guys felling trees alongside the road and we were stopped and made to wait as a tree fell right across the road in front to the sound of a chainsaw buzzing, 'this is going to be some time' I thought.

Fortunately I was wrong, no sooner did those words cross my mind a tractor appeared and shifted the whole lot out of the way and we were waved through, I love Italy for this kind of thing, In the UK that would be a closed road for 24 hours and a lengthy detour but not here, just drive through the debris and make sure you don't hit either the tractor or the guy with the chainsaw, no problem!

Once there and the tea was brewed we got a fire started to continue burning the heap of already pruned wood and I left mom tending the fire while I went with pruning shears in hand to finish the last of the cutting by trimming the five remaining olive trees and so the day was whiled away in glorious sunshine to the distinct smell of burning olive leaves with only a short break for lunch in the middle.

Beautiful views towards Crespole

I'm a fire starter...TWISTED FIRE STARTER!

It wasn't long before we were loaded and heading back down the valley home having finished all the pruning up there now and made a good dent in the burning too.

When we got home we sat on the patio, tea in hand and made another dent in the last of yesterday's fresh cantuccini biscuits as Reggie lazed in the sun after his exertions in Lanciole.

After tea I rounded up the cats, Florence as ever was completely obliging and I thonk she actually expects to be carried indoors of an evening like it's just too much trouble to walk in herself, Lucca on the other hand is less happy about the whole affair but fortunately didn't out up much of a fight this evening.

With the cats safely indoors I spent an hour or so pruning our own Olive trees while Reggie had free run of the terraces and spent his time split between gnawing on the remainder of yesterday's bone and barking into the woods surrounding us, asI type he's just dragged his tired body off the sofa and onto his bed on the floor looking very much like he's crashed for the evening.

A pooped pooch in Lanciole

Mini olive grove...PRUNED!

So a fairly straightforward day today

but one that should see us all sleeping rather well this evening as we approach the end of the week and the end of this little warm spell, rain's due the weekend before the sun makes a reappearance and the temperature increases yet a couple more degrees next week.