December

Back home and a few weeks off until mid-January...
A careful watch of the River Dee flood levels, after a couple of emails and automated calls of flood warnings and then an 'all-clear' at Farndon (for now).

The river is still within its banks for now, but Appleby's Brook and the ditches are up and some minor ingress at the south hedgerow low point.
A wander around this morning with no worries for now in ordinary boots.
After some of the weather from the last couple of weeks, I was keen to check the orchard trees. Fortunately everything was as I left it from two weeks ago.
The larger, recently planted cider apple trees have two Rubberloc commercial / amenity grade ties to hold them steady.

The frosts have finally turned the trees with late leaves left on. Rumours of snow on the way for the end of the week too...
Quite a bit of work to get done, but weather dependent. The waning moon and a couple of extra storm lanterns might compensate for a lack of daylight, but I'd like the river to subside at least another metre before contemplating the tent and wood-burning stove and picnic bench.

Jobs on the horizon including young native tree-planting at the field margins.
Six more fruit trees to go in (a 'traditioinal' orchard of ninety mixed trees could probably be considered substantial) and a small mixed collective of hazels to make a margin at the east side of the orchard grid.
Continuing the long-term boundary stock-proof fencing.
Hedge-row gap filling and rujuvinational pruning.

If the weather is less than favourable, then there is quite a bit of documentation and admin stuff to wade through at home and planning for next year's planting of appropriate native stuff in the grassland and hedgerows.
Continuing with landscape history research too...