"Only one this year.'"

I know I've been more than a bit slack with the blog this year and my lovely Mother-in-law informed me yesterday that there has been only one post this year. Morning L!

What has happened since the last post?

Well the main pruning has been plodding along, aided by a succession of audio-books. The Bell by Iris Murdoch being particularly good. I now have the new vines from last year to do, all of which are at ankle height and my back is protesting at the thought. Also we are pulling out another bit of dodgy-old-vine so that needs to be given its complete haircut. I have to confess at my heart sinking at the prospect of going through last years' palaver all over again. The palaver has already commenced at step one with the fact our CVI is again wrong and we've had one wasted trip to the Duanes already. Sigh.

We've ordered our new piquets for the new plantations which means quite soon we'll be spending our time banging in 1650 new posts into the ground.... more protestations from my back.

The new plantations are giving us a quandary as well with regard to weed-killer. Hmm to weed-killer or not to weed-killer, that is indeed the question. Weedkillering is expensive, requires over 7000 plastic sleeves at further cost and is obviously nasty stuff. On the plus side it does make it all look lovely and it means we don't have to WEED, which is what will need to happen if we don't weedkiller. It's cheaper and altogether more environmentally friendly but again with my back.

Either way we need to make a decision and soon.

I have been mixing the boredom of pruning with the pleasing tasks of re-affixing wires to posts with d-rings and tightening said wires to stop them being all baggy. Madame reliably informs me that my husband should be doing the later, as it's, not a job for women!

The weather is trying to break into spring with the flowers out and sunny days but it's still inclined to be  damned (the french word for which, is vachement, and yes it does relate to cows, quite how is anyones guess) cold in the mornings. We could really do without a repeat of last years frost in April.

Oh and we've been skiing.