But at least it was sunny, so time to slaughter a tree and drag it into the house. This involved some serious sawing (note to self, really need new blade for the bow saw!) We chopped quite a lot off the bottom before we dragged it to the house, but once we'd got it there, it was clear that we had quite ludicrously overestimated. But that was OK. After all, it's easier to chop it off than stick it back on. More sawing required...
This winter is so odd. There are loads of berries still on the tree for the first time since we've started cutting holly as a Christmas tree, and there are late roses in full bloom in the front garden. But there are also primroses in flower, as if they have skipped ahead while the autumn flowers are lingering.
We're going to have Pp's parents, my mother and of course Flash the Ancient Wobbly Whippet over for lunch on Christmas day, for the first time since the Christmas that was Memorable for frost where all of them went down like dominos on the ice, whoops. So having fought the tree and triumphed, we went out into the front garden and hosed and scrubbed the path mercilessly until it was very nearly not green at all. We put up a handrail on the steps last weekend, so with a bit of luck, there will be no parents (or ancient whippets) bouncing down the lane this year.
Then we decorated the tree!
This was the carving I made from last year's tree. I got a bit carried away with the concept of having a carved wooden head and attaching beads to make a body for a dragon-decoration, and the end result is a little unbalanced and top-heavy. Oh well. The beads are fixed on with fishing line picked up on the beach.
I bought some tiny boxes to pack tiny presents in, and yesterday I painted them bright colours, and decorated them with paintings of tiny cogs in bronze and gold. I wasn't sure that was going to work, but in fact the cogs look surprisingly real, I'm really pleased with them.
