I do like nice surprises that come out of the blue. Take today for example. It started off as a fairly dreary Friday, but took an unexpected turn just after lunch.

We were just about to set off for a quick grocery shop in the local village when we noticed major activity in the field that adjoins ours.

The two fields are separeated by a drainage ditch. On our side of the ditch there is nothing but grass, on the other there is a selection of trees and hedges, most of which are of a great age. In fact I have written previously about ‘the old tree’ and how it makes cutting the grass more difficult.

Peter went off to investigate.

It turns out the people who own the adjoining field, and have recently had a large part of it fenced pending the arrival of donkeys or ponies, are employing a tree surgeon to tame some of the more unruly inhabitants of the ditch.

This includes cutting down an ancient tree near our compost heap, which we were only commenting on the other day was looking dead.

Pruning the large oak tree next to it, including large branches that over-hang our land.

And finally, remove the ‘old tree’ altogether, which will make my life of grass cutting this summer much easier and far less dangerous.

In short, just about everything we would have wanted doing ourselves, but couldn’t afford. My idea of a good day in February.