Die Trauerweide musste weg - demise of a huge weeping willow

After the chunk fell off the tree, it looked pretty bad.  The tree surveyors came on Monday and immediately decided it had to go.  The inside was rotten and a big storm would have knocked it down in any random direction.  Apart from our house being right next door, the other options were all pretty lousy (streets, cars, people, bikes, et c.) with just a narrow wedge of field to aim for.

The roads around were closed on Monday afternoon.  The police were ther along with a colourful assortment of experts, interested parties and hangers-on.  It was an exciting event in the end, albeit a bit sad.

Remainder of willow before felling

No more willow after felling

Only after the tree (around 35 m tall) was down could we see (and smell) inside the trunk.  Then you could really tell that the tree had not been well.

New view to Wilhelm-Leuschner-Straße

I hope we can arrange something suitable to fill in the gap.  Discussions are ongoing.  Appointment at the Town Hall this morning.  Fingers crossed.

Willow tree collapsed and basalt sculpture

On Sunday at 10:10, after a night of heavy rain, a big chunk of the weeping willow next to our house fell off.

Broken branch from Wilhelm Leuchner Strasse

Broken trunk below - rotten trunk above

The experts will take a look this week, but I expect a large part will have to be removed.  What a shame, it was a great tree.

Meanwhile in the field across the road, we strolled up to the basalt statue at the edge of the woods.

It is a remarkable place ... very quiet and with lovely views.

Across the fields 

First pea crop

The first load of peas have been collected.  And eaten.

Peas

It looks like there will shed loads more to come, which is no bad thing.

I also had the first of the physalis; it was on the greener side of orange (sort of vanilla yellow) but it tasted pretty good.

Chickens and peas

Good news from the allotments ... the neighbours have got a few chickens in the corner of their plot. Although they have forgotten the names assigned to the chickens by their daughter, they are giving them plenty of TLC.  I love the clucking and crowing in the background.

Chicken (without specific name)

The pea harvest will be a triumph this year.  There was around 90% germination and no pest damage. Fingers crossed for a corresponding crop.

Peas just after planting and germination

Two rows of peas

The pods still need to thicken a bit

I was lucky enough to catch a few minutes in the tiny courtyard garden of the Landmark Hotel in Guangzhou.
It was a lovely quiet corner away from the city rush.

Courtyard garden at the Landmark Hotel in Guangzhou

On the down-side, the dahlias were a complete wash-out, the competition sunflowers all failed to germinate, only one cosmos survived the slug-fest and the chilis look dismal.  At least the apple looks set to produce plenty of apples this year.

And we have harvested loads of white currants (and some red currants), so we are all set for jam making now.

Kraftanlage für Roßdorf ... noch ein Bild

Die Windräder brauchen wir vielleicht doch nicht.

Hier ein Blick ins Dorf mit einer Wasserkraftanlage installiert.  Die Rodung ist sowieso erledigt ... na dann, los geht's.  Die Baugenehmigung kriegen wir bestimmt später hin.

Wasserkraftanlage Roßdorf - keine Sorge, es ist nur eine Fotomontage (danke Papi, toll gemacht)

Kraftanlage auf dem Tannenkopf

I have been keeping a careful eye on the plans to deploy wind turbines on the Tannenkopf (in the forest at the edge of Roßdorf).

To help keep things in perspective and inspired by what has already been presented to the public, I have carefully prepared a few helpful impressions of what the Tannenkopf could look like ---

• Giant Nuclear Power Plant

The sky is a lovely blue and the steam is blowing away to Dieburg 

• Nuclear Fusion Reactor

Just one space based fusion reactor could supply enough power

• Giant Dog Powered Tread-Mill

We would just need to find a really big dog and then wire up the wheel to the grid

• Magical Alien Power Source

With a little help from our extra-terrestrial friends this could provide plenty of clean cheap power

• View of Tannenkopf from Tuvalu

A view of the Tannekopf power plant from Tuvalu

I look forward to seeing what is in place by the end of 2014.

T + 12 days

Nearly two weeks after the move and there are signs of things getting finished off here and there.

We have unpacked and returned 80% of the house moving boxes.  The tricky ones are saved to last and mainly hidden in the cellar.

Yesterday the handrails for the stairs were fitted so the stairs are basically finished now.

There is still no final front door, but this should come on Thursday next week (...).  Outside there is plenty still to be done but a lot will have to wait until April.  The risk of frost has to be gone so that the exterior plastering can be done; then the drive way and path can be laid, etc.

Today they are smashing down the little trees in the corner of the field just across the stream.  I haven't seen the results yet, but apparently it is quite dramatic.

Just after the removal men had left