But she was right. Cut them right down and wait out a year. Same with the fruit bushes.

Finns are obsessive about removing autumn leaves before the snow. I must have paid for a few boy scouts trips abroad with our nuptial 2 hectare land's demand for cleaning. But I always thought - why not mow the whole grass area before the snow and zap all the leaves to become microcompost for the Spring? Fortunately others are now coming round to my lazy way of thinking.

I always wanted a pond for frogs and toads (day and nght shift) because they eat an awful lot of bugs. But no.

I planted a medium sapling apple tree in honour of J' son's recovery, but sadly the hares have been at it. I should have protected it better. It seems to be still OK, hard to tell - but I worry abut the winer- though it has been mild so far.

I must admit to being lazy with compost in the winter. I resolve to do better. A lot of birds have unusually stayed behind. I will keep them going if a cold snap comes - but I don't know how good they will be at surviving, or will they just fly off south when the temperature gradient is provocatve enough.

We also had no instances this year of drunken birds flying into windows this year. We have plenty of laden rowan, and the berries foment, but they must have found a bar with billiards or something. Not a trace of projectile vomiting or incoherent navigation on our property.

You can't be me, I'm taken