Xmas bonus

Xmas bonus

Week after next it will be time to collect curb-side tinsel-free discarded Xmas trees in the pickup, bring them home and lop off the branches to place over my herbaceous plants for winter protection. The limbless trunks get tied into bundles for curb side pickup or I drop them off at the recycling center. In the spring I’ll gather the boughs and run them through the shredder for composting; or, use as mulch – like a two pronged Xmas present -- one now, the other in the spring and through the summer.

Shakemh

This message was edited Dec 21, 2004 11:08 AM

Welllll .. is certainly some ingenious ideas, for sure!
.. Xcellent recycling shakemh !! ...

I'm curious tho' .. what are you doing/using .. for 'protection' .. in the meantime ?

Or, have you guys not fetch'd your 'winter' yet ? ...

- Magpye

Magpye

Winter is here. Temperature dropped to 10 degrees F. last night. Some snow the night before. Colder than a ... well, pretty cold – especially with winds getting up to 30 knots – well below zero freezing wind chill factor. Wish I had put up all of my outside Xmas paraphernalia before now. For example, I waited till the last minute to dress up the Alien. He/she’s a piece of driftwood I have standing at the end of the street. (See photo below).

At any rate (not to beat a frozen carcass to death), I mulch all my woody plants with leaves vacuumed up from grass areas then passed through a shredder, ending up with 5-6 cubic yards that I allow to decompose in place -- the greatest no fuss and natural way to build humus..

Love that "alien" -- even he has the Christmas spirit!

Love that "alien" - me too!!!

LOL .. Geeeeeezzzz a mitey mercy, shakemh !!

Myself .. I'd be a mite bit prone to consider that 'santer clauz' lookin' brute .. more like one'a them thar t-rex-a-sore-us's . . . instead of an 'alien' !! .. LOL ..

But, he IS yorn - so, he can be jes what ever ya take a likin' to him a bein', fer sure, fer sure!! .. hee hee ..

I'll bet too, that haint no body on yore 'block' got one like'im neither !! .. He's does sortee 'grow' on ya don't he ! ! ! .... He's adorable, spayshally in his 'christmassy' get up !! ... hee hee ...

Thank you .. for sharing him with the rest of us too ...

- Magpye

Once again, the alien

Since some of you seem to have taken a shine to the Alien I guess I should tell you that my wife (and O.D. -- short for Our Dog) found him on the side of the railroad tracks embankment going to Atlantic City (perhaps he is a personification of a gambler who cashed-in). When I went to get him (my wife and O.D. insisted) there was a little green lizard sitting right atop what I have assumed to be his head The lizard glared at me for a moment then disappeared. I felt bad about leaving it behind -- like breaking up a close relationship. Funny thing though, I did see a little green lizard whiz across my front steps the other day – never saw one in that vicinity before. I had thought of naming the Alien “Lizard Man” but somehow “alien” seemed fitting – I wonder.

Besides, although I have been referring to it as a "him" it could really be a "her". So, "The Alien" it is.

Shakemh

This message was edited Dec 21, 2004 11:50 PM

Cool looking piece of driftwood there. It reminds me of the alien in Costner's movie, "Signs". The temp got down to -1° Sunday night here, with the windchill making it more like -12 or something. B-b-b-b-b-bbrrrrr!

Our town has a Christmas tree recycling program, and they pay $1 per tree brought to the compost facility. It really helps cut down on the trees just going into the dump. I love your ideas, though. A shredder is an awfully handy thing!