Back in the Saddle

Foot is all better, it felt great to get back outside today. I actually got
quite a bit accomplished. Finished measuring and cutting the posts for the wattle fence, dug up another rose, and worked on the tepee. The kids kept me company today. They used some extra branches as hockey sticks. Mud hockey is what they were calling it, so you can imagine the rules of that game. They had a great time though.

A note concerning wattle tepees. I am learning as I go along so if you would like to try this here are a few tips I have stumbled upon. Use flexible sticks for weaving. This may seem obvious, but I found that the fruitless mulberry is working really well. I tried using clippings from my apple tree, but with no success. The apple branches would bend in hand but would break when I tried to weave it. Willow is the standard material for use, but I am using what I've got. Space your posts 8 to 10 inches apart. This spacing is working well for me. Don't let your posts get crossed. This is the one challenge I am facing. Some of the posts got crossed in the building of the frame. Weaving is a bit more difficult in those crossed spots. All in all, it is coming along nicely and it is really fun to do.

Have a Happy Valentine's Day!