The north forty

Thursday was a beautiful, sunny day, even if it started out kind of chilly. My plan was to use our hedge trimmers to reestablish a path just outside the north side fence. The fence runs the length of our property on the north side separating our yard from the woods beyond. Then I planned to run the lawnmower through to cut and mulch the path down at ground level. Weeds, saplings, vines, and brambles try each year to get into our yard (with measured success) and each year we try to fight them back. Keeping the invading forces trimmed back to a meter or so beyond the fence isn't difficult unless weather and other projects delay the maintenance, giving nature's forces an opportunity to advance. And advance they had.

The eastern half of the fence line looking toward the woods to the north, seen from the deck.

So, I pulled out the hedge trimmer, ran two very long extension cords from the house out to the fence (I have enough extension cord to reach anywhere in the yard), and started hacking away. There's only one access point to the other side of the fence for people and that's out the back gate and along the hedge in the west forty to Ken's plum tree in the northwest corner. Unfortunately, that point is often the most overgrown. But I attacked and made it through, cutting up as high as I could reach.

I continued to about half way along the fence's length then took a break. After  re-hydrating and letting my arms rest, I took out the walk-behind lawnmower to see how that would do (the rider is too big to fit). I was pleasantly surprised. So much so, that I continued the process of hacking and mowing along the other half of the fence's length. That half is overgrown mostly with tall grasses and supple saplings that are easier to cut away. However, there are also a lot of blackberry brambles (with thorns the size of paring knives) trying (and succeeding) to make the leap into our yard. I did not come away unscathed (thank goodness for heavy-duty garden gloves) but I did come away a victor. At least in this battle. I'm afraid the war is unwinnable.