Preparing for Spring 2004

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=105 BGCOLOR="#66CCFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="915fc011egdypo.jpg"> <div>   <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B> </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B>Nature and Spirit</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Parisian BT" ><B> </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#66CCCC" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT>|   <A HREF="http://www.alanloreficeandcompany.org/index.html " TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.alanloreficeandcompany.org/in"><U>home</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=375 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>  Spring is coming!  I'm bringing the ladder  for more pruning...</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="95332910.jpg" border=0 width="562" height="913" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>                                                      <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#0033CC" FACE="Arial" >b</FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#0033CC" FACE="Times New Roman" >ringing down ladder</FONT></div> <bR> <div> Here we are on the ladder in the Grove. The trees have grown a lot in the last season!  Unfortunately, there are signs that this was another very tough winter. This was partly due to the lack of snow on the ground. The trees will need lots of food to help them grow this spring.  We're ready for the task! </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="9a888a60.jpg" border=0 width="904" height="678" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>                                                                                             <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#0033CC" FACE="Times New Roman" > on the ladder</FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Here we're working on a pile of tree food that has just come in! I'm very enthusiastic of course.  It's a compost of sorts that will provide lots of organic material and other things the trees need. It arrived near the driveway in a really big dump truck that would have compressed the wet ground above the Grove too much. The load alone weighed almost 10 tons! It is going to be hauled up to the top of the Grove tomorrow with a smaller truck. In the meantime we'll bring some to Mom's garden and to our trees and native plants near the studio...</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="93e26b00.jpg" border=0 width="550" height="944" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0033CC" FACE="Parisian BT" >                           </FONT>  <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#0033CC" FACE="Times New Roman" > the tree food pile</FONT></div> <bR> <div> then head to the Grove with Mom's wagon! The box contains tree tying material to secure the trees.  You know how this works by now! Across the stream and up the bank we go...</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="940e0680.jpg" border=0 width="480" height="360" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>                                      <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#0033CC" FACE="Times New Roman" > from the stream</FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div> across the field...</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="952e0680.jpg" border=0 width="480" height="360" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>                                                           <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#0033CC" FACE="Times New Roman" >field</FONT></div> <bR> <div> up the hill...</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="95080e00.jpg" border=0 width="640" height="480" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>                                                                                  <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#0033CC" FACE="Times New Roman" > hill</FONT></div> <bR> <div> to the very top of the Grove!  Here Mom's wagon is almost fully loaded!  We begin by pulling the tree food in from under the fence...</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="94380e00.jpg" border=0 width="640" height="480" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>                                                                      <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#0033CC" FACE="Times New Roman" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#0033CC" FACE="Times New Roman" >beneath the pile</FONT></div> <bR> <div> then continue by bringing it down from the top.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="94880e00.jpg" border=0 width="640" height="480" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">              </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#0033CC" FACE="Arial" >                                                                    </FONT>above the pile</div> <bR> <div> There's still some snow in some places.  We empty the wagon near each tree. We'll spread it with a rake later. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="94980e00.jpg" border=0 width="640" height="480" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">   </div> <div>                                                                                             <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#0033CC" FACE="Times New Roman" >snow</FONT></div> <div>  </div> <div> We're  heading down from the pile.  Here it's a steady trip downward.  It's almost relaxing. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="956c0ce0.jpg" border=0 width="448" height="718" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">             </div> <div>                                           <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#0033CC" FACE="Times New Roman" >heading down</FONT></div> <bR> <div> Mostly, though it's a rather steep trip from the pile! Here Mom's wagon is set up for loading. I have a rock under the wheels to keep it from zipping on down. Sometimes it still does though. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="94b80e00.jpg" border=0 width="640" height="480" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">        </div> <div>                                                                        <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#0033CC" FACE="Times New Roman" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#0033CC" FACE="Times New Roman" >prepared for loading</FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div> Down we go! With a couple of hundred pounds of tree food on Mom's wagon this part doesn't take long.  A minute of bouncing jouncing teeth rattling adventure.  </div> <bR> <bR> <div>  <IMG SRC="94a80e00.jpg" border=0 width="640" height="480" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>                                                                                <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#0033CC" FACE="Times New Roman" >on the way down                                             </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#0033CC" FACE="Times New Roman" > *</FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div> There's lots more to do...</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0033CC" FACE="Parisian BT" >                                                                         </FONT>  <A HREF="preparingforspring2004_2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Preparing for Spring 2004 (page 2)"><U>please continue here</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>                              </div> <div> <IMG SRC="9a033320.jpg" border=0 width="51" height="50" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#0033CC" FACE="Parisian BT" >              </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>                                                              </div> <div>                                                             <FONT SIZE="7" COLOR="#0033CC" FACE="Parisian BT" ><A HREF="http://www.alanloreficeandcompany.org/soundfiles/tibetananthem.rm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.alanloreficeandcompany.org/so"><U><IMG SRC="99d39330.png" border=0 width="57" height="51" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></FONT></div> <div>                                   <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#0033CC" FACE="Parisian BT" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#0033CC" FACE="Times New Roman" >* pictures courtesy of  A Luminous Diamond (Bright) Crystal Show productions.  </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>      </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.alanloreficeandcompany.org/index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.alanloreficeandcompany.org/in"><U><IMG SRC="99f40330.jpg" border=0 width="64" height="51" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </td> </tr></table></body>