Winter Stuff.
Yesterday was the 115th anniversary of my father's birth. So I spent part of the day with him, sort of, showing him what I had been doing, and imagining his reactions. And here is some of what I have been doing: I have given more coats of paint to my tomato boxes and I have worked in my shop. These are ongoing tasks.
The past two weeks we had some windy conditions, and the ponderosa that grows right through our deck would sway. Having the massive tree outgrown the hole through which it exposes itself, each time it moved, however little, the deck groaned and moaned pitifully. And scarily! So I had to enlarge the hole, rebrace the affected parts of the deck, and craft a ring to put around the trunk. I built a decagon, and because the circumference of the tree is about 6 feet, my calculations were not difficult. Here it is:

Then we sat on the bench by the dead oak that slithers up and north, and noticed how the bark has been falling off and has exposed some interesting striations. The poor tree was the victim of a snow storm a couple of winters ago. Heavy with wet snow, its top broke off and no new shoots came out. I still like the old trunk and won't give it up as long as it lasts.

Sitting on the bench I pointed out the horizontal branch from which I will hang a swing, for any tiny visitors:

Then we adjurned to the fire pit and, hypnotized by the flames, enjoyed a mug of cold ale. And that was my yesterday.