Cleaning up

The backyard digging is finally finished, and I can look forward to fixing and digging in the main area from now on.
But first, apropos of nothing, the kittens show extreme interest in the little sink above the toilet seat. Of course it is because whenever I flush water runs through that pipe into the sink first like a tiny waterfall and then fills the tank, giving them opportunity to play with water. Good or bad, they are not afraid of water at all, but really love it. When they do something bad and I spray them with water they take it as a reward... so I am not sure how to deter them from doing bad things. Even Tora who used to be terrified of water has started to look at the kitchen sink with different eyes, albeit still carefully. The kittens wait outside of the toilet or bathroom to rush in whenever they get a chance. They even take naps on top of the tank waiting for the next flush. Needless to say, every time I open the kitchen faucet they come running and try to touch and drink the water. Really annoying in the long run when you want something done...

Of all the weird places to fall asleep

Oh it's so much fun

Anyway, back on topic. A couple of dead trees on my neighbor's forest has long annoyed me. The reason is that they are just next to the border and their branches are in my garden. When I drew my net fence I had to leave gaps for the branches in the net, kind of wrapping the net around them. I was not sure if the trees were dead or not, and didn't want to cut a big living branch which didn't belong to me. The net is fine, just looks complicated around the intruding branches. The trees are near each other so this problem is concentrated only to one area.
So...during the last year I have observed the trees and nothing has grown on them. Actually one of them has grown tiny leafs but the other two are very dead. The branches break easily with almost no force, and they are dry all the way inside.

Not a huge problem but it demotivates me from planting anything under the branches

Last weekend I went ahead and cut down the middle tree from its base (it is rooted right on the border so ownership is on both sides I guess, but it completely leaned inside my garden). I also cut down a big dead branch that stuck through my net, and patched the net so it looks normal. The still alive branch I left as it is. Hopefully it will grow bigger leafs and get back to life.

The still alive branch with a few new leafs sticking out from it.

I have already had a couple of trees acting all dead but suddenly springing to life. The biggest example is the walnut sapling. And then there was the lilac at the entrance. Most recent example is my cherry sapling that started growing all new leafs from low part of its trunk.

There's a lot of weeds but cherry leafs are clearly visible

So even when a tree looks dead I have learned to give it a chance as it may just be asleep. But waiting a year and no growth, plus totally dry trunk and branches must mean there is no hope.

comparison. Foreground: living branch. Background: dead branch.

Now that area is cleaned up and the net is patched. The dead branches are gone and I can start expanding my beds there if I want to grow something.

After. Now I only need to cut all the weed and shape a bed.