This is a picture from last fall. One of our neighbors, Russell, asked me if I wanted any of the cherry trees that were springing up on his lawn.

So I said "Yes, of course!" and transplanted one good sized on and a couple of small shoots. The wire fencing is NOT to keep the deer out---it is to keep the dogs from digging up the mulch!

Fast forward to March, 1003: Here you see half of a bunch of trees that I bought at the Southern States store on the day after they were delivered! Right place at the right time---for a change!

Here is the other half of the trees. They are all fruit trees. Most are dwarf trees and the rest are semi-dwarf. (4 apple trees, 4 peach trees, 4 plum trees, and 4 sweet cherry trees.)

As I mentioned above, the chicken wire is not for chickens, or for deer. It is to keep the daggone DOGS out of the mulch until the trees get big enough to take care of themselves.

Like it is not enough to have to dig the holes and plant the trees. But I have to make sure that the dogs can't get to the trees until they are safe. From the dogs that is.

One of my neighbors was very concerned that the chicken wire would definitely NOT keep the deer out. I tried to explain that keeping the deer out of the yard is Annie's job. The wire just has to keep the dogs out of the mulch until the trees are bigger.

I am definitely a lazy boy, as I spend much of the time sitting on the hill attaching the wire. (Actually, I am mostly watching the hawks and crows fly around the valley!)

Not a bad shot of the state of our little meander in the Fink Creek bed. You can see that I still have a goodly number of trees to go!

Here is a good shot of the typical "plant a tree" work site.(I kept the cooler with the Bud Lite hidden from view!) NOT!

I really tried to get a large mulch damn around each tree. Catching all the water possible is a big thing to keep new trees healthy. At least that's what the books say.

Another, closer view, of the typical tree installation site. I kept putting the extra dirt into the dogs digging pit. Maybe they will get the idea and leave the damn trees alone!