Today was another clear and calm day. I spent some time at the workshop in the afternoon, doing a bit of work while also taking care of some tasks outside of making puzzle boxes.
Before coming to the workshop, I trimmed the conifer trees at my house (I wonder if they are called “conifers” in other countries as well). In other words, I was cutting garden trees. The area where I live is Kanagawa, next to Tokyo, so it is quite densely populated with many houses close together. Because of that, not many people plant trees like this, and large trees can sometimes cause trouble for neighbors, so regular maintenance is necessary. At my house, there used to be several trees, but I cut them all down, and now I only have this small conifer. I do have many flowers, though. The local government also asks people in residential areas like this to make sure their trees do not extend into the road or neighboring properties. Especially at this time of year, new shoots grow quickly, so people are encouraged to take care of them. I trim this conifer about once a year. Also, on the 24th of this month, there will be a community cleaning activity where all residents take part, spending about two hours in the morning cutting grass and trimming plants around the neighborhood.
The conifer I trimmed today has been planted for about ten years. When I bought it, I chose a type that does not grow very tall. So it spreads a bit to the sides, but it does not grow much upward. Today, I cut back the outer growth to make it slimmer. I planted it mainly as a windbreak and for privacy. Since the houses in my area are close together and there are no large walls, it’s easy to see into the property from the road or neighboring houses, so I placed this tree where it is most visible from the street. In recent years, local governments have also been encouraging people not to build thick, high walls for security reasons, as they can make it easier for intruders to hide. So instead of a solid wall, I only have a fence like the one in the photo, which allows air to pass through.
On the other hand, there are many trees planted at my workshop. The area where my workshop is located is an industrial zone, and all the neighboring buildings are factories. Also, as I’ve mentioned before, there is a large river right in front, so the wind is quite strong. Because of that, I let the trees grow to some extent to provide shade and act as a windbreak. However, if they extend into the road, they can get in the way of large vehicles like trucks, so I trim them regularly. I did a bit of trimming today as well. But I’m not a gardener or a tree-cutting expert, so as I keep trimming, the trees are starting to look a bit strange 🤣 This year, I’m thinking of letting them grow a bit more and then shaping them properly.
I assembled the drawer part of the 5-sun box today, so next I will attach the bottom panel. However, as I mentioned in this week’s blog, I am running low on MDF boards, so I plan to stop by a local wood shop on my way home to buy some. It is open even on Sundays. This time, I will get 2.5 mm thick boards for the drawer bottom and the internal divider, and 5.5 mm thick boards for the drawer lid.
