the fig tree's annual haircut

I'm not very good at remembering to take "before" pictures but for once I did!  This is the fig tree this winter.  It gets a haircut each year to keep the branches from going too crazy.  last year I focused on keeping the branches from dragging on the ground.  This year I decided there were too many large, long branches growing upward.  Great for the birds, not great for me.  And besides, on pretty much any fruit tree branches that grow upward produce less fruit than branches that go sideways (laterals).

I spent several weeks at this, waiting for weekends with good weather.  I filled up two council bins worth of branches before I was satisfied.  I'm not very confident on ladders but for some reason I was happy to scramble up to get amongst the branches.  The worst were some of the really big upward-growing branches right in the middle of the mess, with fig branches clawing at me from every side.  But now it looks like this.  The picture isn't very good but you get the idea - a lot fewer upward-branches and a general thinning out.  I hope it's another good crop this year!