Smile

As I slammed the door behind me this morning I realised I had forgotten to pick up my waterproof.  Time wasn’t on my side, so with my usual misplaced optimism I thought, “they said there might be showers this afternoon, they are probably wrong”.  And they were.  It rained incessantly.

In spite of all the wet stuff it was a very productive day at The Farm.  It began with a long list entitled ‘Aims for Next Year’ or something like that.  I do love a list, although it has not always been that way.  Once that was off my chest and onto the white board, and I had explained the fine detail to anyone who would listen (the chickens were the most attentive) the gardening began.

The morning was a refined affair.  Vaguely neglected gooseberries were weeded and mulched, the radishes from hell were composted and agapanthus heeled into their temporary position (see AFNY item No. 14).  As I wandered off for my lunch I heard Slasher start up the chainsaw.  This roar heralded a far more rumbustious afternoon.

Farm Force were reunited for a trio of tricky jobs which luckily were all shouting distance apart. An out of the way border has been ignored for the season awaiting a new lodge which has to be trickily manoeuvred behind in the autumn.  It has become hard to ignore now. Time for a cheat’s weed, removing only the most heinous and seed laden.  Any serious work is bound to be undone by cranes and lorries and their drivers, builders and other assorted workmen not known for their twinkle toes (AFNY No. 9).  A seedling sycamore, now more of a teenager than a baby, was casting shadow and encroaching upon the vegetable garden.  Slasher made short shift of this intruder, but also long mess.  It is incredible how bigger trees are when horizontal rather than vertical.  Although this task was pre-planned, it unfortunately did not make the list, so non-cross-out-able I’m afraid. I would blame the author.  Young Master G cut back an exuberant willow, the extensive prunings of which we plan to use to construct an architectural wonder over the winter (item 3).  Mr G tractored the Gurt Big Trailer to where were were working. Together we loaded the rubbish to be carted away, dragging boughs and foliage from the vegetable garden and forking in bundles of pernicious weeds.  Mrs G pulled weed and brushed rubbish.  We then moved the willow lengths to a safe place to loosen their leaves before we bundle them up and design our building (No. 13).

When we had completed the work in hand, and the last load had been removed, we strolled down the lane towards the office.  Around the corner came Mr G towing his new vintage wooden trailer “I thought I would take you for a ride” he said.  So we all climbed in, some more elegantly than others, made ourselves comfortable, as we taken on a tour of the site.  The smile didn’t leave my face.