A Busy Weekend

As well as bottling marathon I tackled the poo pile on Sunday. Steve called for me early on Sunday morning. When we got over to the pile we first loaded up his car and then my trailer. The first trailer load had a lot of fresh stuff so we spread that over the long border at the Lottie. Steve only had time to shift one load. I soldiered on and did a further two trips. We have managed to move all but the one trailer load. We will finish this off next Sunday and no doubt we will have a little alcoholic tincture for them by way of a thank you. It is a neat relationship. They need to get rid of the horse muck and we can use it. The jobs made easier because I have left my trailer with them so they can fill it as they need. It seems to work quite well so far.

I usually make a wreath for the front door. On Sunday afternoon I went on one of my wanders to see what the Leicestershire hedgerows could yield. H cried off. She had been out with her teacher buddies on Saturday night and was counting the cost....very quietly. L was still out at friends for the sleep over. Off I went. There was still an hour and a half of daylight left but the temperature was dropping. I was well wrapped. An old chap I knew said that there was no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes! For added atmosphere, if more atmosphere was needed in the frosted forest under a watercolour sky, I was listening to a multi-national carol concert on Radio 3 via my ipod. I was not trying to be quiet yet I still walk up within fifty yards of a group of young deer. For a change I spotted them first and stopped behind a tree in the hedge line. They must have got wind of me as after a few minutes they walked off. I continued down the hedge line and jumped into the dry ditch at the end plantation. The herd had walked down the other side of the ditch line to the end of field. They were doing that funny cantering gait, all four legs at once, that is more than walk but less than a run. At a certain point the herd found a gap in the hedge, one at time hopped through it and were gone.

I made my way back to the car via the holly bushes, fir trees and ivy covered trees I had passed on the outward journey. I had a bagful of cuttings and a handful of holes from the spikes on the Holly. When I got home L had pitched up. H was had the kettle on and was making tea [Evening meal as well as the hot beverage]. I cut a two long Willow whips from the hedge at the end of my garden. In the garage to wrestled all the components into a creditable wreath. H had a red ribbon to hand. It took longer to tie a nice bow than make the wreath. The wreath is on the front door if you want to see it.