The weary shoveller

I had half a day free today. I went down to do a job that I have been preparing for sometime. The ditch side of my plot is eroding away with weather and beasties digging holes into it. It is also full of weeds. I got a load of industrial carpet. It happens to be green too! I started at the bottom end. I went round to the ditch side of the lottie and pulled up the chicken wire and the grass and nettles entangled in it. Back round on the lottie side of the fence and unrolled the carpet strips. I then pushed them under the wire making sure the carpet hung down at least half way down the bank. Then I cut the carpet to leave it about half way across the path. Next I pulled the chicken wire to turn the foot of the fence toward the path instead outwards. After some heaving and hauling it got the wire in some kind of order. The wind netting was tucked into the bottom of the wire.

Then the heavy work started. I went up to the stone bund to fill the trailer, spade full by spade full. Then the trailer was run back to the lottie and the contents shovelled into the wheelbarrow. The wheelbarrow was tipped onto what was to be the path. I just had to spread the gravel about trying to make sure the wire was buried and the wind netting tucked in. I manged four trailer loads before I ran out of time and back muscles. I raked the gravel flatish and tramped it down. Between loads and two and three I made a brew. I have the Trangie in the back of Degsy so hot tea is available for the weary shoveller.

I finished shovelling but had only completed about a quarter of the long path. And there is the whole other side to do as well. I needed a bit a rest before going home. Having tidied up I sat in the back of Degsy for half an hour. The sky was very blue and the sun was low. There was chill in the air. There had been a sharp forst last night. This did not seem to worry the birds. I saw the usual characters, Tits and Robins. There were a few Long tailed Tits to be seen. Then the "peewit" of the Lapwing wheeling over the adjacent field. Then the lazy wing beat of the Buzzard. I was reluctant to leave but it was tea time.