Due to Jasper's bodily limitations he was given the task of
guarding the flapjack tin and first aid kit throughout the day.
There were three tasks today and these were quickly outlined by Paul before he made good his escape and set off for an "important meeting he had to attend". Hmmm - why does this not ring true?
Task 1 - scrub clearance around the main pond near the old pub (no chance of a lunchtime drink here as it is now in ruins).
Dragonflies like open areas of land around their ponds but, unfortunately, one of these ponds was fast disappearing in a thicket of silver birch saplings. There was no doubt about it - the saplings had to go. I was working in this team of 11. Loppers, bow saws and spades at the ready we set to work with gusto. It quickly became apparent that there was a sapling removal scale that we needed to be aware of (similar to the Richter scale for earthquakes), namely:
Magnitude
|
Description
|
Average effect on NCV
|
1.
Pullable
|
·
No implement required.
·
Sapling can range from tiny to waist high.
·
Good method to prevent re-growth
|
Variable –
either:
a)
a quick and easy tug (occasional)
b)
a rather more difficult pulling episode requiring emulation of Serena
Williams playing tennis and even falling backwards onto one’s rear end (most
common)
c)
three people all holding on to each other [as in “The Enormous Turnip”]
(rare)
|
2.
Diggable
|
·
Spade required as the thing just cannot be pulled out.
·
Sapling can range from tiny to waist high.
·
Good method to prevent re-growth
|
Backache but a certain smugness
knowing that you are doing the job properly.
|
3.
Loppable
|
·
Loppers (or saw) required as the offending sapling is simply too deep rooted.
·
Sapling can range from tiny to waist high.
·
Poor method – same effect as coppicing
|
A sense of achievement in that
the job is done quickly and easily, swiftly followed by a sense of shame - some poor NCVs will have to come back next
year to lop them off again.
|
4.
Forgettable
|
·
No implement required.
·
Sapling too big to consider removing.
|
Sense of
relief.
|
Once the scale was adopted it then led to the group deciding on other '-able' words that could be applied to the day, e.g.
- Passable (saplings fit for the brash pile and which could, therefore, be handed to Hannah over the fence)
- Collectable (saplings that would earn us a bob or two on the Antiques Road Show)
- Comfortable (the sitting down position adopted when one fell down a hole - see photo below).
John demonstrates how to look as
if you meant to fall down a hole.
The removed saplings had to be barrowed to the fence and then transferred to the far side. Howie demonstrated his prowess at tossing the caber in order to do this and then Hannah was promoted to receptionist on the far side. Once she was in place the quality of her brash pile was second to none.
Howie put in some training for the
next caber tossing Olympics
Ruth covered Judith's back in case any of the saplings
tried to prevent her removing one of their brethren
NCVs were getting to grips with saplings all around the pond.
There was nowhere for them to hide. We had them surrounded!
Task 2 - digging out of the smaller pond
Six NCVs donned waders and braved a very boggy area that used to be a pond but had just about disappeared under vegetation. It was amazing what they achieved during the course of the day. By the time we left at about 2:15pm there was a large expanse of fairly deep water on view and some very large heaps of silt and vegetation piled up around the edge.
First you can't see it - then it starts to appear......
.....then et voila - a pond is born. Ta Da!!
Hands across the water. Dave B.
keeps Julia safe from a watery end.
One of the silt heaps left by the water's edge to allow any pond
creatures to crawl out and back down to their habitat
Colin managed to do a Uri Geller on one of the long rakes (you just can't get decent tools nowadays) and they all got rather wet and muddy (Tony was seen wringing his socks out when he removed his waders).
Colin starts to focus his mind on the rake -
"Bend....bend ....bend...." Slowly the rake starts to droop.
Julia and Joanne model this year's latest 'must haves' for pond clearers
By the time we left at about 2:15pm there was a large expanse of fairly deep water on view and some very large heaps of silt and vegetation piled up around the edge.
Task 3 - clearing the scrub growing along the nearby stream side and pathway
Three NCVs took it upon themselves to make an early start on the 'If you have time then perhaps you could....' job. This involved them in some sapling removal (see table above) but also in the removal of two trees that had fallen across the stream. Obviously this was a more specialised job and required a good deal of sawing and death defying stream crossing. However - they, too, achieved their goal. Now there is no risk of the stream becoming dammed up (and there was the added bonus of there being no additional work for all the other NCVs once we had finished. What a team we make!
Lunchtime was a veritable feast. Apart from our own packed lunches, we had two sponge cakes brought forward from last week's task, a tin of flapjack (thanks to Audrey) and a box of plums (thanks to Hannah and Dave B.) John was so full of goodies by the end of the meal that he considered just sitting down for the rest of the afternoon, enjoying the sunshine.
John reclines, replete.
Meanwhile Hannah received some help
from fellow NCV with her new phone.
Ros (E)
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