This week the NCVs were invited to help out on two different days. Both days involved a good deal of chat about the weekend's 'Grande Depart' as many of the NCVs had been spectators of the event. As proof.....
An NCV selfie - Jan meets Will and his grandson
on the Tour de France route.
Seed
collecting in Nidderdale - Monday
Just three
volunteers came along to help Kelly and Paul collect wild flower seeds for the
hay meadow project. The boys positioned
themselves at Blazefield where there was
an abundance of pignut seed ripe for collection and the girls headed up to Greenhow to Eric
Walker's fields.
Jan (still in Le Tour mode) hasn't quite got the hang of this seed collecting lark.
Jan - it's the seeds you are meant to put in the sack; not your leg.
Jan - it's the seeds you are meant to put in the sack; not your leg.
Kelly and Ros K hunt for seeds.
There's bound to be one or two here somewhere.
There's bound to be one or two here somewhere.
In the warm sunshine and
with spectacular views across the valley we set to with sack in hand to collect
pignut, water avens and a little heath bedstraw seed. Throughout the afternoon we were also kept
busy exercising Ruby, a two year old chocolate Labrador who constantly brought
us her ball to throw. Her antics were
hopefully helping to spread the seeds for next year’s harvest. We must have done a good job, for as we left
she jumped into a bath of water to cool off - much to our amusement!
The Blog Dog brings her ball yet again.
Ruby takes a bath then we all get a shower!
Thank you Eric for providing the refreshing cup of tea.
Anita
Bracken bashing in Old Spring Wood - Tuesday
Today 9 volunteers joined Paul at Old Spring Wood. John and Colin went off up the hill to sort out some unruly trees that just will not stay vertical whilst everyone else got busy bracken bashing. Things started well. The weather was good and the bracken got well and truly bashed. We concentrated our efforts down at the bottom of the wood, as this is an area that has often been missed on previous occasions when we have run out of time.
Alistair demonstrates his pas de seul to his unimpressed colleagues, joyous in the knowledge that the break is over and the bashing can continue.
A number of hazards had to be dealt with as we bashed - the worse one was the large number of very deep rabbit holes hidden beneath the vegetation, waiting to trip up unsuspecting NCVs. A second was overgrown tree stumps. Enthusiastic bashing of bracken hiding one of these set your teeth rattling as the vibrations travelled through your body.
There was a lot of bracken that had decided to grow up around fallen trees. This was difficult to bash but Graham and Dave managed to clear it very well indeed.
The bracken has started to cunningly disguise itself as ferns this year. It is definitely getting harder to distinguish the two and this tended to slow the job down. However, some bracken removal uncovered things growing that were definitely not similar in shape....
Lunch time was called at 12:15pm and we headed off back to Rosemary Helme's conservatory for a delicious meat and potato pie (and/or Mediterranean quiche) followed by lemon meringue pie. (Thanks so much for this Rosemary!)
Jan is offered the flapjack tin to hoover up
.... and then proceeds to demonstrate the 'dyson technique'.
Half way through lunch things went a bit pear shaped with regard to the weather. There was a thunderstorm followed by rain of biblical proportions which prevented us going straight back to work. What a shame. We had to stay in and watch the storm in the nice warm, dry lounge instead. After a while the NCVs started a game of I Spy which had us scratching our head from time to time. The sound of the rain on the flat conservatory roof was so loud that it prevented participants hearing the letters that were being called out - not very helpful if you wish to be successful.
Stone wall (surrounding us on 3 sides
At 2pm the majority decided to head off home but four (brave? determined? foolish?) NCVs donned waterproofs and set off down the hill to continue bashing.
A large area of 8' high bracken was soon laying on the floor and we felt as if we had earned our lunch - although we all found out our waterproofs were not at all waterproof. Paul knew it was time to call it a day when he realised his wellies were filling up with water and he had to squelch his way back to the car.
Bracken bashing in Old Spring Wood - Tuesday
Today 9 volunteers joined Paul at Old Spring Wood. John and Colin went off up the hill to sort out some unruly trees that just will not stay vertical whilst everyone else got busy bracken bashing. Things started well. The weather was good and the bracken got well and truly bashed. We concentrated our efforts down at the bottom of the wood, as this is an area that has often been missed on previous occasions when we have run out of time.
The NCVs show the bracken who's boss.
The morning's work was punctuated by a pleasant coffee break with Audrey's world renowned flapjack (thanks Audrey!)
A number of hazards had to be dealt with as we bashed - the worse one was the large number of very deep rabbit holes hidden beneath the vegetation, waiting to trip up unsuspecting NCVs. A second was overgrown tree stumps. Enthusiastic bashing of bracken hiding one of these set your teeth rattling as the vibrations travelled through your body.
Has anyone seen Paul or has he fallen down this hole?
There was a lot of bracken that had decided to grow up around fallen trees. This was difficult to bash but Graham and Dave managed to clear it very well indeed.
I think that there's a tree under here somewhere.
Oh yes - here it is.
The bracken has started to cunningly disguise itself as ferns this year. It is definitely getting harder to distinguish the two and this tended to slow the job down. However, some bracken removal uncovered things growing that were definitely not similar in shape....
Stinkhorn fungus - complete with an
unpleasant aroma and an appreciative fly.
Lunch time was called at 12:15pm and we headed off back to Rosemary Helme's conservatory for a delicious meat and potato pie (and/or Mediterranean quiche) followed by lemon meringue pie. (Thanks so much for this Rosemary!)
the remaining crumbs after his lunch...
Half way through lunch things went a bit pear shaped with regard to the weather. There was a thunderstorm followed by rain of biblical proportions which prevented us going straight back to work. What a shame. We had to stay in and watch the storm in the nice warm, dry lounge instead. After a while the NCVs started a game of I Spy which had us scratching our head from time to time. The sound of the rain on the flat conservatory roof was so loud that it prevented participants hearing the letters that were being called out - not very helpful if you wish to be successful.
I spy with my little eye something beginning with SW.....
but nobody thought of it for ages..
I spy with my little eye something beginning with PF.....
Peacock feather (hidden to the majority behind John's head).
Equipped for all weathers; bracken bashers to the gentry.
A large area of 8' high bracken was soon laying on the floor and we felt as if we had earned our lunch - although we all found out our waterproofs were not at all waterproof. Paul knew it was time to call it a day when he realised his wellies were filling up with water and he had to squelch his way back to the car.
The rain and the bracken came down
and the floods came up.
Ros E.
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