The NCV Barn: 13-02-2018

Question:
What connects the two pictures below?

Answer:

The planned task for the NCVs this week.

They were supposed to be out working on Pancake Tuesday planting Sphagnum moss. 

HOWEVER...... the best laid plans of mice and men often have to change and, due to the weather conditions encountered at the meeting place near Ramsgill, they were!!

Snow was falling heavily and the road was getting covered over.

The prospect of ascending onto Masham Moor to spend the day on our knees in the snow and mud was NOT looked on favourably.

The alternative idea? Back to the barn to sort out everything that had been shifted to allow the shelving work to be done over the last two weeks.

First important tasks on arrival  - have a cup of coffee to warm up 

and get the wood burner going!

 The nature of the problem.
(NB Note the A frame welly hanger - more later!)

Stuff heaped in the middle of the floor and in front of the shelves.

Let's clear out everything from this corner 
and pull the new table down here.

Now it's clear let's fill it up again - only tidier this time.

This coat and welly hanger just needs to be moved into the end room.
Shouldn't take long.

Yes - good idea - it should fit through here OK.

No - it won't...

...whichever way around you try it.

OK. Well let's saw a bit off the legs.

No - still no use.

After a good deal of time, 
and many attempts at carrying this vital bit of kit in various directions, 
Jan solved the problem by taking more off each leg with an axe.

Whilst all these shennanigins were going on 
another group of NCVs were sharpening tools and 
setting saws at the other end of the barn.

Yvonne was wondering about helping out with 
the recalcitrant A frame but decided a bill hook was probably 
not the best tool for the job.

The last of many sweep ups and .....

TA DA! Clear floor space!

All reasonably tidy and accessible.
For now anyway.

Unfortunately it was James's last day out with the volunteers before he moves on to his new position with the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. It was a sad time for everyone. We will miss him greatly. We sent him off with a photo book as a memento of his time with us and Tony, our very own poet, penned the "pome" below in his honour. Farewell James and good luck in your new role. We will miss your delicious cakes!!

Our James

Our James, a Searle, is never surly

Totes a beard that’s black and curly;

Even-tempered, never shirty

(Someone guessed his age at thirty!)

Knows about the flowers and bees

The birds and butterflies and trees.

The tasks that he selects for us

He organises without fuss,

Reminds us all the day before

Of time and place for Tuesday’s chore.

Is never known to curse or shout,

And thanks us all for turning out.

He’s the one who’ll never shirk

The toughest task, the muddiest work;

He never minds the hardest slog

In Fishponds Wood or Cow Mires bog.

He’ll swing a scythe and rake the swath

Or build a footpath up at Wath.

At Longside Farm he’ll lay a hedge.

In Hackfall Wood he’ll help us dredge

The Alum Pond, or swing an axe

To clear the fallen trees from tracks.

In bracken or in balsam he

Will set to work with wicked glee.

And when it rains, or sleets, or hails,

Or threatens equinoctial gales

He keeps on smiling, hands round cake.

How does he find the time to bake?

But now we hear he’s moving on;

A week or two and he’ll be gone.

The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust will gain

The benefit of James’s brain.

We’ll miss his cheerful laugh and chat

The bearded grin below his hat;

But wish him all the very best,

In every future wildllife quest.

By Tony Knowles – official NCV bard