HERE WE GO AGAIN!
😧
(This blog entry has now been updated with some additional photos. The editor's lost camera turned up inside her walking boot the next time she went to put it on. Well - where else would you expect a camera to be?!))
Yes - it WAS too good to be true. Last week's task without invasive weed control at Humberstone Bank turned out to be just a sweetener to keep the NCVs from becoming bolshy.
This week it was BACK TO BALSAM. The initial invitation never actually mentioned the nature of the job - just a simple 'Task day at Limely Farm'. Well - that could involve anything, the NCVs thought. Maybe something really exciting and unusual? Let's sign up for a place right away.
No - it couldn't. When are they going to learn? A vague task description during the summer months is code for balsam pulling or bracken bashing. The only way to ensure a good turn out is to (a) be economical with the truth or (b) promise a good supply of cake. As option (b) is out of the question during the pandemic*, Liz had to go for option (a).
(*There was some discussion about why this is the case last week. Presumably once word gets out to the covid 19 germ population that a cake tin lid has been removed in an area they immediately swarm to that location to join in the feast, infecting everyone in the vicinity.)
By the time everyone turned up at Lofthouse Fire station it was too late to dip out. Jackie Smith (person in charge of the Upper Nidd balsam eradication project at the AONB office) was there to organise operations. What she had failed to organise was some good weather. It rained ALL DAY. Not only did this make progress up the bed of the river rather treacherous in places, it also resulted in everyone getting very, very damp, as you can see from the photos.....
In some places there were little balsam shoots here and there amongst the rocks.
These were easily uprooted and scrunched up.
Other plants were much thicker and deeply rooted.
Some had these rather unpleasant red growths.
We wondered if this had anything to do with being sprayed by the contractors.
Of course, once pulled up, the stems had to be crushed.
Tom took this job seriously and jumped up and down with gusto.
So much so the earth shook and the camera wobbled!
Of course, it wouldn't be a balsam day if it didn't involve having to delve into prickly vegetation. Here intrepid Dave A. heroically ventures into acres
of nettles. Hope you had on your PPE Dave, otherwise
you will have fizzy legs tonight!
Everyone was heartened to see that there were plenty of places
where there was no balsam. They searched high and low but there was
simply none to be had. This made up for those few places
where it was growing in abundance!
Many stretches of the river were dry - in spite of all the rain.
The water would simply disappear underground through a swallow hole.
Here the river can be seen in the lower right hand corner.
It disappears in the centre of the picture and is
nowhere to be seen in the top left hand corner
Phew - No need to worry. The water hasn't cascaded down to Australia.
Andrew found it again, coming out further downstream.
Sometimes the river was so deep the NCVs
were forced to swim or head for the hills.
Brenda did just that and, apart from keeping her feet dry,
found quite a bit of higher level balsam.
All along the river lots of fossils could be seen - crinoids, not NCVs.
Ros E and Brenda were pleased to experience a 'Livingstone I presume'
moment when they met Tony and Andy coming downstream
which meant that they didn't need to go any further. Job done?
Oh no! Not yet. On the way up to the road a whole area of balsam
was discovered growing in amongst the grass at Thrope Farm.
(From bottom left right up to the far wall.)
Curses! Just when we thought it was home time.
And finally, all balsamed out, the weary NCVs trooped
off along the road back to the cars with the rain dripping down their necks.
At least the surface was a flat one to walk on!
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