Nursery work

We trimmed the perimeter hedge, weeded around the fruit trees and bushes and generally tidied up. It was damp. Jess brought 2 varieties of biscuits. We were Jess, Dave, Steve and Philip. We repaired to the Sair promptly.

Philip

Field House and High Wood

Dave, and path before

Path after

Gorgeous morning, too nice to stay indoors. So myself, Philip, Geoff, Dave, Steve, Remy, Duncan, and Harvey the Dog met at Fieldhouse.

Philip, Geoff and Dave worked to clear the stone flagged path that runs up the centre of the site. Myself, Remy and Steve removed plastic guards and some vicious brambles from Hazel planted 7 or 8 years ago. Duncan and Harvey took the guards off some Larch.

Cake was a classic Jam Sponge, and they were big pieces.

Steve removes tree guard.

Duncan's delight

Duncan's car full of deer stakes and guards.

Duncan (and presumably Harvey the dog) were hard at work yesterday retrieving valuable deer stakes and guards from Parkwood. Excellent work! We promise we will take up the baton and start Summer work soon.

Philip and I spent the morning visiting two landowners, and hope that will result in two mornings of planting in the coming Season. 400 trees apiece would be about right. One is a bridleway near old Ground, which could do with tree lining, the other is a field below Pasture Wood in Marsden.

Dave was also out and about, but I can't remember where he said he was.

And lastly, another cartoon...

Cartoon!

This comic strip (and four others) were created by Dave Beeston in 2002. The origin of "mattock rouge" is that particular volunteers develop affections for digging with particular mattocks, which are then personalised with a dab of paint or other adornment. We have had mattock rouge, mattock bleu and mattock orange. Plus others which are identified by minor differences imperceptible to the uninitiated. Somehow the rough charms of mattock rouge got thoroughly imaginated into a fully fledged super-hero. Dave as very carefully (and only slightly) changed the names of all individuals and places featured in the comics.