Thursday 19 November 2009
Hedging and more hedging
Gosh I am tired this evening. We decided that as the forecast for tonight is hellish and we were pretty short on extra people today that we would not do the foundations for the replacement aviaries, that is now scheduled for Monday. David Kenworthy and his brother came and started on the huge hedge behind the small falcon block, which is that vile Leylandii. We are reducing its size considerably to make it more manageable. However we also had 50 MHP gusts of wind today and we really did have them too, it was incredibly windy at times, and that side of the property gets the full force of the prevailing wind.
But to add to our need to get the thing sorted was the fact that we are having a late bonfire night celebration for staff and volunteers, on Sunday. And we need bonfire material! And it was planned that those trees would be it! So Dave and his brother cut down enough for a good bonfire, plus we had the old fence from round the outside café area, Simon, Josh and I moved it into the next field (thank God for dumpers) and then Dave and his brother went over to the beech hedge between the flying ground and the sheep field and tackled that because it was less into the wind.
So we have been moving branches pretty much all day, and my arms don’t even want to type right now! We did manage 1.5 flying demonstrations, and the birds did amazingly considering the gusts of wind they were dealing with. Needless to say Fortina loved it!
Sedge kept going all day, Acer faded and went to sleep mid afternoon and even Rush was tired by about 3.30pm, but not Sedge, oh no, he just keeps going, and I have to tell you that having a terrier hanging onto large and heavy branches that you are dragging across a field is not helpful and by the end of a long day is not even amusing! Poor Matt who is on work experience was tired out by the end of it all, so we sent him off to help Holly fly a couple of owls late afternoon as the wind had dropped considerably by then.
Simon went to feed the owls and Sedge and I almost finished one side of the hedge, I gave up before the last few pieces, mainly because the fire was not burning that well. Beech does not burn as well as Ash that is for sure. As I walked out of the field with Sedge we stopped to say hello to a couple of trees, the Lime Tree is just starting to lose some of its leaves and so the canopy is less dense. There is something magical about standing directly beneath a tree that you know, looking up through the leaves to a darkening sky. Definitely to be experienced.
But to add to our need to get the thing sorted was the fact that we are having a late bonfire night celebration for staff and volunteers, on Sunday. And we need bonfire material! And it was planned that those trees would be it! So Dave and his brother cut down enough for a good bonfire, plus we had the old fence from round the outside café area, Simon, Josh and I moved it into the next field (thank God for dumpers) and then Dave and his brother went over to the beech hedge between the flying ground and the sheep field and tackled that because it was less into the wind.
So we have been moving branches pretty much all day, and my arms don’t even want to type right now! We did manage 1.5 flying demonstrations, and the birds did amazingly considering the gusts of wind they were dealing with. Needless to say Fortina loved it!
Sedge kept going all day, Acer faded and went to sleep mid afternoon and even Rush was tired by about 3.30pm, but not Sedge, oh no, he just keeps going, and I have to tell you that having a terrier hanging onto large and heavy branches that you are dragging across a field is not helpful and by the end of a long day is not even amusing! Poor Matt who is on work experience was tired out by the end of it all, so we sent him off to help Holly fly a couple of owls late afternoon as the wind had dropped considerably by then.
Simon went to feed the owls and Sedge and I almost finished one side of the hedge, I gave up before the last few pieces, mainly because the fire was not burning that well. Beech does not burn as well as Ash that is for sure. As I walked out of the field with Sedge we stopped to say hello to a couple of trees, the Lime Tree is just starting to lose some of its leaves and so the canopy is less dense. There is something magical about standing directly beneath a tree that you know, looking up through the leaves to a darkening sky. Definitely to be experienced.I can hear a bath calling......................
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