Rain stop play

May 2023. We've had a few thunder storms this month.

In all of my volunteering days I don't recall the weather ever holding us back, but that was to change.

We started the morning spreading hardcore for a new stretch of 'hoggin' path and then moved on to cutting back and removing some young dead trees along the footpath by the lodge. 

 

The sky turned black and the heavens opened up. I had my waterproofs on but this was something else! I rushed to find cover but with the thunder close by, we decided to head for the lodge and took shelter in the workshop. The rain was now torrential and water flowed like a river down towards the car park.

It didn't let up for two hours, so we took an early lunch and sat it out in the lodge.

Thankfully, the rain cleared and the sun came out, so it was back to more clearing and cutting back. This time it was along the fence-line between the car park and buttercup meadow.

Work started in the car park the following week. The grass strip between the entrances, is to be woodchipped and have shrubs planted. To do this, we began removing soil to a required depth. Although several barrow loads were removed, we only managed a small strip. 

For the afternoon, we decided on some slightly less back-breaking work. Another overgrown bed was in serious need of clearing around the planted shrubs. On a corner near the dead 'climbing tree', armed with shears and a strimmer, we managed to cut back the nettles, grass & weeds.

            Before.....

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                After....

Finally....

We had a surprise visitor back at the lodge when we opened the bin to dispose of the old broken canes & shrub guards!