September 28, 2009: My New 'Wheelbarrow'
I confess. I have been grumbling for months about my wheelbarrow. There's nothing actually wrong with the wheelbarrow we inherited when we purchased this farm. In fact, we inherited several wheelbarrows when we moved here. Some of these have subsequently made their way to the recycling facility in Carmarthen, but two remain.

For the past several months I have been using the green model to move garden debris from the garden to our 'burn pit.' Our burn pit is behind the house and up a hill. Yes, UP the hill we trudge pushing this wheelbarrow full of garden off-cuts. Now there are two problems with this wheelbarrow.

The first problem is the wheelbarrow is just too small. This means many, many uphill trips. Mind you, by the time we get past the 10th trudge up the hill pushing this darned thing, we are quite glad it does not carry anymore than it does. It is good for one's fitness, though.

The second problem is it isn't a quad bike (ATV)! Yes, if only we had a quad bike with a trailer on the back, then we could really move some garden prunings.

Our 'wheelbarrow' problem has really come to light now that we are in major pruning mode in our garden. The weather has been perfect to really have a go at taming this large, overgrown garden. Most of the trees and shrubs need a serious haircut. It looks like they haven't had a manicure for years. Even our wonderful, but out of control, herb garden needs a major pruning. Hedge roses are out of control, we have blackberries growing where they shouldn't, and I'll bet we've got some of the tallest stinging nettles the world has ever seen. In addition to all of this, on Friday I took all the dogs for a long walk. As we went through one of the freshly cut hayfields, we discovered a large hawthrown tree has blown down, right over a fence line. That had to be moved but no way was I using the wheelbarrow to wheel all that debris down the hill. Time for drastic action.

Our new wheelbarrow. Now that's what we call a wheelbarrow.

No, we didn't run off and buy this. We have had a small stock trailer for a couple of years now and the light bulb went off. Just take the top part of the trailer off and hey presto, a new wheelbarrow. Slightly bigger and move powerful than a quad bike and trailer. First, though, a trip to the scrap metal yard coz the trailer was full of old metal, chicken wire and sundry other metal objects. Once back, Kelvin and I managed to take the top part of the trailer off. For a couple of pint-sized lightweights, it took a bit of doing but we managed. Getting the top back on is going to take a bit more work - and a couple of additional people, we think!

The real work of pruning can begin! We've already moved 4 trailer loads of debris, including about 1/3rd of the downed Hawthorn tree. The darned chainsaw hit some hidden barbed wire so now we need that sharpened before we can finish the job. Still, there is enough to do around the house. The climbing rose atop the pergola had a major cutback and we have been able to pressure wash the pergola so we can do some repairs. Oh yes, we pressure washed just about everything, including the deck which is super slick in the rain. Moss grows everywhere here! And, I do mean everywhere...even on our clothesline!

Front of the cottage with the rose pruned and moss removed from everything.

Our front yard comes with its own railway carriage. How useful is that? NOT! The carriage has been entombed by another out of control climbing rose, brambles, stinging nettles, vines, a hedge rose and a couple of wayward trees. It's a beastly looking thing at the moment but do we have a plan for it? ABSOLUTELY, but we're not telling. You'll have to stay tuned because these are the BEFORE photos. We'll post the AFTER photos - next year sometime.

Old railway carriage covered in a climbing rose and even a dog kennel in the garden. The dog kennel will be moved when we have some big strapping farm boys around for a few beers. It's heavy!


Side view of the railway carriage. It's about 6 feet down to the ground at one end.
Not the prettiest of things, is it?

Oh, our Danish friends, Rene and Christina, took a photo just like this of our place. This is from the hay loft looking upwards to our top training field on the right side of our hill. I liked their photo so much, I had to go and snap a similar shot to show you all.

We didn't go trialling last weekend as Kelvin has been sick. There is one more weekend of Open trials this weekend and then we are well and truly into the nursery season. With no nursery dogs this year, we'll be out with the new wheelbarrow, come rain, hail or shine.

Oh, congrats to Scott Glen and Don for winning the US Nurseries, and 10th in the National Final with Maid. GOOD ONE, SCOTT! We are so proud of you. Jenny Glen, too, for making the semis, and Ellen Skillings for making the semis after breaking her neck this year. Wait till she is at full fitness again! And congrats to Terri Pelkey who not only made the semis but competed in the Driving Final. Well done to you all. Of course, congrats to Serge for winning the Continental - again - and Mosse for his 4th place, and Patricia Gisquet for getting two dogs in the final for 9th and 10th places. Well done. Mosse just sent us a beautiful skin from one of his Gotland sheep. It is absolutely beautiful!

Oops, almost forgot. Managed to sneakily take this photo of Mike Hemmings when he (and Nora) came for dinner the other night. The lavendar to the left has now all been harvested and as I sit at the computer, the smell from drying lavendar is wafting up to me. Lovely!

Right, that's it for this week.