This morning the sun was shining, which has been a fairly rare sight so far this August for us, although I know other areas of the country have been fine. Ady and Andy had collected loads of rocks from a neighbour earlier in the week and tossed them over the garden wall, they now needed to come down the hill to be used to build a wall.
Ady and I started by trying to roll them but there are too many places they could go the wrong way and cause lots of damage. We carried them for a while and also tried carrying them halfway each but then decided to try with a wheelbarrow. This was fun and meant we did some surfing down the hill clinging on to the handles of a very loaded wheelbarrow a few times! While we were working we were discussing what sort of hourly rate we’d charge for what is effectively just labouring and decided we’d probably not be prepared to do it at all. We are far from work shy but we didn’t leave a house and fairly decent jobs to spend our days doing stuff like this plus we don’t feel we have learnt anything from the jobs we have done here. I am also very cagey about being in a house that has so many social workers coming and going, so many children who are scrutinised and managed and watched for signs of abuse and have been taken from their parents. It worries me that ‘professional parents’ such as long term foster carers could be just too quick to decide they know best about things and have of course seen all of the worst sides of parenting gone very wrong. They keep offering to take Davies and Scarlett out with them and I keep refusing.
I suspect that we were either overheard talking or that some of the conversations we have had over the last couple of evenings about WWOOFing generally, how we had very clear objectives in setting out for this year and that we have been disappointed by previous hosts promising things in their WWOOF listing that have not really been accurate have sunk in and they are perhaps feeling bad about the lack of interesting or learning type jobs we have been given. I also have a sneaky feeling they may have had a look at our blog and realised we give a fairly candid report on each host after we leave… 😉
We were asked twice what time we wanted lunch (never been asked before) and that was a very jovial affair which Davies and Scarlett spent lots of time chatting to Ruth and Andy over after Ruth had mentioned to me that they don’t really talk to anyone here so I had primed them to do so loads for the last few days. Then Ady and I went and picked loads of apples. They have about five apple trees here, none of which have been touched for ages and all of which need some serious pruning and should have had the fruit thinned on earlier in the year. One of the trees was laden with fruit that although small was very ready so we picked several bagfuls to bring in.
Meanwhile Davies and Scarlett were playing down by the river making little worlds with dens and camps and stuff for their toys. They had a really nice time doing that and it was good to have them outside again after so many days rain forcing them indoors with just a TV, consoles and some Duplo for company.
We finished the day with some dry stone walling. Something I have never done before but have wanted to for ages. Unfortunately no one here has ever done it before either so we made it up as we went along but for once Andy seemed pleased with what we’d done and I enjoyed it.
We ate and as Andy was going out to a debrief meeting from the cave resuce last week he offered to drop us off on the way somewhere we could have a walk. So we had a couple of hours wandering around the nature trail on the Ingleborough cave estate which was very lovely. We saw bats as dusk fell and Andy picked us up again. We called into the local pub for a quick drink on the way home before getting back for bed for the kids and a quick round of Scattergories for us.
Finally we spent an hour or so
finally we spent an hour or so… ???
it actually sounds like a crap hosting experience tbh, but i love how you are always looking for the positive x x
Comment by HelenHaricot — 18 August 2011 @ 7:22 pm
Ooh it sent a chill down my spine. Like a horror film where everyone appears all happy and smiling but you have an uncomfortable feeling that all is not as it seems. Keep your kids close and try not to piss anyone off before you leave.
Comment by Lucy — 18 August 2011 @ 9:05 pm
Funny enough I was thinking that I’d be very antsy with professional parents and social workers around all the time as well. It really sounds a bit crappy. Is it tomorrow you are off or do you have the weekend to go?
Comment by Joyce — 18 August 2011 @ 9:22 pm
Clearly I have spent too much time with foster parents and social workers because I don’t think I would give a shit 🙂
Does sound like it’s been boring though.
Comment by Alison — 18 August 2011 @ 9:55 pm
Ooh no idea what we spent an hour doing finally… maybe it’s so finally we haven’t even done it yet!
I veer between being reassured that it is all fine and totally paranoid that they are watching and documenting our every move 🙂 Alison, I have lost count of the times I have mentioned your parents to demonstrate people I know who have fostered and are fine about Home Ed! 🙂
Comment by Nic — 18 August 2011 @ 11:18 pm
Hell yes, my mum did it long before I did 🙂
Comment by Alison — 19 August 2011 @ 3:14 pm