Yesterday I blogged over on WW as my photoblog. I don’t think I have much to add to that really. Peter is nice, reminds me a lot of Ady’s brother Chris. I liked him and particularly liked his style of WWOOF hosting which involved drinking lots of tea, sitting around chatting lots, listening to us and particularly the kids like he was really interested in us and seeming to view his host status as quite a responsibility and ensure he really was teaching us something and that it was interesting and relevant to us. We’re with him again on Friday when he is planning on letting Davies do some tractor driving and teaching us more about comfrey as that is something we are particularly interested in and he knows rather a lot about.
We were invited to a folk evening but it would have been a late night and the kids were already yawning at lunchtime so we decided to give it a miss.
Today we didn’t need to start until 930am and were first given a very comprehensive tour of the land here, including an orchard, little wild garden that used to be kept for beekeeping and large area of trees that I hadn’t even realised was here. We had a tea break after that so it was well after 1130am before we were actually doing any ‘work’. We did just over an hour before lunch of clearing a load of dead wood, cut brambles and nettles and other garden rubbish from a hedge that has been part laid but allowed to grow over in preparation for some planting of hedgerow stuff like hawthorn. Not terribly exciting or educational, a bit scratchy (we were given gloves to wear though) but quite nice all the same as it was outdoors, active enough to feel you’d done something, but hardly hard labour and we were all four together but left to our own devices. The kids mostly helped in the morning trundling up and down the hill with wheelbarrows.
Lunch was lentil soup (eww!! I seriously never will like them, they are horrid! I do manage not to gag or even screw my face up too much but I certainly wasn’t going back for a second bowl) but there was bread and cheese to fill up on fortunately.
After lunch we returned to the hedge clearing but let the kids play. They spent hours clearing leaves under a load of beech trees and using sticks, leaves and other stuff to create a whole little world all powered by alternative energy. It was ace 🙂
We worked til about 5pm, then spent some time clearing up and chatting to Jane’s mum, Anne who came over to tell us how grateful they are for our help and what a great job we’re doing, chat to D & S a bit and talk to me about beekeeping. Then we walked to the local shop, about 10 minutes away for a few supplies – a bottle of wine, some sweets for the kids, a loaf of bread, some milk etc. They are more than happy to supply us with everything here but I am aware the kids (and even I) are not eating all that is on offer and would rather have the option of a sneaky sandwich back at the van to fill us up if needs be.
We’re really glad we have our time here interspersed with time with Peter too; we’re off tomorrow, then with Peter on Friday which only leaves Saturday and Sunday here. I suspect we will be doing more hedge clearing and then they are planning to shear their sheep, which they do with hand shears / clippers on Sunday so we should get involved in that which will be interesting.