22.05.2025 Well, that was a surprise! 😊

 ~o~

  Thursday 22nd 43F/6C. Overcast and breezy.

 Up at 6.15 after a quiet night, early wakening and clock watching at 4am. 

 Well, that was a surprise! I had just finished breakfast when it went very dark at my nearest window. There was a rushing noise I couldn't explain. I wasn't wearing my hearing ads. 

 The sand and gravel man had arrived [unexpectedly] in his huge green lorry. Carrying a load of self stabilizing gravel. He was supposed to come tomorrow. 

 By sheer luck I had left enough space for him to dump the load beside my shed. Where it won't affect excavation. After a lifetime of driving big trucks his skills at reversing are utterly amazing.

 This leaves me with a rushed bit of tidying. There is nothing of value but it has to be removed. There were loads of jars for small item storage on shelves in the observatory. They were just left on the ground as I demolished all around them. I don't want broken glass scattered throughout my parking space. I had better drop my cooking class and get busy with a wheelbarrow. He is coming back with another load after lunch!

 8.00 Still no rain. Off we go to tidy up the last bit around the shed. I may need a trip to the recycling yard. Or save a trip and fill the recycling bins.

 9.00 Back in for a rest and to cool down. Morning coffee. 

 11.20 Back from town. It rained lightly going both way but remained dry at home.

 14.30 The sky has turned very dark and it is hailing. Back in from clearing the space beside the wooden shed. Followed by felling some of the fastigiate, red oaks. Using the bayonet saw. To make room for a skid steer front loader. Which will push the excavated material into the low area beyond the gravel. 

 There is a large area to fill. Probably 30m long x 5m wide x up to 1m deep. The area is in perpetual darkness from all the trees. Though it doesn't stop the thorny fruit bushes from growing viciously. I'll go out and fell some more oaks. When it stops doing whatever it is doing. 

14.50 It is already brightening up again.

 15.15 Another half dozen felled. New blade but the DeWalt battery went flat. I intend to keep the largest oak trees. They are about 120mm or 5" in diameter at the base. These will provide an intermediary stop for the eye. As it is drawn into the distance. Through the thinned out trees. 

 All were raised from acorns gathered by my wife. The mounds of her worm farms are still back there. I removed the inverted rainwater butts, to let the worms escape, after she died. That was over three years ago.

 16.10 Back in, after lopping the thinner branches from the felled trees. Until I had chest pains again. The trees I have left standing are more like 20cm/8" across at the base. 

 The room had dropped down to 64F/17.8C due to a lack of sun,. lower temperatures and the wind. So I lit the stove. It is now a toasty 69F/20.6C.

 Dinner was salad. I boiled the potatoes. Without really considering how much room they would take up on the plate. So I added butter and brown sauce to the saucepan after draining off the water. I could then add the potatoes around the perimeter with a spoon. It worked well and made the salad much more interesting. I still miss the Heinz salad cream.

 

 ~o~