Day three...
Before we got started we were gathered together by Joe for an announcement. The hard landscaping assistance was being withheld for the day - ostensibly because the guys were tired. Plainly the pressure was being wound up. Thankfully our team had done most of the hard landscaping work, but there was still so much to do that Geoff could have helped with - the path, digging out for the electrics, the lawn, holes for plants... Hazel and I knuckled down and pressed on.By lunchtime we had finished the path and edged it, and I started on plants while Hazel finished painting the fence (poor girl, she hated that job). We still had the play area to build, the lawn to lay, a water feature to create and 60 plants to go in, plus endless minor jobs. It was seriously hot too - 82C at one point and we were struggling. Geoff could only look on and bring things to the gate. It's clear he'd have preferred to get stuck in.
The heat and tiredness got to all of us, except for Kirby who seemed to remain oddly serene and buouyant throughout. Martin was very unhappy about the withdrawal of help - it seems he'd specifically confirmed in advance that he could have help with a particular task which had now been denied to him. Jeff, the head landscaper finally needled me too. I'd nearly finished laying the path, having measured out the spacing the night before and carefully marked it up.
'If I could just offer a suggestion' he started, not for the first time that day. 'I wouldn't bother with all that measuring if I were you, just do it by eye'.
My reply was less than polite and he shuffled off through the gate mumbling something about his many years of experience, or something.
At about 4pm Hazel started on the play area, setting out the log edging. Out of the corner of my eye I could see her, forlornly flicking at bits of soil with a trowel, propped up against the garage wall. Not for lack of will, she had simply stopped, drained by so much effort. I beckoned a runner (can I have one at home please!) got tea and cake for us both and together we finished it.
Our last job of day three was the lawn. With a final burst of energy we cleared the area, levelled it, compacted it (with a bit of help from Joe) and laid the lawn in the final hour of the day. We finished at 7pm, just in time for the heavens to open and release a torrential downpour.
Our helpers taking a well earned break. From the left: Rob, Rosie, David, Hazel and Richard. (Photo courtesy of Rosie)
posted by Sue Beesley @ 8:21 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home