Monday, September 20, 2010

PPPP - Working Bee, Getting Stuck In

Let's set the scene a tad - the biggest storm in absolute ages in terms of sheer size (2500 KM squre) decided to come along and test the mettle of "The Men". This very same storm has created carnage from the top of North Island to the bottom of the south Waaaboooomfah

The Men - Tim, Mick, Craig & Mitch


What would make sane people go out in gale conditions with darn near sideways rain storms? Well, there was work that needed doing. Work involving the rearing of next year's pheasants. Vital work. Sanity saving work.

Shanks did the hard yards last year with the rearing pen, using as much existing infrastructure as possible. And what a mighty result he got. This year our brief was to expand the width of the pen, to take advantage of higher ground and hopefully avoid the lower part of the pen becoming boggy. We organised roughly 150m square of Rolawn roll out grassed turf, and Aunty, Cleaky and his young fellah had the job of transporting it. Thanks to Hislop & Barley for the use of the trailer, a big double axle flat bed. They rocked up to Dickie's on Friday afternoon, got loaded and set off into the teeth of the gale. When I spoke to Cleaky at about 5 they were about to be enveloped in a big black cloud... happy to say that they arrived safe and well. Then Aunty promptly turned around and drove home, apparently wires got crossed as a result of the forecast but anyway that was a hell of a big job to have out of the way. Thanks Simon!

When I drove past the top farm, (lets use real names for now), Craig, Tim and Quinn were hauling a load of top soil on the back of a trailer. I setltled in with a coffee and waited for them to arrive. Craig dumped the soil and then delivered the tractor back.

Top Soil



When he got back, Mick & Mitch rocked up, so after a coffee we picked up the tools and set off. Mitch got to work pulling down the materials on the outside of the old pen; given that we were expanding laterally everything had to come off. The rest of us set about spreading the topsoil, this is where our new turf (Rolawn, thanks to our kind sponsor) would be laid.

Ditch Digging


We then needed to dig a drain around the pen - and now for an amazing fact. This place receives 3-5 m of rain per annum. Consequently it is the home of mud. Thick mud. Some of the mud is yellow-orange. Other types of mud include grey treacle and pure slop. Some is slush. Some is puggy. Some has animal poo hues. If you want mud then you've come to the right place. Forgetting mud for a second (only a second mind you, it is an enduring and somewhat central theme and "stays with you" long after you've gone home) - it's what's underneath that is really interesting. As we dug we hit rotten rock, possibly old metal spread for the race but maybe not. More likely substrate. This was under a couple inches of mud and sludge and it was dry. It was crumbly and friable.So all that rain just hits, sinks in a bit, and then rolls off. Amazing.

The old pen, note the slush & mould

Digging the drain took a while, but we got there. Meanwhile Mitch was in deconstruction mode and  (remember this is in a gale) we began to dig out the old corrugated iron sides of the pen, which were well dug in to stop rats and pests getting in. We then began to lay the turf, and this was time consuming as we butted up the edges, mostly laid the 'grain' in the same direction ;) and got it bedded. Sooner than you'd believe, it was lunch time. The skinnies (Craig, Mitch & Tim) needed refueling. Mick and me were all good, for we knew that real men carry lunch with them. My lunch is bigger than Mick's I think. With all the beer I'm drinking lately, I will soon have the biggest lunch in the world!!!

Old walls are down, turf is rolled out


After an hour's break with food and coffees we headed back down. Mick, Craig and Mitch began to dig in the new corner posts, while Tim and I began to shift a wall inside the rearing area to allow better airflow and more light. (UV kills all sorts of bad bugs). Things were going well and all to plan - normally this is the precursor to a major cluster, but not this time. We didn't get a vehicle stuck. No one got their leg chopped off (Craig's chainsaw is by far the biggest I ever used, bar is something like 40") and the good karma stayed with us. The boys were going hard at the new posts, and Tim and I got the new wall up (hope no one leans on it) and then laid a new plywood floor, all the better for cleaning as the existing pitted concreate held poo like a blanket holds poo. We finished rolling the rest of the turf and then before we knew it, it was 5pm. Down tools.
Driving in new posts & demoing the old wall

Scope of work



Still a power of work needs to be done (prolly not in this order):

- Build new outer walls around the pen (dig in corru. iron)
- Biuld up the walls with chicken mesh
- Lay shade cloth over the top (like 140m of the stuff)
- Brace outer posts
- Lay wires for cloth to sit on
- Plant lupin seeds in boggy spots
- Go hard on the trapping
- Fix up feeders

I can see another working bee before long.

We all went back up to the house and had a big meal of sausages (goose & duck), pasta, onions and mashed spuds and a few coldies before heading back out into the relentless weather to see if we could bag a piggie. We stopped at Pig Crossing, disgorged from the Prado (knew 8 seats would come in handy one day, even if only 6 of us aboard) and while Craig took Mick & Mitch on a walk, Tim his boy and I went cross country to the top baits. Walking around in howling wind and rain with only slight moon was GREAT. Just love being in the elements on a mission. Unfortunately to get to the baits in the howling wind was difficult, so by the time we tracked around them we were sure our scent had been taken to them. There was nothing at all on the baits, although Tim reckoned he'd heard a piggie squeal, probably as it got out scent.

If you want to get ahead, get a hat (Happy birthday Craig)


On the walk back to the car I shot a possum, fun with the 7mm08.

Tim and I stayed up watching "Watchmen", a real cracker. Up at 6am, on the road at 6.30 and back in the big smoke. The mud on my driveway is a good reminder of a decent day's work done.

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