In the knot garden today with Annie, Jonathon and Kat and the aim of the day is to start removing the top soil of the final quarter.
It started sunny, bit of a wind, volunteers full of anticipation, and even smiles on their faces.........
Look at Jonathon, bless him. Big smile on his face completely innocent of the horrors that we would face later in the day!!
Several mattocks, shovels, spades and buckets later, we were soon filling them there barrows at a great speed. Enthusiasm dwindled after the 3rd visit to the spoil heap, so I took my trusty spade and applied my full knowledge of engineering skills (none!) to design the perfect route up the spoil heap. Mark had already done this job once this morning, but the amount of earth we were shifting was incredible.
Unfortunately when I returned to the excavation, another trip with the barrows was required. But it tested my expertise with the shovel to the extreme. I can truthfully say it worked but 2 hours later we were rebuilding the spoil heap yet again.
Lunch was quiet and we lost some of our morning volunteers. So we were down to 3 plus some of the staff from the house when they could be spared. Afternoon was much the same as the morning with the exceptional highlight of the day which was the finding of a rim sherd of Medieval pot. Made a change from the hundred-weight of flowerpot we'd been pulling out of the ground.
As the heavens turned the tap on a little bit more, Will came over and told us to tidy-up for the day. Five minutes later we were soaked!
Back in the reception we scoffed the habitual cream scones and biscuits, and not wanting to do away with tradition, I traipsed down to the ice-cream barge in the rain.......only to find them shut! Sorry girls.
A somewhat wet day, but still I get this feeling of accomplishment. What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday. Am I mad........?
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