Sapping weather

I’ve had three days in the garden being a sapper, or more accurately a demolition engineer. The future command post should be arriving in the second half of August, and we have a lot of rearranging to do in the garden first. As the other half was working at the weekend I decided to tackle the old wooden fence at the back of the garden which was held in place by spare timbers propping it up from one side, and the grip of creeping plants on the other. Of course I’d chosen the hottest weekend so far to do it. And I’m not used to honest graft being a desk wallah. Evening swims have been a way to loosen up rather than exercise.

The tool cabinet and various other bits had to be relocated. Other things had to be moved to make space for the cabinet. One thing leads to another. I can’t believe how many empty plant pots there were dotted around the place.

Much hacking of undergrowth (or overgrowth to be correct) was necessary before the fence could be pulled down. The wood was sorted for disposal and the growing stuff cut and piled ready for the green waste wheelie bin. When it’s current load has been emptied. Visits have been booked for Tuesday and Wednesday to the local dump or “Recycling Centre” as the council calls it.

Today the shed came down, and the work of dismantling the pieces for disposal commenced. Naturally only half the screws heads were in a condition to be unscrewed, so there was more brute strength needed than theoretically necessary. There was a lot of stuff to be sorted and assessed for disposal or retention. If you’re passing, help yourself to the bits and pieces in the front yard.

Bamboo on the right to be thinned out and relocated to the rear and middle left.

Is it a collapsed shed or an art installation?

Later we’ve got to dig a trench (beware of enfilading fire from the defenders) for the bamboo which will be dug up and placed we’re the fence was. The trench needs to be lined to stop the bamboo spreading laterally. The soil can be used to help level off the ground a bit. Then more bamboo will be moved to screen the new location for the composters. More sapping.

It’s going to be a busy week. No wargaming, but it’s going to help me game more freely in the future.

Late edit: up and out early this morning delivering stuff to the dump and then back preparing the lines in the baking sun for the new HQ. The officer has gone off with the transport to get some heavy equipment from stores and I found I’d been locked me out of the NAAFI when I went for a break. So stuck with nothing to do I did what any Tommy worth his salt, parched and without access to tea would do, I sat down in the shade and switched on the wireless. I listened to the second half of We Have Ways of Making You Talk, episode 316. As if I wasn’t already in the mood the programme finished with Lale Andersen singing Lili Marlene. Ausgezeichnet!