Thursday 13 August 2009

Bringing on the wall, Day 24

I know these photos get a bit samey after a while - sorry. At least today I took a couple more photos of one of the more oddly shaped bricks for your amusement, and again to point out that when bits of wall look wonky it's the bricks at fault just as much as Dave or I. Anyway, you'll be glad to know, as I was to find out, that my back hardly twinged at all. In fact, it's hurting more now I'm sitting down.
So, a brick - side view
Top view, including Z's thumb, month-old burn scar from frying pan handle that had been in the Aga and toes -
The bit I did -
The bit Dave did, some of it on tippy-toes -
The Sage is going to put up scaffolding for the top bit next week

Progress so far -
A tilted photo comes naturally to me. The wall is not actually falling onto Dave and the Sage.

I'm going out for dinner tonight, so the Sage will be joining the ranks of Norfolkmen who are cooking for themselves. He's having sausages and bacon and whatever vegetables he picks from the garden. He will spend half the evening on the phone and be completely content. He won't miss me in the least.

18 comments:

Dave said...

That's not 'one of the more oddly shaped bricks' - they're all like that. Honest.

Z said...

Most oddly shaped, I should have said.

"Honest" - indeed, you can trust Dave. He's a clergyman.

Dandelion said...

Either those are *massive* bricks, or you have *tiny* hands and feet...

Dandelion said...

Normal-sized arm though. Odd.

What I would really like would be a picture taken not along the length of the wall, but looking at it square-on, from as far away as necessary to get all of it in. That would be great.

Zig said...

I'm impressed with the leaning of the spirit-level against the wall, well done Z! :)

Z said...

Oh thanks, Dand, I thought I was quite normal size all over, even if I am on the short size. If I go far enough away to get all the wall in shot, it will be hidden by trees on one side, and piles of bricks, and by Jerusalem artichokes, which are about 8 feet tall, on the other. During the winter when they've died down, it might be possible, except for the section obscured by the gas tank.

Ziggi, we check every brick with a spirit level - if you look closely at the bottom picture, Dave's doing just that. We each have our own so that we don't have to bother to be polite and keep passing them.

Dandelion said...

Well so did I, z. You'd never know it to look at you.

I think the obscured parts won't be a problem, I was just wanting to get an overall feel for the scale and beauty of the thing.

And I'd love to see the tank! Where did you get it?

Dave said...

Dand: I wouldn't be surprised to discover they've got a churchill tank hidden somewhere on the estate.

I shall be taking photos next week, while Z is on holiday. I shall see what my wide-angle lens can do.

By the way, Z, you were right about the Sage and the 'phone. He even rang me last evening.

Sarah said...

Marvelous work chaps.

Can't help thinking it might have been easier, quicker, cheaper, to plant a frightfully smart wildlife friendly Beech or Hornbeam hedge!

Dave said...

But not as much fun! And would a mere hedge keep the rabbits out?

Z said...

The whole thing will be obscured by the jerusalem artichokes I think - I'll take a photo later and see if there's anything to see! A picture of the gas tank is here - http://razorbladeoflife.blogspot.com/2009/06/bringing-on-wall-day-14-and-making.html
It's not the sort of tank on caterpillar tracks which crushes all in its path, unfortunately.

Sarah, the last hedge died over several years and we didn't know why, though we suspected drought, so we thought it better not to replace it. And, as Dave said, we'd have had to put a fence there too against rabbits and, having cleared the remains of a wire fence from the middle of an elderly hedge and found it a beastly job, I didn't want to do that. Anyway, I wanted to build a wall, just for the fun of it.

Dave, we've certainly got a tractor. And yes, I'm not surprised. If I'm away there's no point in trying to phone the Sage in the evening as the line's always engaged.

Sir Bruin said...

If that wall is to keep rabbits out, as Dave suggests, I have to ask how big the rabbits are in the land north of Suffolk?

Z said...

It's not how big they are, Sir B - it's how high they can jump.

Dave said...

You should see them, bounding around, twenty-foot leaps at a time. As Rog would say, hare today, gone tomorrow.

luckyzmom said...

I am enjoying the "Wall Reports". The "Hedge Reports" would be so boring.

Z said...

Oh, don't you believe it, darling. We planted a long hedge once, hundreds of yards of it, and I shovelled tons of muck. The pictures would have been pretty damn good of that!

Anonymous said...
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Z said...

Who are those tits who post all these inexplicable and unreadable comments? Don't want to put on WV again, but if they're going to target me I may have to for a while.