Autumn harvest, and more groundworks.

 

Last of the tomatoes from the polytunnel

And getting towards the last of the beans ( thank goodness!)

Yet more apples. Not a brilliant year, tbh. See

This is putting a pipe from the pool into the main bypass pipe,  to divert the pool level, so it doesn't overflow in heavy rain.

Fun and games with a JCB

I don't know if any of you remember, but back in December last year we bought a rather old and very ropey JCB

Compostman has spent a lot of time making it work properly and we have been itching to get using it for all sorts of jobs in the wood and garden, but the ground has been just too wet to use it ( unless we were prepared to totally wreck the garden to and from the places we wanted to dig up). Now I do not mind huge ruts in the wood but  I *do* object a bit to them over the garden grass!

 Finally, the ground dried out enough to drive over so we got JCB - ing

Digging out a load of tree stumps and stuff

 

Knocking over an old tree stump which was " in the way" on the lawn

And lo! The tree is taken away!

Only problem is - the hens view the JCB as a glorified garden fork and insist on throwing themselves into any hole being dug and trying to get themselves killed at every chance. Seriously. We have to shut them away, now as they bring everything to a halt, otherwise!

As do the lunatic cats!

I cannot emphasise enough how much hard work the JCB will save us. How much potential backache avoided, time saved to do other stuff...really, unless you have tried to remove huge tree stumps by hand, you have no idea...

And it is SO much fun! ( am ashamed to admit I am obviously *still* a "petrol head"* at heart...am a sucker for a lot of horsepower and a lot of torque......despite my green credentials...!)
















*Yes yes, I know the JCB runs on diesel! Please do not nit pick...