Della’s Birthday – Present opening time for Della on her official 3rd birthday and our grandchild dove will soon be joining the feeding flock. The whole afternoon on a hot and sunny day finishing the shuttering and then to mix and lay six inches of steel re-enforced concrete before the river water rose to end up as exhausted as I had ever known to be.
Very early to wake once again, but drank my morning tea before getting showered and shaved. Noticed that our grandchild dove (the first of our doves to be born from parents also born here) has left the nest and is flying comfortably. The parents are still feeding it at the moment, but it will soon join the feeding flock. The two babies in the polecote are now satisfactorily ringed and also doing well in the recent warm weather. Went out for an hour’s work prior to breakfast, getting all the tools in position and erecting the inner side panels. Pete arrived at 7.30am and I got him down in the sump, digging out the last debris, whilst I went in for breakfast. It was Della’s birthday today and we all watched her open her presents at the breakfast table.
Out again and got yesterday’s shuttering off, and withdrew the submersible pump and pipe to clear the bottom section of obstructions. We watched the water level rise again. It then took me until early afternoon to finish the shuttering, but I made a sturdy job of it, with 3”x2” framing screwed together. I skipped lunch and with Pete’s help we spent the whole afternoon mixing concrete and fitting the shuttering. There must have been a dozen mixes needed. Tramped it down well to make a six inch thick box of concrete, strengthened by steel mesh and keyed into the old concrete with rawl-bolts for stability. I would challenge anyone to do the job better. Pete and I were absolutely shattered by this exertion, but still loaded the mini-mixer, pump and bolt cutters into the Range Rover. I got them back by 4.45pm, just in time to avoid the weekend rush and charges. They are experiencing record hirings at the moment, with the fine weather following the wetness of June that held everybody up. Home to tea and then collapsed in the lounge for 2 hours watching tennis. I have never been so exhausted and Pete must be feeling the same. The weather was hot and the sun strong today and I had a migraine that could have been a result of it all. Eventually summoned up the effort to spend the late evening clearing up and putting the tools away. Daniel had his friend Jason round again and they cleaned the Range Rover before Daniel laid down with confused vision that precedes a migraine. I worry about this condition and would like his eyes looked at again sometime. In at 10.00, showered and hair washed, then sat for an hour writing up these last two day’s diary events. More fine weather forecast, but I will have a day off tomorrow to let the concrete dry and lick my wounds (I always hurt my hands when doing these things). Also did some dragging this evening and removed some reeds trying to grow back.