Larking about

It’s not often, as a grown-up, that one gets to have fun messing about in a gentle shallow stream. 

That, however, was essentially what Green Gym had to offer this morning:

The excuse for mucking about in the water having fun was watercress.  Growing conditions at that spot are ideal, so – unless one is happy to have the stream constantly shifting course – excess watercress has to be removed.  By hand, if you’re Green Gym. 

“It’s like pulling out the entrails of something,” remarked one new-comer.  As this was said with a broad smile, I think she was happy enough – just surprised at how very long watercress can grow when the going is good. 

Vegetation overgrowing from the river bank had also to be cut back, and hurled to one side:

Those working downstream were tasked with scooping up the little bits of loose vegetation which escaped.  Note the old wire basket strategically placed on the bed of the stream as a makeshift sieve: ‘handy as a pocket in a shirt’, as they say in Wisconsin:

At break-time the volunteers on tea-crate duty performed a small marvel with flasks of hot water, which somehow never ran out.  This prompted thoughts of the ‘widow’s cruse’, though why it should be called that, I do not know, since the miracle can be chalked up as one to the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 17:7-16) and emulated by his successor, Elisha (2 Kings 4:1-7).

An unexpectedly generous supply of hot water was called for on account of our numbers at the session having doubled overnight.  When I had turned off the computer the previous evening (earlier than usual, on account of the Lights Out commemoration), our forecast numbers were half a dozen.  On checking the email inbox in the morning, I found I should be expecting 11.  In the end there were 12 of us plus site warden!  All were most welcome, and with so many pairs of hands at work, an entire stretch of stream was cleared, which was very satisfying to see.

As we worked, the passage of time was marked not by sounds of nature, but by a helicopter from nearby RAF Benson making repeated circuits with an underslung load:

The height at which these manoeuvres were practised may be estimated from its clearance above the medium-sized trees on site:

I strongly suspect that the first or even second time round, this is exciting for a pilot.  By the sixth time, tiredness and routine may be beginning to set in?  I guess learning how to continue to handle the aircraft safely precisely when feeling tired is part of the curriculum for aircrew.

Meanwhile, Green-Gymmers could pack up and head off home, perhaps already eagerly anticipating whatever next week has in store for us.