The Pig Yard

March 09 - Somehow February morphed into March without us really noticing - time has a way of doing that and it's only humanities innate desire to compartmentalise everything that forces us to turn these periods into months. Of course nature would make it easier to have thirteen months a year but that would be unlucky. So we found ourselves in mid March and we hadn't even completed the February update. We've also been very remiss by not taking our cameras with us whenever we do anything so we haven't been recording events. If you still haven't seen the February holiday pictures from Norfolk click here...
After the harsh weather of February we have some excellent spring days during March to reward us with an opportunity to get out on our bikes; watch the lambs innocently playing unknowing of their destiny and even an opportunity to spend time in the garden.

We had a great cycle from home via Kislingbury to Nether Heyford where we stopped off to chat and a drink with Kate at her allotment. Steve realised it was the first time he'd been out on his bike since we did the Cynthia Spencer charity ride last October. We completed a pleasant 12 miles.

Martin decided he was going to replace the old shed in his mother's back garden and so the demolition team volunteered to lend a hand. As is frequently the case we were a little late in turning up and a lot of the work had been done however we were in time to remove the old wooden shed panels in the back of our trailer and help to read the instructions which were in the tiniest of print.

By mid afternoon there was enough of the shed done for Martin to complete the next day and push it into position.

On our way back from Martin & Kate's we stopped off at one of the sites where we had been logging last month and made a huge bonfire with the old shed panels. Using it as starting material we managed to burn all the small branches and twigs left on the site.
On more than one occasion through March we accompanied Nick & Val with our chain saws to cut and collect wood for our respective wood burners. Jane got a chain saw for her birthday last month, an unusual birthday present but one she really wanted, so she has put it to good use. We have managed to get an excellent stock of wood that, once seasoned, will deliver log fires for possibly two winters.

Nick of course is always the dare devil and when taking down some branches from a tree climbed the tree up a ladder and once the main branches had been removed he abseiled down to the ground.
This month Steve received an award from his work, Northamptonshire County Council, for 35 years service. During that time he taught for seventeen years in a number of different schools in Northampton and Daventry before spending five years as a computer auditor and the last fifteen years working through the IT service to become Head of IT. Three different careers that have stretched his abilities and frequently taken him out of his comfort zone - this is what has kept him happy in his work, most of the time.

It's difficult for anyone who has worked for the same organisation for so long to be considered ambitious or dynamic but he has been lucky enough to have had a variety of careers and still maintain a good pension which he will start to draw at the beginning of November.