Day Two Hundred and Thirty Nine - Excavating

Dear all,

Farm life, although wholesome, fulfilling and never dull, often comes with a small price tag.. and ours comes with one called 'water'. There is a constant water-related issue bubbling along at any one time at the inn and [to put it mildly] Paul has had enough!

We started off by trying to hunt down one of the original septic tanks in front of the inn. The instructions were vague and it took several attempts at digging holes at least four feet deep to realize that we weren't getting anywhere....

So, we got in the big boys. And they came in droves!

I decided that I wanted to be involved so I asked the nice men if I could drive [one of] their excavators. Luckily, the nice men said yes and here I am in my new job as heavy machinery operator!

Well... sort of. The engine was off [and locked] but this didn't dampen my enthusiasm but what happened next is indicative of why I should not drive heavy machinery. In the short space of time I was in the cabin, I managed to lock myself in. The episode is brilliantly documented by Chris who was [very luckily] on hand with video camera and also around to set me free!

A momentous occasion on the farm! Soon we will have a brand new septic system!

And in other news:

1. My first attempt at a 'value' study on a tree-lined driveway ( mine is the left-hand painting).