Work proceeded at a steady pace today, Simon finished off vermin proofing the battery shed, a task which I had started yesterday, armed with the staple gun, which he also used to finish off the blueberry tunnel. I probably should explain because as we all know staples do not keep mice and rats at bay. Shunyam purchased some "vermin wire" a bird wire of about 20mm wide x 25 metres for $33, which seems exorbitant as he same wire 800mm x 40 m in Maclean was $35, they say smaller is more expensive in many things but I wouldn't have thought that meant bird wire!
I had rolled double and triple lengths and packed it under rafters and made sundry other small wads to plug up other holes. Shunyam was concerned they could still get in under the fluted roof and suggested stapling the wire in a certain way to stop this. I had of course missed an opening that they could waltz through which Simon spotted (I plead the sun was in the wrong position) he also discovered their actual entry point and plugged that as well. Still armed with the staple gun he moved on to the bird netting and stapled that into position. Last night just draped into position it actually did deter the bandicoot which had been digging there and disturbing the roots. Unfortunately I don't think the blueberries will be ripe before we leave.
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| View from the front |
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| View from the back, same as the front apart from the door! |
The design of these netted tunnels are very simple using star droppers and ag pipe which is bent cover, and timbers screwed to the pipes, and old door in a basic frame.
I weeded, planted, cut and sawed branches, dug and layed weed mat and helped with meals and dishes.
Simon laid out the 50mm pipe for the fire sprinkler, he had wanted to test it today but laying the pipe out flat from its coiled position proved to be a trial, so he left it in the sun hopefully to soften a bit so that he can move it into position more easily tomorrow.
Ohh and the interesting tit bit for the day is behaviour of the pied butcher bird, which has been coming to watch me work for the past few days, for a wild thing it is not at all timid, tomorrow I will see if it will take a worm from my hand. It seems to really like them and watches eagerly where I have dug and grabs them up quickly. In telling Shunyam of the butcher bird she remarked on the kookaburras which can be hand fed, on reflection they do come up close as well.
Life surrounded by forest!
Night night
Susan
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