My summer project

During each of the ridiculously long, hot summers we’ve had on the island the past few years there’s been a warning from the fire department in the local paper: Remove the dead branches and twigs near your home as they are a fire hazard. Each of those summers I’ve thought: I really must do that. But I didn’t.

This year I decided it really was time. How long could it take? I just collect and dispose of dead twigs and branches, right? Oh, ha, ha. As soon as I started trying to rake up said twigs and branches, I realised this was going to be a much larger project. With the twigs came the moss and under the moss I discovered I had an interesting feature.

Unfortunately I didn’t think to take a before-I-started photo. This one shows the job partially done.

As you can hopefully see, underneath all the moss there were some wonderful rocks. (Not for nothing is Gabriola known as The Rock.) When I realised this I knew I was going have to start a major bit of – for want of a better word – landscaping. I’d been at it for about a week when I thought to take this photo.

My attitude is that it’s good to have a summer project. Something that gets you out of the house doing something. Just as well, because not only is this side of the house quite a project, but after it’s done I’m going to tackle the other side, which will be an even bigger job.

This is where I’d got to by the end of this week. Quelle difference!

And this is what I discovered last weekend. (Feeling a bit like Indiana Jones, wondering what I might uncover next.)

We bought this house twenty-one years ago and until seven days ago I had absolutely no bloody idea that there was a hose tap here. And, yes, it does work. It came in very handy when I was using the power washer to de-slime this side of the house.

Knowing it was there would have also come in very handy twenty-one years ago when there was a three day power failure, meaning no pump. This tap is downhill from the well and I’m pretty sure I could have used it to fill some buckets with water. Oh, well.

Looking forward to getting back at it tomorrow. And getting on to the next stage of my summer project.

One thing I have somewhat bizarrely realised is that this side of the house is now desperately in need of a garden gnome. And not just any garden gnome. It needs this one.

If anyone with more money than sense wants to send this gnome home, he’s on my Amazon wish list. As I’m sure you will agree, an ’ome needs a gnome.