I am sure that you guys recall the thread about my facial bee sting and subsequent water ballet, right. My pride is still bruised, but be that as it may, the show must go on—that hurdle still needed replacing the collection of stuff that we need from time to time . Now for some old pics from when we made the original out of willow branches. First the stuff that I was talking about: I really cannot do without this stuff. It’s all necessary...alluvvit! Then that fresh, new hurdle made from the very freshest willer switches. I found it lovely to look at. Now then, some eight years later, the state of that lovely bit of handiwork: There it lies, unceremoniously cast aside. It resides on the old wood collection pile to be chipped-up at a later date. I think everyone will agree that its best days are behind us now. Poor thing. It’s like loosing an old friend. I can still recall when it began loosing it’s marvellous colour. Then there was the “accident”, but today the new screen went in. Here it is then: It looks alright, but will not last long in this climate. We are already making plans for its replacement. We are guessing it may last two years, max before it begins to melt away. Well, rot away then. Now then, for those of you who may be interested to see the process of making a willow hurdle...here is my original link. It is a long posting where a couple of hurdles are shown. https://www.gardenstew.com/threads/how-to-make-a-woven-willow-hurdle-screen.27996/ Thanks for your support and well-wishes after that little thing that happened a few days ago. I am trying to screen that out now and moving forward.
Good for you Sj. I'm all for screening out unpleasantness. When we can. Glad you've tackled the original problem again.
Ouch !! Wish you had not said willow switches or willer switches,, my backside is stinging already ! Had a few of those !
Ha ha...thanks Cayu. Yeah, you may have noticed in that hive over to the left, that I had the split closed off by stuffing a strip of foam rubber in it. I ought to have done that the first time around. Ha ha Mart— me to, me too. In fact when I was a small fry, my parents sent me out to break off a switch which would have been used to discipline me. Is that cruel, or wot. Well, I went out and stayed quite a while trying to figure out what to do. I selected a piece about six inches long and returned. They were so surprised. My mom said, “what is this”! I just said “You sent me out to bring back a stick which you were going to beat me with...I may have done something wrong, but I’m not crazy”. There was a silence and I was prepared for the worst. Finally they just burst out laughing and told me to leave the room. I heard them calling me a smart alec and asking themselves whose son I was. I am afraid that I have always been like that and no doubt gave my parents a terrible time when I was a youngster. I of course apologised when I was an adult, but it was too late, they already had the grey hair by then.
We always got the skinniest one we could find ! It was threatened more than used ! We knew we could outrun them !
My mom would run after us with her shoe! She never caught us of course. As soon as she bent down to take it off, we would scatter. We would run screaming and laughing with fright. That was enough to get us to shape up. My mom had 3 of us close in age: when i was born, she had three of us 3 1/2 years and under. I can't imagine keeping up with 3 littles ones like that but people did back then.
Tja...Neither can I. Hats off to those who can. My family all had like five and seven kids. I am the only one to exercise some discipline, except for my parents. You are right the old days...it was normal then to have large families. It was a sort of insurance for when parents became old. Also the income that all the kids would bring in and give to the parents. Things have changed.
