"Ease up Old Timer, we need your help!" Foucarville, 7th June 1944

[Mini Me]

I'm half expecting the Zulus to come paddling up the spillway any minute now:tongue-out3:...can't wait to see what you come up with next, 570. Loving it so far! Cheers, Rick H.

[spanner570]

Excellent comments chaps. All good stuff!

"Hello, Officer. Yes, I know it's a bit late in the evening to be half way in a ditch with a little tool in my hand!"

I continued...
"Before you bundle me into your van, I'm really just collecting bits of greenery to accompany Lt. Bilko, Troopers Kolinski and Trump. A mum and her little girl. Two horses, one of which is an Appaloosa. Are you familiar with the breed? No, didn't think you would be! Bringing up the rear of the horses is a know it all taxi driver. They are all in France. That's across the Channel........ in Europe!"

"No I'm not trying to be a smart a**e, the French taxi driver is already one of those and we don't want another, do we?....... Huh!, that thing you are pointing at me isn't strong enough to stop me, I know Matron and Sister Muldoon!"

"OW! You ba****d!"

"Let me out, I've left my carrier bag full of weeds, twigs and dead leaves!"


I am happy to report that after spending the night in a police cell, I have been collected by Matron and went back to 'Home' via the lane to pick up my goodies.

Here are some of the pickings in place.























I need slightly different greenery for the next bit. I'll have to take care though, as I've now got a band around my ankles which lets the police know where I am. The tossers won't know where, when I'm up to my knees in ditch water!

Churping away like a tu'penny budgie.

Ron

P.S. The Grebe has joined the local shooting club......

[spanner570]

Just finished the vine supports and added the main branches ready for some luurvelly vines and grapes!



sreehC.

noR

[Jim R]

Hi Ron
Gardening is your forte that's for sure.
Jim

[Ian M]

Just binged the whole thread. What an entertaining read.
I really like the old mill. I could find myself living on a plot like that!

Great work Ron.

[scottie3158]

Now I have finished laughing I can comment. Loving this mate all looks perfect.

[spanner570]

Thanks chaps.

Paul- The written nonsense is probably not for everyone, but it's fun making it up. It doesn't have to be read anyway.

Nearly time to see how my grapes are coming along!

[SimonT]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1103129[/ATTACH]

Love this shot Ron - if I didn't know better it could almost be real

[spanner570]

Thanks Simon, I appreciate your positive input.

Here's the stuff on the vines - Mega grapes, plums, purple eggs, whatever. You choose.



Cheers.
Ron

[Jim R]

Hi Ron
Love that vine. As Simon says - "could be real".
Jim

[Gern]

Have you noticed those b****y kids get everywhere with their senseless vandalism? Why on Earth would they want to throw tree branches in the stream?

[spanner570]

Have you noticed those b****y kids get everywhere with their senseless vandalism? Why on Earth would they want to throw tree branches in the stream?

My dear chap, don't blame the kids!

In 1940 the mill owners wife gave her children Winnie the Pooh to read as a distraction from the war. In it they found the reference to 'Pooh Sticks'
They just had to have a go in the stream, so they went upstream and each threw in a small stick. Then they would run down to the mill race to see who's stick went over the weir edge first. Oh, what fun they had.

Then one day their father came home after a few hours in the local Tabac.
"What are you two doing?"

"Playing pooh sticks." little Andre replied.
When he eventually stood up from his fathers beating for using foul language, a crying Andre explained about the book.

"I'll show you a pooh stick!"

The children heard a loud crack and opposite the sluice gate they could see their father wrestling with the bough of a tree. He hurled it into the stream. Just as they reached him they did the same with their 'sticks'. Then they all followed their sticks down stream to the weir.

Fathers tree reached the weir first but wedged itself on the lip of the stonework. Angela's stick popped over first followed by Andres.

"I win!" shouted Angela

She just missed her father's well aimed hobnail boot!

Father then slid down the embankment and tried to walk along the weir lip. Loosing his balance he grabbed for the bough and still holding on to it, he plunged into the water below.

"Having fun dear?" Asked his wife, as she and the children all stood giggling at their father floundering about trying to untangle himself from his pooh stick whilst fending off a vicious attack from the Grebe.

So that's how the lump of tree came to be where it is. As you can see the bough was still there four years later in June 1944.... :tongue-out3:

[spanner570]

Now I've nearly finished the base (Sez he!) I've been weighing it all up and decided the road way needed a break from the foliage somewhere along its length.

I hacked off some of the polystyrene bank.



...... and made a gate from coffee stirrers and posts from cocktail sticks. A bit of wire for the fence and rope to keep the gate reasonably upright. Then I added some vegetation.



I'll post pictures of the base so far, after I've had my dinner. Toad in the Hole ala Ron!

Cheers.
Ron

[Jim R]

Hi Ron
Looking really good however I have looked carefully at all your recent photos and cannot see a toad in or out of a hole anywhere :rolling:
Jim

[Mini Me]

I must confess, I too am mystified by such a reference.
Rick H.