Sunday, December 30, 2018

December 2018

November 2018 


Planting wild irises in the lane below the school


City  Parks gave me six men for four days


We started with one team preparing the plants
in the 'secret garden''


The second team started digging the trench --
hard work  in hot weather !






The plants were ready


Luckily the water tanker was watering trees in the area 
and came and filled all the holes. 
Later they came back and watered the plants





Neil from Jozi trails was working nearby and came
to do the last bit of the trench -- so much quicker



The plants being put into the trench


After four days of hard work we were finished --  
Next Spring we should have 300m of white flowers! 




City Parks was impressed and gave me 
another four days with  the men


Near the embankment the poplar saplings were 
coming up, so the men  dug  them out





In the 'secret garden' the paths were uneven 





Shepherd and Wilson took all the pavers up,
 dug out the offending roots...




And put the bricks back-- much safer for the walkers and runners.




Back at the top parking area 



 We have had a constant flow of paving bricks
 being donated -  keeping Shepherd and Wilson busy




It looks like a mosaic but does the job. 
More bricks coming in January




Top Dam


 Somewhere in the long grass are the
 Arum lilies we planted





After clipping around the plants the grass 
was brush-cut - all neat and tidy again!



 
That's all for now! 


Tuesday, September 11, 2018

September 2018-- dams, rivers and others



September 2018


Standard Drive Parking


 Another section of paving being finished.

Top dam


A photo I took at 7.30am and it was a stunner-- 
it  really surprised me!

************************

 Papyrus on the move!


 First it was removed from the dam and put out 
to dry on the adjacent field.


People were not happy with it there so
it was moved to the Acacia grove


Then John who has cleared that 
area wasn't happy, so off it went to the
 Leighton Drive field to become compost

*********************
Tree fall


Still at top dam --the river was blocked  by a 
fallen tree and  had silted up


 Both sides of the bridges needed clearing

 deepening and widening


Looking better

***********************



The sluit close to Bantam Drive was full of rubbish so
we had to spent a day there, cleaning it up.

***********************


Top dam below the  spillway


 A tree had come down blocking the stream



The men dug a channel around it  and 
the water flowed easily again



 At the spillway was a deep, boggy and potentially dangerous hole,
 so the men filled it with logs, not pretty but functional



Once the digging was done it was time to 
plant white arum lilies


We took them from  inside the forest so the ones 
on the forest perimeter were untouched

They are a bit droopy now but hopefully 
next year they will be in full flower

***********************



This tangle of dead trees  next to the river
is next to be sorted out


***************************


 Spring!!



The first tree to be fully clothed in fresh greenery!


That's all folks!



Monday, May 21, 2018

May 2018

May 2018

Tap upgrade






Jeanne and Grant Mortimer offered to  do a makeover at the
 tap near the bathrooms. A huge improvement!


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Bridge Renovations


 The small bridge  in the lane by the school was blocked—it needed a bigger pipe.
There was one in the bush, so Wilson and Shepherd rolled it to the site.


 The small pipes were removed , the big one put in its place


Stones were placed at the sides to strengthen it.


All fixed!

***********************************************************************************************************************************

New fencing at top parking




New corral fencing  on the East side






Top parking  


We were given more two more lots of paving bricks so now the parking  is paved to the big gum tree.

 Looks a bit like mosaic but it does the job.


 The gardens being weeded






Coral fencing being erected on one side on the parking opposite the playground

***********************************************************************************************************************************

Poplar firewood




At last the big poplar  that fell down about a year ago, 
is being  cut up  and removed by Manuel for firewood

********************************************************************************************************************************

Top Dam cleanup


John Barrow kindly loaned Delta  Park a TLB for 4 days
I had it for 1 day and Jozi trails had it for 3 days.



Moses removed the floating island of papyrus and the tall blue plants.



 It was wonderful seeing huge loads of that island being swept up and out the dam



- now the dam is beautifully clear.