Back aboard

I had a great week in the IoM visiting my brother and his family.  The weather was a bit mixed but mainly dry.

View of the farm house and surrounding hill from the fields

As ever there was work to be done on the farm a I spent a couple of days helping Dave install 4 large mirrors in the outdoor arena which will let Wendy show horse riders their posture during lessons.  Watching the horses reactions was fun.  One of the more highly strung was not impressed and charged around the arena kicking both front and back legs in the air - not at the same time.  At the other extreme the pregnant Shetland, Ivy, simply looked at herself and kept peeping around the mirror looking for her reflection.

The next job was more fun as I was let loose in the hydraulic digger.  How hard can it be I thought and the answer is very.  Driving to the site was easy enough, just two levers which make the tracks move forward or back.  Both sticks forward to go in a straight line.  To turn left bring the left leaver to the centre to stop the track or, for turning on the spot pull it back all the way to have the left track going back and the right going forward.  To turn right do it the other way around. There are two joysticks to control the arm movement and the swivelling cab.  The left one operates the upper arm, forward and back, and swivels the cab, left and right.  The right controls larger the lower arm, forward and back again, and controls the bucket, left and right.  All very straight forward until you realise that to dig a level trench you need to move both arms at the same time to keep the bucket at the same depth and also adjust the bucket as it moves toward you to keep it level.  Once you have a bucket full then simply lift the arm, swivel to one side and then empty the bucket. Of course if like me you mix the controls and move the right hand one to the left it does not swivel the cab but empties the bucket back in the hole.

Dave tidying up my hole

After some practice I was managing quite well and made a reasonable job of it. I don't think I'm quite ready for Time Team just yet.

I did manage an afternoon off birdwatching with Brian Maddrell, a Manxman who Dave has known for many years and who shares my passion for photography and nature.  We spent a blustery afternoon wandering along the northern coastline where we could just make out the Scottish mainland less than 20 miles away.  I managed to catch a pair of Oyster Catchers in flight along with a flock of Sanderlings.

Having returned to the boat I've learnt that the lock repair which was stopping my progress eastward has been extended for a further week.  Rather than spending another week in Penkridge I'll head south through Kidderminster to Worcester for a few days.