Planting a post
Brook next door asked me if she could have the end of a runner on one of my trees.
The runner's for Ebby, who likes to escape in various ways. She used to did under my fence but they electrified it (from a battery) and that stopped that. Then she started to dig underneath the fence on the other side. Two dogs in there and she likes to play with them, but really it's not the sort of thing to encourage. So Brook bought a proper runner and wanted to know if it would be OK to screw one end into a tree on my property (the Gum tree near the fence). I didn't mind actually because I understand the problem - had to put Pegasus on a runner until he grew out of it. I offered to go next door and help and she took me up on the offer.
As it transpired, the cable was too short to go between their tree and the Gum. It's supposed to be at least 1.5m above the ground so that the lead (on a pulley won't get snagged. Plan B was to dig a hole and plant a post to attach it to. WE both started digging but it's tough soil to dig, and there were major roots from the Gum. I brought over my small mattock and "spud holer" and we got to a depth of maybe 40-50 cm. But it was more complicated than that. Ebby had to be put on a chain because she was all over us like a rash, wanting to play. The kids came up to have a look and help and Brook had to bring Zoe up in the pram as well. Then Bobbie started howling back in my yard. He'd been asleep when I went next door and wanted me back.
Instead I brought him next door, where he amused the kids and sniffed around and barked back at Ebby. Very hard to have a conversation when two dogs are barking and the kids want to say stuff and so on. As it was, we got the post in and packed the soil around it with stones. We were starting to lose the light so it was decided to leave the rest until tomorrow morning. Brook's husband Tim is working up in Darwin and I was glad to help. Tomorrow we'll get a strap around the post and around the Gum, so it'll be pretty secure before we get the cable up.
Brook was telling me about a "Protein Diet". Might be worth a try sometime.