Wet Week

You may recall from my last post I said I would be off spiking a couple of squares. Well I got up on Wednesday morning and thought it was far too wet, so I still have those jobs to do when the ground dries out.

 Wednesday night I went along to Cleckheaton for the December meeting of the West Yorkshire Branch of the IOG we had a very interesting talk given by Jim Whitton of Ransome-Jacobson who spoke about mowing machines and the technical aspects of setting up and the issues that effect mowing -like wet, soft and hard ground etc. He came over very well and presented about mowing machines in general not specifically Ramsome-Jacobson. The meeting was exceptionally well attended with around 40 members present. Thanks are due to Golf and Turf Machinery who arranged for Jim to come along and to David Robinson and Rod Heyhoe who arrange the program for the Branch.

While thinking about Cleckheaton I must congratulate Keith Johnson and John Hawksworth on wining the IOG Volunteer Sports Grounds Management Team of the Year Award.

Well done guys.

Look how dark at around 4pm Wednesday.

What sad places Cricket grounds are on wet December days.

This area is under the trees and on the machinery turning circle I did seed it but rather late and it was then covered in leaves for a while, this is the result -some work to do here in spring time.

Not sure this photo shows up so well -what I am trying to show is a hole the B...dy Fox has dug in the drains.

This is a massive problem for me -if I fill it he will dig it out the following night -if I leave it it will be deeper the following night -if I spray it with Jeyes fluid he will find another drain to dig out, so short of spraying the whole field I am at a loss as what to do.

Any suggestions welcome!

Sorry must try to get a better photo.

Jim Whitton of Ransome-Jacobson at Cleckheaton Sports Club.

Some of the IOG members -paying full attention.

If you have been following this blog you will know that on Thursdays over the winter I go and paint with my artist friends, we hire a Cricket Pavilion in Leeds. Here is a view taken from the veranda kids play football over the outfield in winter. Here we are first week in December and already the grass has gone in places I dread to think what it will be like at the end of February or worse still for the start of the Cricket season.

The square is the green bit above the muddy strip.

I like the thought of this -above is a Lithography print I did last year of Che Guevara I fastened him to the window so he could watch  the Cricket and he has, all summer. 

Paul with a recently finished work.

With all the wet weather and high winds I don't see myself on the ground for a day or two yet -may be I will get on with a painting or two myself.