Start the Week

This is not how I anticipated starting the week with a flat tyre.

I have a bits and pieces week to look forward to, my Pickup is due for MOT on Wednesday, I have to get invoices out before end of month and it is the end of my VAT quarter so I will have to get on with that .

I see the weather is to change coming cooler with maybe a little rain Thursday.

Must get on now tyre to sort first job.

Hodgy

Friday Preparations

As with any club side the weekend is the time when most cricket is played as a result Friday is a busy day cutting outfield and preparing pitches for over the week end.

My fixtures since Thursday this week have been/are

Thursday T20,

Friday Under 11s,

Saturday 2nds,

Sunday under 15s

Monday Under 13 Cup match.

Tuesday Senior Training 

Thursday T20 Friday Under 13

Saturday 1st

Sunday Under 9s

After a week now of no rain -this is not a complaint- the square is beginning to show signs of stress and needs watering but it will have to wait till Tuesday to get a good soaking as I have games all other days. I also need to get some water on the the pitch which is for the 1st a week today. I would sooner have it this way than too much water and be having to pull sheets on and off in between the rain.

This is my granddaughter Annabelle who visited me while I was working she had just completed a sponsored walk in aid of charity and was dressed as a Super Hero.

Just by way of a change here are two photos taken of me by J O Siddall, thanks Jos.

And when all the juniors arrive it signals a time for me to depart for my tea. I have left things all set up for

the seconds so as not to have to work Saturday morning for a change.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h1oRP7FfBw

"Lazing on a Sunny Afternoon"

Hodgy

Wheetwood

Thursday I prepared a pitch for our home T20 game against New Rover I didn't take any photos as it would have just been a repeat of previous ones really. However I escaped for a couple of hours and went to see Leeds Bradford MCCU at Wheetwood -about a mile or so away from Kirkstall- they were playing Yorkshire Academy the photos are below.

Five wise men?

These guys watch more Cricket than Greece has debt or at least they pretend too, they spend their time  putting the world to rights. Three of them Tony Hutton Mick Bourne and Brian Senior composed a cricketing book called "Off the beaten track" in 2006 and Tony went on to compose "Two Men And A Blog" in 2009 with Peter Davis -not in photo.

Wheetwood looking as well as I have seen it -the sun helps- and the pitch had more bounce than previous visits well done the groundsman.

After Wheetwood it was back down to Kirkstall To do the BBQ at our T20 Match.

Happy Days.

This is the 100th post and the blog has had nearly 10,000 page views since October 2011
Thank you all for following I cant believe you find it so interesting.
Hodgy 

Easy Day

The ground at Kirkstall when I arrived this morning to collect my tractor, trailer and gang mowers and go to cut the outfield at Horsforth Hall Park.

I am thinking that these photos of the same place must be getting a little tiresome now. Any thoughts?

 Horsforth is a suburb of Leeds and this is Horsfoth Hall Park I don't know its history but the cricket team play in the same league as my club Kirkstall but in the 3rd division -Kirkstall are in the 1st division.

 Playing in a park has its advantages and disadvantages on a beautiful day like today the sights are stunning and the trees are looking well.

 Jon Ross the groundsman and their overseas were busy working away on the pitch and surrounds all the time I was there.

 I arrived at about 10-15 and left at around 1-00 I had to cut the field twice as it was two weeks since I was last there -on a freezing cold day with hail. After all the rain and now the warm weather the grass is growing well.

After I finished I went off home for a spot of lunch and to pick my phone up which I had left. My messages included one from Ian Bullock the Harrogate groundsman who wanted to borrow my seeder and a brush to do some work on a football pitch. So I was off to sort that out and by the tome the machines were loaded up it was past 5-00 so I went off home.

A week today since I had Martin Crompton from "Complete Weed Control" along to treat the weeds on the outfield and the above photos show the effect, distorted and dying daisies and plantins.

#nomoreweeds.

Thank you Martin.

Tomorrow I will be preparing for the Thursday T20 and BBQ we play New Rover C C.

Hodgy



What a Difference a Little Sun Makes

Today Tuesday I had a good long session at the ground getting it raked and mown. I should have had a Leeds Met game on Wednesday but the opposition cried off it was Aberdeen Uni I believe-too far to travel?

 I also got the net area cut which hadn't been done for some time because of the weather. I feel much happier now I am able to get on and catch up a bit.

"A Tuesday Nights a Training Night- Is Every Body Happy?"

Next game Thursday then every day till Tuesday.

Off to Horsforth Hall Park tomorrow to cut their outfield.

"Today Bright Phoebus"

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJbbdwhlnt0

Hodgy

Nature Watch

Monday I only called at the ground to get my equipment before getting off to Pool to start a pitch prep and I forgot to take any photos at Pool. Most of the day I was catching up with business matters something I am not good at.

However when I got to Kirkstall the Club Hedgehog had got its body clock mixed up and was out on the field so here for "Rashers" are the photos.

Bill Oddie would be proud.

Hodgy