a weekly update
it's sunday again another week has gone past!
It's been a week of different jobs. On monday I was put back onto apple thinning but thankfully only baby trees. At a $1 each I managed 150 over two days yippee! On Wednesday I was moved onto adult trees which were massive and managed about 13 of them - hopefully the price will reflect the effort that had to be put in! On Thursday I changed jobs again! I could only have done so well thanks to having my thumb covered, index and middle knuckles covered in microtape as the apples turn skin to hard skin and leave bruises you didn't realise were possible on your hands. Thank God I was working with Carol as she is very knowledgable about such matters for making life easier on yourself.
I felt like I had done three very tough Johnstone shows solid plus a strip set for 8 hours I was that exhausted when I got back to the hostel. In the morning we (Chris, myself and Carol, our supervisor) were dealing with the bird nets covering the cherry trees. Chris and Carol mended the bird nets where there were holes - this involves stitching them up sometimes without needles. I ended up securing the nets at the bottom so no birds could sneak through and that there was enough tension in them so as they couldn't blow about in the wind. This means that I had to pull the nets very tight (and they are tough little ***** sometimes) while Robert (guy I was working with) stitched the bottom in tight using wire. Then we had to lift logs (cut down Poplar trees) onto a truck then load them onto the extra netting on the ground and roll them into place. Then cover the gaps with boulders so no sneaky birds get through. I felt like a packhorse sometimes. I did manage to end up with some enormous skelfs in my hands though as the gloves I borrowed off Robert I kept forgetting to put on! Some have still not healed and are very painful! Damn, more injuries :-) In the afternoon (after 3 o'clock break) I had to sweep out a very dusty workshed with Chris and Carol so we could fold the new rain covers to be put over the cherries. Folding them made Johnstone curtains a skoosh!!!!!!!! Especially as your working with people who aren't used to folding BIG items. They are also very heavy so to say the least by Thursday night I was exhausted. Shifting logs, shifting curtains all day made Ann very tired. Therefore nobody can be surprised that all I wanted to do when I got back was just to sit down.
When I did get to my room I got a very nice surprise when I spotted a card waiting for me from Britain. Thank you to my friends back home who sent my that christmas card it cheered me up no end on a hopeless day! To let you understand anyone who gets mail from home in the hostel hides for a wee while to read up the news and get the most. Mail is so wonderful - never let the e-mail decieve you!
On friday it rained and on saturday it rained and on sunday it's still raining! On friday we watched 4 DVD's. On saturday we did Brazilian dancing and went to Alexandra. So there a few people shocked that I can dance with the Brazilians as it's very easy for me!!!!!!!! Thanks Mum and Dad - it's the only time I can say that for the classes!! So on Christmas day we'll probably have more dancing! On sunday we spent the afternoon at the school in the playing fields - would you ever have guessed that I'm rubbish at football ;-D
