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Aaron of AP Maintenance does not hang about. Skilled, patient, and thorough, our friend nevertheless manages to work at an amazing rate. He will tackle anything in the garden that you ask.
This morning’s exceptional effort was no exception to his general rule. In less than three hours he had laid a seven foot square stone base for our anticipated greenhouse.
First, the area from which he had already removed a tree needed to be cleared of bits of rubble
and some plants.
The outline was then cut clear
and swept.
A dry mix of sand and cement was applied, to form a bed for the stones.
Everything was carefully measured,
with a spirit level regularly employed.
A final sweep added the cement bond into the crevices between stones.
Observant readers will have noticed the roll-up behind the craftsman’s right ear. We keep him plied with mugs of tea which he usually allows to cool before he drinks on the go. Otherwise the only breaks he takes are of the length it takes to smoke one of the cigarettes. Today he was so engrossed in what he was doing that he forgot all about the smoke.
This is the current view of the path alongside the kitchen window, as it awaits delivery of the greenhouse. The white patch at the end is the stone base.
Aaron mixed the sand and cement at the end of the Back Drive and transported it to this corner in a wheelbarrow, as he did with the heavy stone slabs. In passing he had every opportunity to make the acquaintance of the
rabbit on the grass.
The Head Gardener, however, was more enamoured with the birds of Somerset she had brought back from her brief holiday.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s super-spicy pasta arrabbiata with which I drank more of the Fleurie. Jackie didn’t imbibe because she had finished her Hoegaarden on the patio beforehand.
He does a great job!! Good workers are to find – he’s a keeper!!
You might as well give that rabbit a name and make it a pet, Derrick.
You are probably right about the rabbit, GP
There’s never just one rabbit.
Quite so, Mary
Aaron also dug out a n old vine root! and removed soil to the end of the garden in order to level the site, just thought I would mention that! He’s such a star.
🙂 Quite so, Head Gardener
I wish I have an Aaron.
What a wonderful worker! We’re going to be laying the foundation for the duck cabin soon. I’d love to have Aaron here to help. And you really should just name the rabbit.
Perhaps we will name the little creature. Something androgenous. 🙂 Thanks very much Elizabeth
We have to have a gardener now, and you are right, Derrick, it is amazing how much work they can do without stopping. The trouble is, I don’t remember ever being that fit !
Thanks, John. I could once keep going all day, too – not very long ago either. It was quite an adjustment to make 🙂
Such a task, removing trees. These photos are inspiring to me, not just the beauty of the plants and flowers, but seeing Aaron work. They remind me that this type of work is very satisfying.. and that I’ve been such a loafer lately! I think it’s great your honoring his work with these photos.
Many thanks, Raw. I always make prints for Aron.
I love Jackie’s new bird collection – I just sketched their shape into my sketchbook. I thought you might have gotten a faux rabbit to frighten the real one off – but on closer inspection saw it is the real one 🙂 Your man Aaron is an absolute treasure, rollie behind the ear and all! The view along the kitchen path is looking beautiful – but I’ve probably said this before!
Very many thanks, Pauline. The rabbit is often to be seen on the grass, 🙂 Aaron certainly is an absolute treasure. The next kitchen path view will have a green house in it 🙂
I’m looking forward to seeing the new greenhouse at the end of that view!
🙂
Kudos to Aaron! When we enjoy our work, it shows.
And that is his favourite kind of work. He says he prefers it to cutting lawns and clipping hedges. Thanks a lot Rosaliene
A productive day indeed. Aw…I love rabbits, even though they do like to nibble on plants and flowers.
Thanks a lot, Jill.
Funny how it goes – it’s only three or four years ago I was a professional gardener. Then the arthritis kicked in, then the knee went…
Not saying I was as good as Aaron, just saying that “the days of wine and roses, they are not long.”
😉
Quite so, Quercus. Same here – we both worked all day every day in the first two Summers here. . Thanks a lot.
That work really paid off – it really is a beautiful garden.
🙂 Thanks
He’s a great worker all right, and he is probably very happy to have the regular work from you too. Means he can throw himself into what he does best without having to shop around for employment. So a win-win I would say. Cute rabbit. Wish those early settlers never brought them Australia though….was listening to a radio programme the other day about the the havoc wreaked and the various eradication methods employed. Used to spend a bit of time in the country in my teens and saw the devastation first hand. Guess it’s so lush in England that they don’t have the same impact.
Your comment makes me think of the Rabbit-Proof Fence, which I know you’ve read. You are right about win-win. We saw immediately that we should keep him regular every Sunday morning – that was two years ago. But he does work seven days a week. Thanks a lot, Gwen.
A sad indictment on our attitude towards our Aboriginal population, and an amazing storage of courage and survival which can be enjoyed as a book or film. The latter I highly recommend also. As for the actual fence, courtesy of Wikipedia, it asserts “When it was completed in 1907, the 1,139-mile (1,833 km) No. 1 Fence was the longest unbroken fence in the world.” And as for Aaron … aaaah that clarifies. For a while there I thought you had him for the entire seven days each week – LOL.
🙂 Thanks, Gwen. It is the film I have seen
Aaron, the bunny, and the Somerset birds – what a beautiful day. 🙂
“Jolly good”, says Jackie. Me too. Thanks, Widders
For a rabbit name, may I humbly suggest Pierre (although not androgynous). This is clearly in honour of Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit, but it also starts with PIE !
Pierre it is, Bruce. Jackie, who wants rid, doesn’t want to make a pet of it. She does however say ‘You can call it Pierre if you like’.
Dear Jackie and Derrick – The skinning and gutting of a rabbit is as easy as pie (pardon the pun). It certainly is easier by far than plucking a chook. I could tell you how, but only in a private email – as some might faint – but I “do” one or two rabbits – mainly to save my garden and enhance the diner table…
Jackie would like to know how you catch them. 🙂
I don’t catch them. They are simply picked up after they are… shot. If you do manage to catch it, then simply search “how to kill a rabbit” on the net. It’s a painless twist and a yank. (Now I’ve probably lost all my vegetarian friends…!)
Cackles over here, Bruce
Are you going to answer Jackie’s question … or would it be too much detail for their taste????
Jackie is I’m sure bold enough to on a sabre-toothed tiger if need be!
Tell Aaron that some woman in Maine that he will never meet and has no interest in knowing admires his work and dedication.
Perhaps Aaron was extra quick getting his work done due to a certain pesky gentleman who kept taking his photo! 😉 I should take pictures of our pool boy, but I’m not sure if it would be to get him to work faster or that I enjoy the cut of his bathing suit! Lol. I’m kidding or wishful thinking — we don’t have a pool or a pool boy! Looking forward to seeing what you’ll be growing in your greenhouse…
Many thanks, Rose. Aaron certainly looked snappy 🙂
😀 The rabbit looks well fed. He must find good things in your garden.
Actually, we can’t see that he has eaten any flowers, and we don’t do veg.
Then he’s a keeper. Cute, too.
I thought you were going to say you dined on that rabbit;
Will there be any sun (assuming the sun does shine) getting through to that glass house? Seems a lot of trees in the way
Lower branches have been removed, Brian. I’d be a bit squeamish about dealing with the rabbit. Many thanks.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Greenhouse in making. Kudos to the ace Craftsman! I look forward to relishing the creations in the Greenhouse. Could it be that innocuous looking rabbit is the Big Beast? Birds of Somerset are beautiful.
Many thanks, Uma, for all your observations. The rabbit has certainly dug a couple of other holes that warrant its being the Big Beast.
I was just thinking the same thing actually.
For a moment there I thought the night’s menu might have been Jugged Hare.
🙂 Thanks, Paol
I wish Aaron would come work for me! He did a great job for you!
Thanks very much Kerry. He has gained one client through this blog, but she lives near us, although we’ve never met.
beautiful landscaping.. invites relaxation
Thanks very much, Dymoon
Aaron does good work!
He certainly does. Thank you, Lavinia