Our paving material was due to be delivered after 9.30 a.m. this morning so that Martin could be on site to take delivery and direct the driver to the Back Drive which is where we wanted it.
Fortunately, having arisen at 6.55, I was sitting in my dressing gown carrying out my normal WordPress responses when the front doorbell alerted me at 7.45 that a Dorset Stone truck was occupying one side of Christchurch Road, on the assumption that the material was to fill our front drive.
The friendly and helpful driver warned me that I need to be careful, because the ground was very slippery, as I stepped out to check the width of his vehicle. I thanked him and responded that he had no idea just how careful I needed to be. Needless to say he had not been informed of the expected delivery time.
Having directed him to where he should unload, I grabbed a coat and slid through the garden to assist if necessary.
I was mightily impressed with the skill of the man who reversed his long, wide, truck along the Back Drive, with only an inch or two either side.; and relieved that the vehicle was well equipped to unload the heavy slabs electronically. The larch branch extended over the path was the only casualty when hit by the overhead crane.
Martin’s first task then, was to remove and cut up the broken arboreal limb.
He then continued his preparation of the patio levels. He, unfortunately, will, later in the week, need to ferry the stone across the garden by wheelbarrow.
This evening Jackie produced flavoursome vegetable rice to accompany Tesco’s finest chicken Kiev (Yellow ticket) with which I drank Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2021.