more

 Today Kit and I worked hard again: matocking, shovelling, axing, raking, moving stones and boulders around.  I wish I had a few before photos of this plot; our "quarry" where all the stones that we used to build our path out the front came from.  It used to be a hill covered with trees and shrubs, but gradually we've dug it out.  As you can see, there used to be a stone retaining wall and at some point I think it was just filled in with rocks and broken glass and crockery (yes, we've found it all).  And after killing off weeds when we first came back, Ella weeding yesterday and a bit more today and then Kit and I going in hard it's FLAT!!!!  The sides aren't perfectly straight, but there are a lot of old tree roots and stones, and my greatest fear was that I'd go in too hard and the whole wall would start crumbling down.

It's now all ready for our next delivery of stone and then I can put the BBQ up there, some seats and we will have created a bit more space outside our kitchen.

It was hot work out there today (although I still find it easier than the humid Singapore heat) and so this afternoon I took the kids up to the pond for a swim.  I actually had to shower first as I was covered heat to toe in sweat and dirt...mmmmm. 

We didn't stay long, just enough to cool down a bit.  Ella was moaning that she didn't have her dad to throw her in the water.

 On the way home we stopped off at the river with LOTS of rock stacks.  It was like a city!

Quite amazing really.  In amongst the rocks, you can see sections of tarmac as this part of the river was really hard hit by Irene a few years ago...vast sections were washed away.  The river is very different now, and I like that people are some how celebrating nature here.