Treasure Hunt

On the last 'child free' day of my LSL - I didn't actually do a vast amount, but I was happy with what we achieved.
We being Mr & Mrs Skivvy & I (or should that be me, Mum?)
I needed the extra hands to hold the ladder - and provide the ladder itself - so I could trim some branches above the vege gardens & let a little more sun in, plus trim the spent flowers off the bottlebrush in the front garden (so it doesn't get too 'woody' looking).

While Mr Skivvy was helping me with this, Mrs Skivvy decided to clean up chook poo and feed it to the compost heap.  I discovered later that she had also cleaned the top of the cupboard on the deck and goodness knows what else - I love that!
After the (hired?) help left I loaded the trailer with all the branches too large for my chipper, cut a few more, and removed guards from some plants that I think are well enough established to survive the chickens.

Today though was even more successful - again thanks to the indispensable Mr Skivvy.

Along with J4 we took the trailer to the Dakabin Tip with the load of green waste.  Then we visited the TREASURE MARKET.
J4 thought this was purely for him to have a look at the recycled toys - but that was just the way to get him to come with us so SMD & L6 could visit a gaming convention.

On my shopping list - more poly pipe, larger diameter this time; netting for the vege garden; corrugated iron - if enough good stuff could be found; and tables for the workshop.

The only netting was a HUGE blue fishing net, far too big and heavy to even consider, and I didn't see any corrugated iron.

But we did find 3 tables!  Two steel frame desks with metal drawers, really sturdy (I can make blocks to lift them up to working height), and one little wooden coffee table, quite sturdy and suitable as a workbench for J4 & L6.  Total cost? $15 dollars! Gotta love that!

The workbenchesin place. The rolling height adjustable stool was from a previous Tip Shop Trip, as was the mesh, which will be mounted on the wall for tool storage.  $30 total - I highly recommend recycle yards.

 Now - I also mentioned the larger diameter and stiffer poly-pipe, two large rolls.  This is to make the supports for the netting over the garden beds.
Why thicker & stiffer?  Both for strength, and because I had an idea for the supports.
Remember the safety fence?  Well there were offcuts weren't there.

I hacksawed the top & bottom brackets off to leave just the aluminium tubes.  The outside diameter of these determined the minimum inside diameter of the polypipe - and the stuff I already have is too small.
Using a rubber mallet I hammered one tube into the ground in each corner of the straw-bale bed, and then slide the polypipe over the top (had to cut this with the hacksaw as well).  The result?  See below.

I will probably tie the curves together in the middle to give it extra stability - though it may not need it. I just need netting now.

The plan is to create a similar structure spanning the vege beds behind.  If I can fit a large enough diameter bit into my drill I will drill holes in the top of the fence posts, cut the aluminium tubes into suitable lengths & insert them into said holes, and then mount the poly pipe the same way as above.  This should provide more than enough height to work in the garden without the net getting in the way.

And hopefully I'll have enough pipe to build a structure over Mr & Mrs Skivvy's mango tree (the best mangoes I've ever tasted) and, later, the fruit trees I intend to plant.

Altogether a very successful day!

Hope those of you living in Qld have a wonderful May Day weekend!

All the best,
Ravs.