Still mobile and pain free

24 hours after taking a strong anti-infammatory I still feel good, so time to go for a walk taking advantage of some pain free mobility. We've had a lot of rain, and the mill weir at Waulkmill has a loud roar:

We carry on so that I can have a look at the field boundary hedge-laying work T & fellow Kerridge Ridge conservation volunteers have been up to.

This ongoing project involves the conservation of natural and historic man-made features in the landscape including the repair and maintenance of rights of way and field boundaries and management of meadow and woodland. The volunteers, all previously unskilled, have been trained by the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers. I think the hedge looks pretty good and will last about 15 years before needing more work instead of the annual autumnal 'flail' cut from a tractor. A properly 'laid' hedge also gives much needed habitat for small mammals and birds.

In the photo below you can see a bit of the 'hedge' they started with, made up of uprights (as in foreground). The upright stems of the hedgerow shrubs are reduced in thickness by cutting away the wood on one side of the stem. Each stem is then laid down along the length of the hedgerow and in between stakes are driven into the line of the hedge. These vertical stakes give the finished hedge its strength. New growth at the bottom is encouraged and the sheep will no longer be able to push through holes.

Stiffness diary

Sunday am: Hands have swollen overnight, painful knuckle joints again. Neck, upper shoulders and collar bone area stiff again. Legs lacking muscle tone. Anti-inflammatory effects lasted about 36 hours.