Logged on or booted up?

We've taken a couple of days off from the stalking to catch up with some pressing jobs. Yesterday I spent the entire day inspecting and fixing roads. I have to say that after all the rain we've had, I was expecting them to be worse. However, on the down side, I have a footbridge that is....well, on the down side. Even the brick and concrete supports are gone and they must have weighed a tonne apiece. Ho hum.

The bridge will have to wait until I have the time, inclination and materials. In the interim, I forsee the hinds learning to listen out for squelching boots.

And today I thought I'd get on with splitting some firewood. It's been a hell of a day of mist and rain (again) so not much good for the hill. Plus if I leave this pile of logs any longer, they'd be so rotten you'd be able to wring them out to dry them.

To this end I borrowed our 4wd tractor and hydraulic log-splitter. Yes, I know it's cheating but in my defense I tried to simulate doing it with an axe. This I acheived by cunningly parking the tractor so that the rain dripped off the shed roof and onto my head (representing sweat) and by starting off with aches already in place (courtesy of the first curling match of the season at the weekend.)

The end of this log pile was in sight when I faced the reality that I couldn't avoid this HUMUNGUS log any more. It took me all my strength to lift it onto the table. It overhung the table as much that I had to support it with one hip as the ram pressed down on it with a force of 6 tonnes. Unbeknownst to me it was pressing down on a burr. The log flipped up, catching me right under the ribs. That knocked the wind out of my sails! I sat for a minute or two before I was sure I hadn't done some lasting damage. Then I had to lift the blessed thing back onto the table! I would sigh at the thought, if it didn't hurt so much.

But it's all change again tomorrow. We're to be making another attempt at the grouse shoot that we had to abandon on Saturday and, this time, the forecast is good. Well, you never know your luck...