Moving Olive Trees
Today was a beautiful springlike day – perfect for the alpaca preparations. Enrico and his friend Carlo came with a mini excavator and the first thing they did was move three olive trees that were a) too close together anyway and b) possible dinner for the alpacas.
I’ve read quite a bit already on whether or not alpacas eat olive trees. Accounts range from “nibbled a few leaves” to “destroyed my young olives”. Anyway, Enrico and Carlo moved three old trees and left three where they are, so we shall find out, won’t we, if olive trees are on the menu or not.
I Love Excavators
I have never seen trees moved so fast and expertly in my life. Come to think about it, I don’t think I have ever seen trees move full stop, except when I do it, which takes bloody hours. The fab little yellow excavator created three huge holes, scooted over to the trees, dug up one, carried to the hole, plonked it in, job done. Oh, it even filled the space where the olives were with earth taken from the new hole and patted it down. Amazing. I want an excavator.
Relocating the Gazebo – Future Alpaca Shelter
However, the afternoon was to see even more impressive excavator magic. I wanted to move a little-used gazebo from the top part of the garden to the alpacas’ enclosure. Alan and I put it up six years ago with a lot of swearing as I remember! Enrico, Carlo and his brother Sergio decided the best way to relocated the three metre by three metre gazebo was to lift it up, metal post holders and all and carry it to the new position about a hundred metres away.
After some nifty work with two logs and a lever to remove the four posts, we (yes, I held a corner post!) carried the gazebo to its new location and then my friend the excavator was brought in again to insert each post into the ground down using a strap system. Totally amazing.
Finally the guys have cut down two huge pine trees. One was leaning at a dangerously rakish angle and the other was too close to its neighbours. So they have now gone . Took about ten minutes! The branches are now burning on a bonfire and the trunks will be cut up so we will have all the wood we need for next winter.
What a great day!