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So I popped back to the farm today. I got to see Rosie briefly, but no chance for cuddles as there was too much to do! It was a volunteering day. I think you were supposed to sign up through some community volunteering organisation, but it didn't say that on the leaflet I had, so I just cheekily turned up and asked if they could use me. They were happy to do so, and so I ended up joining the group who were sorting out a wall. It turned out a previous Corporate Challenge (when a bunch of e.g. bankers decide to show how community-minded they are and go and do a day's volunteering somewhere) had made a hash of mosaic-ing a wall, and had left lots of pieces of pottery with sharp corners poking out at toddler head-height and it was just silly. So our job was strip all their work off the wall and render it with cement so that local children could paint it.
The morning was spent with hammers and chisels, chipping off tiles, pottery pieces and buttons, along with the underlying grout and/or cement. My hands, it seems, are not totally used to hammers or chisels yet! Then we broke for lunch (home-made soup, I think with the leeks and potatoes grown on-site) and in the afternoon I learned about the Art of Rendering. The guy supervising was a former builder, so had a decade or so of experience at rendering and plastering. By contrast, the nearest thing I had to relevant experience was icing a cake. Literally.
Still, I think they tend to assume that volunteers on such occasions will come armed with more enthusiasm than skill. The main qualities required appear to be a big smile and a willingness to have a go. Both of which I had! At first, I was clueless, throwing cement on the floor, sticking it to the wall and watching it fall off again. But they were very patient and the full-time farm volunteers covered for my amateurish mistakes so progress was made, and I kept practising and watching them to see what I could learn. Two hours later, I was even getting the hang of it semi-passably - i.e. at least 75% of the cement actually stuck to the wall, and I only dropped the whole load one time in 10. The wall looked quite impressive once the pros had smoothed it over, and we used up the remaining cement on the next bit of wall.
I now have cement ground into my skin, my shoulders ache and when I got home I was exhausted, wet and filthy. But volunteering makes you feel so happy. Seriously, everyone should try it. Good for your blood pressure, self-esteem and conscience.
I also have a deep appreciation for the skill for plasterers and renderers. Seriously, it's an art form and they are GOOD. I wish I could do it the way the pros do.
I've been good and done some productive work this evening. Paper is almost ready for resubmission! Squeeage!
The morning was spent with hammers and chisels, chipping off tiles, pottery pieces and buttons, along with the underlying grout and/or cement. My hands, it seems, are not totally used to hammers or chisels yet! Then we broke for lunch (home-made soup, I think with the leeks and potatoes grown on-site) and in the afternoon I learned about the Art of Rendering. The guy supervising was a former builder, so had a decade or so of experience at rendering and plastering. By contrast, the nearest thing I had to relevant experience was icing a cake. Literally.
Still, I think they tend to assume that volunteers on such occasions will come armed with more enthusiasm than skill. The main qualities required appear to be a big smile and a willingness to have a go. Both of which I had! At first, I was clueless, throwing cement on the floor, sticking it to the wall and watching it fall off again. But they were very patient and the full-time farm volunteers covered for my amateurish mistakes so progress was made, and I kept practising and watching them to see what I could learn. Two hours later, I was even getting the hang of it semi-passably - i.e. at least 75% of the cement actually stuck to the wall, and I only dropped the whole load one time in 10. The wall looked quite impressive once the pros had smoothed it over, and we used up the remaining cement on the next bit of wall.
I now have cement ground into my skin, my shoulders ache and when I got home I was exhausted, wet and filthy. But volunteering makes you feel so happy. Seriously, everyone should try it. Good for your blood pressure, self-esteem and conscience.
I also have a deep appreciation for the skill for plasterers and renderers. Seriously, it's an art form and they are GOOD. I wish I could do it the way the pros do.
I've been good and done some productive work this evening. Paper is almost ready for resubmission! Squeeage!
