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It’s been one of those days when nothing seemed to matter much, a bit of goofing off, a bit of work, more goofing off, fun.
My guys from Rove Prison couldn’t get permits signed yesterday, so another day before they can get day release and come up to the Nursery. Not to worry, they have done a great job so far, and tomorrow will be digging all the stones out of the garden beds, and deep digging to break the soil up. Then we’ll add in the compost and some fertiliser. It’s looking like Monday before we’ll be finished now, I was hoping for Friday, but this is the Solomons.
We had a couple of young guys plastered on Kwaso hanging around the Gardens this morning, one of them was one of the crew that put the water flow meter in last week, and was becoming a bit of a nuisance with his mate, so I put them both into the truck and ran them into Point Cruz, hoping they’d not find their way back. They arrived back this afternoon, considerably the worse for wear, I had Andrew cracking up. We were building some steps for the meter readers so they can get to the flow meter for readings, and the 2 drunks were on the river bank opposite us, singing, and being nothing more than a mild irritation. I said to Andrew that that was what he looked like on weekends when he goes out chasing girls with his mates, all drunk. He gets so embarrassed, he doesn’t drink, and he and Imelda are usually together at weekends, but he’s just fair game for winding up.
Anyway, the drunks got to the stage where they were starting to harass some of the schoolgirls studying at the tables, David was doing his best to ignore them, he doesn’t like dealing with trouble very much, so I wandered over, managed to get them away from the students for a while, but it didn’t last. Then it got a bit aggro, one of them started with the whitefalla/black falla burble, which didn’t impress me at all. After a few cheap insults going my way, managed to get things under control, and got them started on the road out of the gardens. Both of them too drunk to be much of a physical threat, more bluster and bravado, but still not pleasant. Kwaso is like meth with the effect it has on the locals, totally unpredictable, all of the murders here lately have been after a kwaso session, no wonder the police are really cracking down finally on the distillers. Since the murders in Central Market, there’s been a more visible police presence through the town, I still don’t go out at night though.
After that episode I felt like some light relief, so I got the short bits of bamboo offcuts from the lengths we are using in the tubs and made some throwing darts with them. About 30” long, cardboard fins, and a length of string to throw with. I don’t think anyone had seen them before here, spears and stuff yes, but not the short throwing darts. I was a bit worried about the first throw, I usually stuff it up, and hit the ground about 3’ in front of me, but I must have got everything right this time. Drifted the first dart about 100 yds across the gardens, put the second one about 5’ from it, then everyone wanted to have a play. I’m pleased I wasn’t in competition with anyone. Jacks first throw was about 20yds past mine, then it turned into a competition amongst them all. I’ve got to make about a dozen more tomorrow for all their kids now. Some of the guys would be great javelin throwers, the girls weren’t far behind the guys in distance either.
I missed Les at Council Works, he’s away on holiday till next week, so I hope Keithie has better luck with the Council Head of Works tomorrow. There’s space at SICCHE for us, it’s a bit cramped, but will be ok, and we can probably steal a bit more as we need it if we go there. Although the Nursery site isn’t required to be close to town, any land within 30 minutes of Honiara would be fine. We’ve got warehouse space at BJS Agencies as a stopgap for the tools and equipment, and hopefully we can get a lockup building somewhere close.
Steve called out today with my CARE parcel from Rosalee, (Thanks Sis). Filters for the camera, good china cups, 2 for Tiffany and Shirelyta, t-shirts, and gardening magazines and books. The magazines and books kept all the crew quiet for a couple of hours while we had the afternoon rainshower. Any more magazines always gratefully accepted. Tiffany was all through them getting landscape ideas, and Imelda was after all the plants from them. I’ll try to visit the Plant Quarantine people next week, and see what we can import into here. Where the money to import them will come from I’m not sure, but I’ll cross that when it happens.
All the crew were asking if New Zealand was like the pictures in the magazines, with the gardens and street design. It’s a totally foreign concept here, having parks and gardens full of flowers, shrubs etc, after looking through the magazines, everyone is keen to do the same thing here, if we can get the plants or seeds. As I’ve said repeatedly, the crew I work with are really keen, hard working and hungry to learn everything.
My guys from Rove Prison couldn’t get permits signed yesterday, so another day before they can get day release and come up to the Nursery. Not to worry, they have done a great job so far, and tomorrow will be digging all the stones out of the garden beds, and deep digging to break the soil up. Then we’ll add in the compost and some fertiliser. It’s looking like Monday before we’ll be finished now, I was hoping for Friday, but this is the Solomons.
We had a couple of young guys plastered on Kwaso hanging around the Gardens this morning, one of them was one of the crew that put the water flow meter in last week, and was becoming a bit of a nuisance with his mate, so I put them both into the truck and ran them into Point Cruz, hoping they’d not find their way back. They arrived back this afternoon, considerably the worse for wear, I had Andrew cracking up. We were building some steps for the meter readers so they can get to the flow meter for readings, and the 2 drunks were on the river bank opposite us, singing, and being nothing more than a mild irritation. I said to Andrew that that was what he looked like on weekends when he goes out chasing girls with his mates, all drunk. He gets so embarrassed, he doesn’t drink, and he and Imelda are usually together at weekends, but he’s just fair game for winding up.
Anyway, the drunks got to the stage where they were starting to harass some of the schoolgirls studying at the tables, David was doing his best to ignore them, he doesn’t like dealing with trouble very much, so I wandered over, managed to get them away from the students for a while, but it didn’t last. Then it got a bit aggro, one of them started with the whitefalla/black falla burble, which didn’t impress me at all. After a few cheap insults going my way, managed to get things under control, and got them started on the road out of the gardens. Both of them too drunk to be much of a physical threat, more bluster and bravado, but still not pleasant. Kwaso is like meth with the effect it has on the locals, totally unpredictable, all of the murders here lately have been after a kwaso session, no wonder the police are really cracking down finally on the distillers. Since the murders in Central Market, there’s been a more visible police presence through the town, I still don’t go out at night though.
After that episode I felt like some light relief, so I got the short bits of bamboo offcuts from the lengths we are using in the tubs and made some throwing darts with them. About 30” long, cardboard fins, and a length of string to throw with. I don’t think anyone had seen them before here, spears and stuff yes, but not the short throwing darts. I was a bit worried about the first throw, I usually stuff it up, and hit the ground about 3’ in front of me, but I must have got everything right this time. Drifted the first dart about 100 yds across the gardens, put the second one about 5’ from it, then everyone wanted to have a play. I’m pleased I wasn’t in competition with anyone. Jacks first throw was about 20yds past mine, then it turned into a competition amongst them all. I’ve got to make about a dozen more tomorrow for all their kids now. Some of the guys would be great javelin throwers, the girls weren’t far behind the guys in distance either.
I missed Les at Council Works, he’s away on holiday till next week, so I hope Keithie has better luck with the Council Head of Works tomorrow. There’s space at SICCHE for us, it’s a bit cramped, but will be ok, and we can probably steal a bit more as we need it if we go there. Although the Nursery site isn’t required to be close to town, any land within 30 minutes of Honiara would be fine. We’ve got warehouse space at BJS Agencies as a stopgap for the tools and equipment, and hopefully we can get a lockup building somewhere close.
Steve called out today with my CARE parcel from Rosalee, (Thanks Sis). Filters for the camera, good china cups, 2 for Tiffany and Shirelyta, t-shirts, and gardening magazines and books. The magazines and books kept all the crew quiet for a couple of hours while we had the afternoon rainshower. Any more magazines always gratefully accepted. Tiffany was all through them getting landscape ideas, and Imelda was after all the plants from them. I’ll try to visit the Plant Quarantine people next week, and see what we can import into here. Where the money to import them will come from I’m not sure, but I’ll cross that when it happens.
All the crew were asking if New Zealand was like the pictures in the magazines, with the gardens and street design. It’s a totally foreign concept here, having parks and gardens full of flowers, shrubs etc, after looking through the magazines, everyone is keen to do the same thing here, if we can get the plants or seeds. As I’ve said repeatedly, the crew I work with are really keen, hard working and hungry to learn everything.
Another morning spent waiting for internet access, I’m getting used to it, still bloody annoying, but ok, I get to post 2 – 3 days at once eventually.
Most of the trees around the Gardens now have bamboo darts stuck in the branches, while the guys practise aiming and throwing. I’ve been busy a few times making up new ones, till I told them to make their own from now on. There is now a severe shortage of cardboard and bamboo around the office and garden. All of the cardboard has gone into tail fins.
We finally had all the “t”s crossed and the “i”s dotted and 2 of the guys from Rove Prison were allowed out on day release to work up in the nursery making mulch for the garden beds at Rove. They had a long lecture from the Prison Admin about behaviour, then got a brief one very similar from me. I mentioned that if either of my 2 ladies in the nursery felt threatened or harassed by them, they would be back inside so fast it would all seem a dream to them. It probably wasn’t needed, the guys are really quiet, and polite, like everyone in the Solomons. They worked really well feeding compost through the mulcher all morning, we’ve got another day or so to go yet, and David the advisor there is keen to get them outside the prison more often, especially the ones coming up for release.
I may have another job there in a while as well, running Level 1 and Level 2 Horticulture for the inmates, which will be another interesting experience.
It appears that Forestry jumped a bit too soon with trying to evict us from the Gardens, Keithie managed to have a meeting with the Honiara Town Clerk today, and the decision from Council is that we stay, Forestry can wait for us to get the Nursery buildings done first, then they can have their building back. And that is all, we stay in the Gardens, and carry on doing what we have for the past 7 years.
I’d give anything to be a fly on the wall at the Forestry/ Council meeting. The Council own the land, and they have been more than happy for us to manage the Gardens and maintain everything.
David had the crew out late last night, putting bamboo stakes in the tubs along Mendana Ave while the traffic was quiet. We’ve staked the bougainvillea, I’m trying for tall spires of flowers from them, rather than close cropped bushes. It’s just wait and see now how long the stakes stay in without some drunken idiot pulling them out.
Once we get more plants growing in the Nursery, we’ll replace all the crotons/duranta with bougainvillea.
The weather continues hot and dry now, it’s no wonder everyone walks here, and not at a fast walk either. I still end up way ahead of everyone if we are going somewhere, I’ll gradually slow down I think, but it will take a while.
I’m going to Savo Island definitely again next week. We’ve got a 3 day weekend, Friday 12th is Queens Birthday weekend here, so I’ll pull an afternoon off Thursday, collect a few orchids over the weekend, do a bit of fishing finally, and come back Monday.
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