New Tracks and trails

Cherry Tree

I walked across the orchard this week and whist doing so noticed some tyre tracks. I have always been proud that since I bought, and planted the trees I have only had vehicles on it four times,  twice for deliveries of manure, and I wasn't around to stop them. Once for taking the new trees to the spot they would  be planted along with the compost, this helped volunteers and for some of them hanging of the back of the 4x4 or along the side it was fun. Then again once when I was moving Bee hives and it was the only way to illuminate the area. It was dark about 10pm and mobile phone lights weren't going to do the job and I couldn't really wait for dawn.

However to start the new year I was checking the trees and discovered tracks on the ground, firstly I thought perhaps they were from one of those times. However its wasn't possible then a little further on I saw another track and then it clicked. Someone had taken a vehicle into the orchard recently, that's how long it took to click. I was furious, angry, raging, fuming, my blood was boiling why would someone want to drive across the orchard? Perhaps steal the bees, its happen in other areas, perhaps steal the trees again that's happen in other areas and its the right time of the year for it.

Quad Bike tracks

So I wondered around looking for the cause and to perhaps see where the tracks and been and led to and from. With some worry and fear in my mind and heart I followed the tracks. Nothing however seemed to be damaged, or missing, and the driver had avoided getting too close to the trees themselves.

The tracks had just wondered around and seems to have spun doing 360 wheel spins around several times at various places in the orchard, and as the orchard floor is damp and the ground very saturated it's pulled up the grass and torn into the soil, and left muddy trails and imprints from the tyres.

No sign of the cause. I saw Chris the stable owner and went over to ask if he had seen anything and wish him Happy New year.

He confessed that he had hadn't been around for a couple of days and he had bought his kids Quad bikes for Christmas  The kids had been in the orchard testing out and playing with these small very powerful farming tools, he hadn't given them permission or encouraged them in any way. He apologised and said that he had already reprimanded the kids and promised and they won't be doing it again. Some toy for kids as young 8 and 11.

Kids on a the quad bike

So a couple of minutes of fun has damaged the orchard floor. Mainly because the ground has been so wet and muddy. The kids must have a great time by the look of it, and the ground may have healed by summer or so I hope.

I wondered around the orchard for a little while and then home. It wasn't the best start to 2013, or the one I was hoping for. Hence the delay in this blog entry.

Willow Tree Buds

Otherwise the buds are growing and all seems well.