This is the chosen section of old historic "wall" at Kingsmere Farm in Gatineau Park that needed 'repair' this year . There would be a lot of lifting.
So, yesterday morning, after some class time teaching the basics of wall building and some safety rules ( one being, remember to lift with your knees), the students set about removing the many tons of roundish glacial granite.
Their eagerness to go about separating such a huge jumble of unruly rocks was gratifying. I explained the difference between a rock and a stone – a rock being an 'unemployed' stone. Someone remarked that these stones had been on a long vacation from their job.
By noon an almost biblical parting of the stone sea was achieved and the footprint for the wall then determined with white spray paint. White is such a hopeful colour.
By the end of the day the class had completed what the Brits like to call the 'first lift'. I think they all did way more lifting by then, but I don't make the rules.
