saving the swale

Resculpturing the dune turned out to be a job for a front-end loader so very early in the morning Jeff came trundling along the beach on his machine and began moving the hill of sand that came from underneath the beach deck when it was lowered by a foot. David is fanatical about protecting the fore-dune and the natural swale,  which is a shallow ditch halfway up. 

 

Jeff is an artist with the front-end loader: I watched in fascination as he delicately and precisely scraped the sand together then lifted it up without disturbing the vegetation and took it off down the beach - where we hope it will stay and not come blowing back. (Shades of King Canute!)

 

Dune done, David covered the area with remnants of found cargo net while Jeff swapped to the bobcat. Artistry was not needed on the row of old woody lavender between the front/road verandah and the hedge: David has deemed it a fire hazard and in five minutes it was gone. Then Jeff carved away the eastern yard to make a much-needed flat walkway to the sea, loaded up his machines onto his tip truck and trailer and disappeared.

 

You have to love modern machinery!

 

 

David directing operations