I would never have guessed!

There has been a change in the weather, and rain was forecast for this morning.

I really didn't fancy using an electric log splitter when there was a good chance of showers. It is bloody heavy and takes a while to lug it back to the shelter of the carport.

Instead, I decided to see if I could get some of the lawns mowed while it was still dry.  To achieve that, I first need to upturn the mower and re-fit the drive belt.  The mower's drive belt seems to slip off the drive pulleys fairly frequently, and I am now an expert in getting it back in working order.  The plastic belt cover has been damaged and grass clippings to accumulate around the belt and pulley.  I am wondering whether this is part of the problem?*

With the mower now fixed,** the rest of the morning was spent trimming the lawns at the back of the house. It now looks much tidier out there, but I now need to get the front sorted too.

A lengthy sleep followed lunch. At present I am completely shattered and could sleep for hours.  30% thinks it is as a result of the log splitting. She may well be right, but I am also wondering whether allergies may be part of the problem too?

If I am honest, I didn't feel any better after a lengthy kip, and it took a while before I felt compos mentis.  In the late afternoon I joined 30% and other member of of the local Women's Institute for a tour of a local factory.

I had been aware of this company in a vague sort of way. I knew that they did something to do with grass seed mixtures, but that was the sum of my knowledge. It was therefore fascinating to see what was happening inside, and around, the converted agricultural buildings. 

Our first stop was their exhibition field, where they had plots of their various grass and wildflower mixtures.  The plots featured a full sized tennis court, cricket wickets and a putting green. There was a mini pitch, complete with goal posts, demonstrating a seed mixture suitable for football and rugby grounds.

The tour then took us in to the factory, where we were shown the seed mixing machinery. They are have forty eight separate seed varieties and are able to produce a variety of mixtures, dependent on what the customer needs.  All of the mixtures have been field tested to ensure optimum performance. 

It was amazing to see one tonne boxes labelled "Wimbledon only," and orders for Premier League grounds would be coming in as soon as the football season ended. Other production lines were filling boxes for DIY store and Garden Centre chains, and we were informed that they will even prepare one-off orders for customers, in quantities as small as one kilogram.

It was very interesting to see a key component of an International Company,*** tucked away, out of sight in a converted farm in an obscure corner of the county.

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* A new cover has now been ordered

** Gaffer tape may have been used to cover the hole in the drive belt cover

*** Originally Danish, but, through acquisitions, now owns seed producers and suppliers around the world.