Spring — Headwall Station
Sunday — Dinner
Spring had arrived in the valley. Trees burst from bud into flower and everything started to take on the same shade of bright verdant green. Birthdays in Hundeerde were marked by birth-season, rather than by specific day. With the arrival of spring, tonight it was Lewis’ turn to be remembered. His choice for dinner was build-your-own burgers and chunky farmhouse wedges, seasoned with Charlie’s very own special mix of herbs and spices.
Grandpa Jake: Tonight we are thankful for the food, but we are also especially thankful for Lewis. For his eyes that are always open, not just for the things that are around us, but also for the things that are beyond.
Later after the construction, consumption, and in the case of one recently turned seven year old — destruction, of the burgers, came the cake. Charlie had now firmly established himself as the master cake baker of all birthday celebrations in the house. For Lewis he had baked a moist chocolate cake and decorated it with dark blue icing, the flipped stars of the Orion constellation and two number one candles.
Lewis: Thank you, Charlie! You made an Orion cake—
and… it’s flipped!
Lewis carefully placed Dogger on the table next to the cake and blew out the candles.
Monday — After Breakfast
Lewis was crouched next to the stream by the stone bridge. He had pegged a string across from bank to bank, and had several short sticks in a neat pile.
Grandpa Jake came up behind him to remind him it was nearly time to leave for school.
Grandpa Jake: Hey there, Lewis. What are you up to this fine spring morning?
Lewis: I’m measuring the water flow. Watch.
Lewis went some way up the stream with one of his sticks. He had another stick pushed into the ground near the bank. He dropped his stick into the middle of the stream, and when it passed the stick in the ground he tapped the stopwatch on his tablet. Running to keep up with the floating stick in the fast spring flow, he tapped his tablet again when the stick passed his string line by the bridge.
Lewis: The surface is always faster than the deeper water, so you multiply by 0.85 to get the true average. I have already calculated the area.
He made a few taps on his tablet.
—And now I have the velocity of the flow.
Grandpa Jake: So, what is our flow rate today then?
Lewis consulted his tablet.
Lewis: Let’s see… The flow equals the area multiplied by the velocity…
He made a few more taps.
Area is… 9.6 m² times the speed… 2.5 m/s…
The flow today is 24 cubic metres per second. It’s higher than yesterday at 21 m³/s.
I therefore conclude that the snow in the mountains is starting to melt faster than yesterday.
Grandpa folded his arms, and his tail waved from side to side.
Grandpa Jake: That’s wonderful!
The spring melt is officially confirmed by our new eleven year old hydrologist!
Now though, it’s time to get in the Hundeerwagon for school.
Meanwhile…
Hamish was crouched down low by the waterwheel. He was very busy watching a caterpillar munching its way through a leaf.
On his way back from collecting Lewis, Grandpa Jake came and stood behind Hamish.
Grandpa Jake: What are you doing, Hamish?
Hamish: Looking.
Monday — Afternoon
In the workshop Marta handed Samson a pail of grease and a paintbrush.
Marta: The waterwheel shaft needs greasing.
Tell me if there is anything else we need to know about.
Samson took the pail and set to work applying grease to the wooden bearing where the main shaft of the waterwheel came into the workshop. It was leaking badly and on closer inspection the shaft was moving up and down quite a bit with each turn. He returned to Marta with the news of what he had found.
Samson: The main bearing of the waterwheel is leaking badly and I think that it should be replaced. The thaw is making the wheel work harder.
Marta: That’s a big job. Are you up for it?
Samson: Sure! As long as I can ask for help for the heavy bits.
Marta: You just shout out any time you need us. You’re in charge.
The caterpillar had gotten much bigger and fatter, and Hamish—
was still looking.
Tuesday — Afternoon
Raven met Grandma Bella and Harry coming back from the kitchen garden loaded with a basket full of leafy green lettuce and spring onions.
Grandma Bella: Harry, would you take this basket in to Rebecca? There’s something I want to show Raven.
Harry: Sure, Grandma!
As Harry ran his errand, Grandma Bella took Raven over to a covered part of the workshop where there were stacks of dried timber waiting to be made into something useful.
Grandma Bella: I wondered if you would be interested in making something for the house?
Ask Marta, she won’t mind.
Raven looked at the stack of wood thoughtfully.
Raven: That’s a great idea, I’ll have a think about it.
After Grandma Bella had left, Raven stood for a little longer looking at the wood, different ideas starting to float around in his mind.
He then wandered over to the stream, and he noticed that the spring melt had washed down some different coloured stones. He crouched down and started to pick a few of them out. He would need another visit to Daan’s tumbler.
Hamish was back to check on his caterpillar. It was now doing something very strange.
The caterpillar was busy making itself a sleeping bag.
Wednesday — School Corridor
The between class locker-corridor crush was underway. A full scale melee of bags, locker doors banging, fur, and tails.
Seb was busy rummaging in his locker trying to find his stellar geography text book; it was as if it had been swallowed by a black hole. The bell rang. After another moment of frenzied searching he found it and he stuffed it in his bag. In his hurry, he neglected to zip his bag properly and unnoticed, his notebook fell out.
The notebook.
Seb hurried off to class.
Sitting at his desk his heart racing, he was relieved he had made it to class in time. A few moments later, Timo joined him at the next desk.
Timo: Seb!
Seb: Oh, hi Timo.
Timo handed Seb the notebook. Seb recognised it immediately and he looked back at Timo in surprise.
Timo: You dropped this in the corridor!
Seb just looked at the notebook and then back at Timo, unsure what to say.
Timo: I didn’t look in it.
Seb blinked a couple of times and swallowed hard.
Seb: Thanks, Timo.
Thanks a lot.
Thursday
Hamish continued to watch over the caterpillar asleep in its sleeping bag. He checked before breakfast and he checked again after school.
Friday – Afternoon
Timo, Toby and Hans had come home in the Hundeerwagons for another weekend stay.
When they arrived at Headwall, Fergus spoke to Timo sternly. It was the same grave warning he had given on all Timo’s visits over winter.
Fergus: You’re still banned from the chicken coop!
Timo: I know, I know!
Lewis took Hans to his hydrology station by the stream. The flow of water was still high at 19 m³/s.
The caterpillar was still sleeping. Hamish checked. Twice.
Saturday
On Saturday morning Grandma Bella was out in the kitchen garden preparing the ground to plant carrots, potatoes, beetroot, peas, spinach, and more lettuces. Harry appeared by her side.
Harry: I can help you plant the garden Grandma. I know about plants, my…
His voice trailed off for just a moment.
…my mum and dad, they— they used to have a big garden with all sorts of vegetables.
But… that was from before.
—You know.
Grandma Bella stopped and leaned her hoe against the pea trellis and she put out her arms and paws to give Harry a hug.
Grandma Bella: Of course you can, Harry. I would be delighted to have your help.
Before long, Harry was busy sowing the first rows. Grandma Bella didn’t need to explain anything, it was clear that he knew what he was doing and they continued working to prepare and sow the rest of the beds.
Toby and Raven were back at the bridge. Again unplanned, but it just seemed to be their natural meeting point.
Raven: There is a stack of wood over by the workshop that Marta and Grandma says I can use to make something.
Toby: You got any ideas?
Raven: Yeah. Some.
Toby: Let’s go look at the wood.
Toby crossed back over the bridge, and they made their way over to where the wood had been stacked. There were all kinds of different wood, some dark, some light and some medium in colour.
Toby: You could laminate them.
Raven: What’s that mean?
Toby: You glue them all together, all the different types and make a pattern.
You could make a table.
Daan had wandered over and had been listening to their conversation.
Daan: Take it from a Red Heeler. The Blue Heeler is right.
Glue, clamps, it’d come out great.
Raven: Wow, would you be able to show me what to do?
Daan: Sure I can. Thought you’d never ask!
Raven, Toby and Daan, then started to pull out lengths of the timber to see what they might need to make the table.
Sunday
Hamish was back watching the caterpillar taking its very long nap in its sleeping bag.
Something started to happen. Very slowly there was a little movement and a little wiggle. Hamish peered even closer, his nose centimetres away from the sleeping caterpillar. The shell then cracked a little with a pop!
Slowly, it crawled out of its bag, but it didn’t look like a caterpillar any more. It hung upside down for a while, and then it began to unfold itself. It had wings! They seemed to pump up like a balloon, growing larger and flatter.
For a long time it just stayed there taking yet another little nap, while its wings dried in the sun.
All this time Hamish just waited and watched.
Someone came up behind him.
Seb: Hey, Hamish. What’ve you been doing all this time?
Hamish: Watching.
Seb: Your caterpillar, it’s turned into a butterfly!
Hamish: A butterfly!
It took a really long nap. Much longer than my naps!
Finally, the butterfly took flight and fluttered around both Hamish and Seb. It came and landed right on Hamish’s nose.
Hamish kept very, very still. The butterfly stayed for a few moments and then flew away.
Hamish: Seb!
It was red!
Screw Pile Developments 