© Connie Gayer
Five times a day Peter ran training sessions. It would have been quicker to get in the earthworks man. ” Why pay when I can do it? ” Peter said. Yes, he’s done it. Only six years after we moved to this god-forsaken drought prone place with the red clay soil, the wire finally reached the connection box.
“What are you going to do with them now?”
“You wanted a garden didn’t you. The worms’ll work the soil like I’ve trained them to do and you’ll have a garden in no time.”
“No time? I don’t think I’ve got another six years.”
In response to the photo prompt kindly provided by Connie Gayer (Mrs Russell) and the hosting by Rochelle who invites us to write a flash of no more than 100 words and link up via the blue frog on her site. If you don’t want to write have a read as there is always a varied talented selection to read.
About Irene Waters 19 Writer Memoirist
I began my working career as a reluctant potato peeler whilst waiting to commence my training as a student nurse. On completion I worked mainly in intensive care/coronary care; finishing my hospital career as clinical nurse educator in intensive care. A life changing period as a resort owner/manager on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu was followed by recovery time as a farmer at Bucca Wauka. Having discovered I was no farmer and vowing never again to own an animal bigger than myself I took on the Barrington General Store. Here we also ran a five star restaurant. Working the shop of a day 7am - 6pm followed by the restaurant until late was surprisingly more stressful than Tanna. On the sale we decided to retire and renovate our house with the help of a builder friend. Now believing we knew everything about building we set to constructing our own house. Just finished a coal mine decided to set up in our backyard. Definitely time to retire we moved to Queensland. I had been writing a manuscript for some time. In the desire to complete this I enrolled in a post grad certificate in creative Industries which I completed 2013. I followed this by doing a Master of Arts by research graduating in 2017. Now I live to write and write to live.
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
I love that you turned the photo to give us another perspective.
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It felt wrong to me and put my sense of balance out. I’m happier with it in this direction.
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Those look like pretty strong earth worms. I think they can do it in under 6 years easy.
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They should be able to but the problem is that their lives are short , so he has to train a new lot to dig a tunnel in a straight line to get the wire through and rather than burrowing through vegetable scraps they have horrible compacted clay to deal with.
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The man and worms both have a lot of patience. 🙂
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Wow… that would be a long time to wait for a garden!! Good job! 🙂
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In that soil it would take probably nearly that long anyway and a lot of back breaking work.
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They must be some heavy duty worms! Very entertaining story – what a novel idea.
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They’d need to be to get through that clay.
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I like a worm with a bit of muscle. Well… a lot of muscle, looking at that soil. Nice one!
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Yes – they need to eat their spinnach to get through that lot.
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LOL! Don’t you just hate when they say ‘it’ll be done in no time’.
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And you know you are going to be required to assist.
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Oh I know! Getting “a round toit” is often difficult for people who can!
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LOL
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Oh I know those six years… 😛 Love it….
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Thanks Sherri.
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Clever idea, Irene, well done.
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Thank you kindly.
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Dear Irene,
Robotic earthworms? Clever.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you Rochelle. Cheers Irene
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Training earthworms must be interesting work. I suppose he gives them little treats when they perform a task correctly. Look out Barnum & Bailey, here we come!
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Positive reinforcement works for most creatures. Now that will be an act the circus couldn’t refuse – although I think it will have to be in a tent close-up unless they supply binoculars to all attendees.
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I dig it… 🙂
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I’ll let Peter know in case he needs a worm substitute.
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Earth worms, what a unique take on the prompt. And all I can say is: compost. (If you have sometihing to make it from).
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I have the opposite problem here. I have sand, hundreds of worms and yes compost is the way to go here as well.
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Where can I get some of those clay-chomping trainable earthworms? Maybe they can chase off gophers! Fun take on the prompt!
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You don’t have time to do the training Charli but as gopher chasers you might save your veggies.
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What a unique take. That would be a long time to wait for a garden, but maybe it would be worth it.
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Certainly would be worth the wait – clay is so fertile if you can just make it friable but years is a long time.
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Trained worms, that’s a new one on me, lol
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A lot of patience is needed to do it.
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LOL..I would imagine so!
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