Had to get up and put out the breakfast and sandwich-making materials for everyone this morning, and then, in the evening, prepare them all dinner. And after both materials, wash all the dishes. Not a bad chore - one supervisor and two others share the burden. Thursday's salad day, so we didn't even have pots and pans to clean this time. Most of our meals provide simple fare, but by no means balance anything, although over the course of the week they're getting us all the major food groups. Last night was meatfest, with two burgers and a sausage for each person.

Still assigned to Trench 8, both yesterday and today, which meant moving a great deal of earth, one shovel- or bucket-full at a time, then handing the filled buckets up over our heads to someone to carry away. We switch out on each role. We've dug down deep enough now to generate concern of trench collapse, so yesterday we shored up the sides with sheets of plywood and adjustable metal poles to make the sides press against each other. We have to wear hardhats now, when down in the trench.

Yesterday started cool and misty like the two days before, but ended sunny, which continued today, making it rather warm work to move all that earth manually. This part of the project is by no means glamourous, however even down in the fun area, the Bowl Hole (where the skeletons have been found), they are moving a sand dune before they can get to the archaeology. By the time I'm allowed to excavate down there, they will be into the interesting stuff.

Last night after dinner we had some group activities: Musical Statues and Musical Drop-Flat-When-the-Music-Stops, plus a game of Rounders and some Frisbie, arm-wrestling, etc. By the end of the project my upper body strength may be enough to win a grudge match against one of the supers who bested me only after a valiant attempt at the arm wrestling.


Panorama of castle walls from outside