End of 2020 into 2021

 

It ended in Tiers but maybe the next year will be a winner!

 

Before the ' unusual ' 2020 faded away we ...

 

... got back to one of my favourite things a Walnut tree jobbie with Robbie aka New Forest Rob. This one a few miles from the Summer 2019 Salisbury tree was steered to me by Paul Frampton.

 

Frampers who has grown his furniture making business in a very few full on years is relocating to Wales so it's about time he returned all the favours I've given him!

 

Volume wise it wasn't one of the best ...

 

... but the colour and figure was good and Una the owners daughter couldn't have been more helpful which really helps make the day. This was the 22nd tree we have done together over 10 years & we are getting slick at doing minimum cuts on site.

 

This is totally due to Rob's skills developing the original billy basic alaskan mill a crude frame around a chainsaw worked off a ladder into the all singing Panther mill with quality cutting rails as shown below where even small bits can be milled.

 

 

It was a grim day weather wise and Rob looked like the grim reaper !

 

Every morning, the CEO of a large bank in New York ...

 

... gets his shoes shined at the same place. One morning the shiner asks How's the stock market?”

The Director asks arrogantly, “Why are you so interested in that topic?”

 

"I have a million dollars in your bank," the shoeshine says, "and I'm considering investing in the capital market."What your name?”, asks the Director. - “John H Smith.”

 

“Do we have a client named John H Smith?” ...

 

...“Certainly,” answers the Customer Service Manager, “he is a highly esteemed customer. He has a million dollars in his account.” The next day the CEO asks him to tell his life story to his board and the shoe shiner agrees.

 

I came to this country 50 years ago, I changed my name but couldn't get a job. I was hungry and exhausted. Suddenly I found a coin on the sidewalk. I bought an apple. I had two options: eat the apple and quench my hunger or start a business. I sold the apple for two dollars and bought two apples with the money. I also sold them and continued in business.

 

When I started accumulating dollars ...

 

... I was able to buy a set of used brushes and shoe polish and started polishing shoes. I didn't spend a penny on entertainment or clothing, I just bought bread and some cheese to survive. I saved penny by penny and after a while, I bought a new set of shoe brushes and ointments in different shades and expanded my clientele.

 

I lived like a monk and saved penny by penny. After a while I was able to buy an armchair so that my clients could sit comfortably while cleaning their shoes, and that brought me more clients.

 

I did not spend a penny on the joys of life ....

 

... I kept saving every penny. A few years ago, when the previous shoe shine on this pitch decided to retire, I had already saved enough money to buy his shoeshine location at this great place. Finally, three months ago, my sister, who was a whore in Chicago, passed away and left me a million dollars.”

 

I have four sisters ...

 

... though as far as I know none are on the game so I'll have to rely on you dear reader to come and buy my wares to make me a millionare - if you can't be bothered to come then I really don't mind if you leave it to me!

 

With Ash die back starting to ...

 

... to take a toil on the Ash saplings in the Woods we took a break from preparing stock to thin out the sickest ones. Rather than just blat everything in sight where there are Maple saplings amongst them we carefully felled around them in the hope that they will thrive with extra light as the Ash grows quicker and presumably sucks up most of the rainwater.

 

Whilst they are not very thick girth wise, averaging about 6" they are 30 + foot tall and getting them to fall where you want them takes a bit of skill but Tuesday Dave is pretty good.

 

A big benefit of over 20 years ...

 

... dabbling with The Woods is the quality of your contacts book. The vast majority of the first people I turn to for help have been added to in the last ten years but one of my most valued - Paul the Tractor has been sorting my tractor needs since the early days and I hope he lasts at least as long as I do!

 

Doris the tractor is the second from Paul the first being a 1970 Ford 4000 that did pretty much everything I needed but Doris is younger and sexier and has been with me coming up to 10 years with no issues other than a battery and oil changes.

 

Recently the power steering pump has ...

 

... been leaking and making manoevering with a heavy log hanging off the front a ball ache. But, no longer dear reader as the old maestro has worked his magic, installed a new pump and serviced the system and it's better than new.

 

When not doing his main job as Father Christmas Paul has been bringing me gifts and sorting all my problems for much below the market price for nearly 20 years ho ho ho - cheers Paulsie

One of the projects for 2021 ...

 

... is to create a little fenced in kids camp to be called Camp David after one of my aforementioned skin and blister's late husband. Tuesday Dave and Sensible Steve were the leading lights in clearing the site from mostly fir and overgrown hazel - lot more work than it looks - about 5 four hour session with bonfires to clear the brushwood.

 

The next stage needed Smackers ...

 

... and his tractor with a powerful fence post bashing attachment on the back. Smackers aka John is one of the peeps who if he says he'll do it, he does so doesn't need a lot of chasing to get him there ... which is nice change from others I shan't mention!

 

Tuesday Dave and Smackers above soon had the ordinary fence posts and the more tricky 4 x 4 oak ones for the front in and straight ... more of this next time.

Over the years I have been asked ...

 

... many times for end sliced table decorations favoured by a surprising large number of impending brides or bridezillas who have been working on the fine details of their wedding day since the age of 8 as an average and a bit longer for the even more obsessive.

 

I have always politely declined for two reasons. The first was that I was rubbish at cutting even slices with a chainsaw and secondly that there is a v good chance as they dry they will split and I didn't want the wrath of a woman who blames me for her special day not being perfect.

 

When I was young and foolish I asked some girls ...

 

... why if all brides were beautiful were there so many ugley wives about? The quite good answer was that their husbands stopped loving them but I suspect that it is the call of the fridge and other reasons but I keep them to myself!

 

Anyway, Dave sorted out a jig for doing them on the bandsaw so when one of my nieces getting hitched in 2022 put in a request I thought I'd have a go.

 

 

Tuesday Dave put in a good shift in sub zero temperature to produce in a range of sizes some Monkey puzzle, Walnut and Pear rings.