Just been looking through my records, sorting out timetables for next year.
There's a customer I have who suffers from alcoholism, he's always pleasant with it, but one day I noticed he was just stood there leaning on his stick with his big black fluffy beard whilst I was cutting his grass. (he looked like he had some sort of pet on his face). He waved me over
"are you ok Willy"
"No"
big pause
"it's my knees"
"what are they hurting"
"the doctor won't give me new ones,... and I'm not getting any in the bedroom"
big pause
".....he can't help me with that either"
I sort of uncomfortably try and get back to work
"I'm not enjoying life"
"that's no good Willy, you've got to find something that makes you happy, there must be something"
he dissapeared back into his house with his brandy
he appeared again just a short while later, again a still figure with his face poking through from behind his big fluffy pet beard.
just standing there, he had a bunch of walking sticks, he was leaning on.
I stop again
"I've got three great kids, I'm really proud of...... And four walking sticks"
He had a beaming smile, he turned round and shuffled back into the house.
He appeared again a while later, much happier
"Have you got any pets"
He shouted as he waved at me
"I've got no pets"
"Just your other half then?" he said
"Yes Willy"
The guys a star!!!
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Wet work and new baby biting techniques
That tooths growing fast and grabbing on to anything she puts in her mouth now, the spoon, fingers, books, the cuddly chicken (Barry). Unfortunately she found out about biting your own tongue aswell, whilst chewing on a musical teething thingy. That shocked her a bit, she can reach an unhealthy level of noise too, with her bottom lip sticking out!
The weather is really damp just now. I've had a couple of days off (Monday, Tuesday), should be back in for nearly a full day tomorrow a full day on Thursday and Saturday, so at least I get half a week in.
I really want to get some of these smaller jobs out of the way so I can really get stuck in to the biggys before Christmas.
So the next few days will be a mix of clearances and hedging and waste processing, pretty grim when the weathers like this, but that's the reality of gardening. Enjoy the few weeks of summer while you can because winter is cold damp, miserable and very dirty and usually quite a bit more dangerous, especially when doing work near a roadside (due to low visibility), so high vis waterproof gear is essential for winter.
The weather is really damp just now. I've had a couple of days off (Monday, Tuesday), should be back in for nearly a full day tomorrow a full day on Thursday and Saturday, so at least I get half a week in.
I really want to get some of these smaller jobs out of the way so I can really get stuck in to the biggys before Christmas.
So the next few days will be a mix of clearances and hedging and waste processing, pretty grim when the weathers like this, but that's the reality of gardening. Enjoy the few weeks of summer while you can because winter is cold damp, miserable and very dirty and usually quite a bit more dangerous, especially when doing work near a roadside (due to low visibility), so high vis waterproof gear is essential for winter.
Saturday, 21 November 2009
Head Butted In the Knee by a Dead Deer
I have the bruise to prove it. I was strimming the banks for a neighbour, when I felt a sharp thwack on the leg.
Four months ago he had been on about a roe deer that was visiting his garden, nibbling his plants and shrubs, pooing and weeing on his lawn, had killed one of his apple trees and was generally causing problems. He was having headaches and sleepless nights over it. He'd grit his teeth slightly when talking about the deer. Man was he upset!
"He thinks he's found a place where he can just slob about and have a free meal at my expense, well I'm going to wait up at night and shoot him and when I do I'm going to hang his head from that tree".
I believed him that he'd try and shoot him, but I thought the hanging his head was just a bit of angry talk, I didn't think he'd actually do it!
Next time I went round there was the deers head, up in the tree, quietly surveying the whole garden as it rocked from side to side, kept company by a few flies.
I know what you're probably thinking, 'there's something really disturbing about it all'.
But the thing is the guy who did it is a really nice bloke, but you know, I would never ever take a pee in his garden!
Today I was strimming a bank way up high near the edge of a steep drop and the tree where the deers head used to be, that had all been forgotten about until crunch, a large object caught me by surprise just below the knee cap.
The strimmer head, (the bit that spins really fast) had got tangled with the end of a bit of rope on the ground, the other end of the bit of rope span around at speed, ...with the head, which was now part of a sinister game of swingball ................and my leg lost.
I told him what had happened and he just said in disbelief
"no way, it's still a nuisance"
Four months ago he had been on about a roe deer that was visiting his garden, nibbling his plants and shrubs, pooing and weeing on his lawn, had killed one of his apple trees and was generally causing problems. He was having headaches and sleepless nights over it. He'd grit his teeth slightly when talking about the deer. Man was he upset!
"He thinks he's found a place where he can just slob about and have a free meal at my expense, well I'm going to wait up at night and shoot him and when I do I'm going to hang his head from that tree".
I believed him that he'd try and shoot him, but I thought the hanging his head was just a bit of angry talk, I didn't think he'd actually do it!
Next time I went round there was the deers head, up in the tree, quietly surveying the whole garden as it rocked from side to side, kept company by a few flies.
I know what you're probably thinking, 'there's something really disturbing about it all'.
But the thing is the guy who did it is a really nice bloke, but you know, I would never ever take a pee in his garden!
Today I was strimming a bank way up high near the edge of a steep drop and the tree where the deers head used to be, that had all been forgotten about until crunch, a large object caught me by surprise just below the knee cap.
The strimmer head, (the bit that spins really fast) had got tangled with the end of a bit of rope on the ground, the other end of the bit of rope span around at speed, ...with the head, which was now part of a sinister game of swingball ................and my leg lost.
I told him what had happened and he just said in disbelief
"no way, it's still a nuisance"
Friday, 20 November 2009
Fully booked now till March when the regular grass and weed season starts again. So that's winter sorted out. I'm having a couple of bevvies to celebrate. I could probably squeeze in a few more if I get someone to work with me for a couple of weeks.
The biggest problem at this time of year is daylight hours. To get an 8 hour day you need to be on site for 8 as it's lighting up, and packing away at 4pm whilst you can still see your tools.
I thought I'd eaten enough carrots today to give working in the dark a shot, but a sharp whack in the eye from a twig in the shadows, made me stick my bottom lip out and take my ball in.
I need to give another quote for a lady who wants more trellis, posts, stumps removed, etc, (I have a list)
I got the quote for the hedge and low maintenance border I mentioned the other day. My girlfriends very pleased.
I've said to her that she can be a full time mum now if she wants.
Little girl has started making clacking and tutting noises with her gums and lips. She sounds like she's adjusting a set of false teeth, heehehe, a few more years yet!!!
The biggest problem at this time of year is daylight hours. To get an 8 hour day you need to be on site for 8 as it's lighting up, and packing away at 4pm whilst you can still see your tools.
I thought I'd eaten enough carrots today to give working in the dark a shot, but a sharp whack in the eye from a twig in the shadows, made me stick my bottom lip out and take my ball in.
I need to give another quote for a lady who wants more trellis, posts, stumps removed, etc, (I have a list)
I got the quote for the hedge and low maintenance border I mentioned the other day. My girlfriends very pleased.
I've said to her that she can be a full time mum now if she wants.
Little girl has started making clacking and tutting noises with her gums and lips. She sounds like she's adjusting a set of false teeth, heehehe, a few more years yet!!!
Wear safety gear
Ok so today's review isn't a machine. It's not, strictly speaking a review either. It's simply a reminder.
No matter how good our tools are they mean little, if nothing, without considering personal safety.
I quite often wear a safety helmet with visor and goggles, when hedge trimming, strimming, using chainsaw, pole saw, long reach hedge trimmers and sometimes even the old cylinder mower.
I was walking through thick scrub today with the ladders, helmet on and visor down when a sharp thwack caught me in the face, across the visor, leaving a dint, reminded me how easy it is to pick up an injury.
Later on today, whilst feeding the chipper I was caught again in the face. This time I wasn't so lucky and I didn't have my helmet goggles or visor. I am still nursing a very sore left eyeball which has blurred vision and is sending a shooting pain across my forehead.
Lesson 1. BE LUCKY - wear safety gear
I used to be foreman for a contracting firm, and this lad never listened to anyone about wearing safety goggles, by rights the manager should have sacked him. One day he sent a stone through the windscreen of a BMW, and even then he didn't twig that he could loose his sight by using a strimmer.
So I gave him a lift home one day and spoke to him about what he was going to do that night, who he was going to see, where he was going for the weekend etc. He mentioned his girlfriend a lot!!!
Bingo. I knew I could stop him from blinding himself.
"you do realise that if you don't put them *****kin safety specs on you're girlfriends going to wake up one day and say to herself, ""I'm lay in bed next to a one eyed yorkshire pudding, I'm off"" and then she'll leave you and never come back"
amazingly it worked and I still cringe for having to use such insensitive tactics.
Sorry dude, I hope you still have both eyes though.
No matter how good our tools are they mean little, if nothing, without considering personal safety.
I quite often wear a safety helmet with visor and goggles, when hedge trimming, strimming, using chainsaw, pole saw, long reach hedge trimmers and sometimes even the old cylinder mower.
I was walking through thick scrub today with the ladders, helmet on and visor down when a sharp thwack caught me in the face, across the visor, leaving a dint, reminded me how easy it is to pick up an injury.
Later on today, whilst feeding the chipper I was caught again in the face. This time I wasn't so lucky and I didn't have my helmet goggles or visor. I am still nursing a very sore left eyeball which has blurred vision and is sending a shooting pain across my forehead.
Lesson 1. BE LUCKY - wear safety gear
I used to be foreman for a contracting firm, and this lad never listened to anyone about wearing safety goggles, by rights the manager should have sacked him. One day he sent a stone through the windscreen of a BMW, and even then he didn't twig that he could loose his sight by using a strimmer.
So I gave him a lift home one day and spoke to him about what he was going to do that night, who he was going to see, where he was going for the weekend etc. He mentioned his girlfriend a lot!!!
Bingo. I knew I could stop him from blinding himself.
"you do realise that if you don't put them *****kin safety specs on you're girlfriends going to wake up one day and say to herself, ""I'm lay in bed next to a one eyed yorkshire pudding, I'm off"" and then she'll leave you and never come back"
amazingly it worked and I still cringe for having to use such insensitive tactics.
Sorry dude, I hope you still have both eyes though.
Thursday, 19 November 2009
Stihl HT 75, pole saw
Stihl HT 75 is the long reach pole saw I currently use. It is tough, reliable and saves countless hours by reaching places that only climbers or ladders can reach. At full stretch it measures 11.5ft. So an average man can reach 6ft plus 11.5ft = 17.5ft or 18ft on your tippy toes!
There are newer models available now like the HT131 which is an extra 1.5ft in length.
I honestly can't fault this machine, I've had a struggle to find criticisms of it....(To read more click here.)
Finally finished that hedge today. Pulled something in my back doing it, it feels like it's cramping up constantly. There's a lot of waste come off that job and I'm going to have to start processing it soon because there's an even bigger hedge to do in December.
There's a good customer around the corner who's been asking me to strim his banks for a while now. His wife wants to plant daffodils in amongst the trees on the banks, it will look really good. There's 2000 bulbs on order, which sounds a lot more than it actually looks.
I did an hour and a bit for him at the end of the day, just until the fog came in steaming my goggles up in the fading light.
I'll finish the rest on Saturday and then get some more topsoil off him for another customers lawn extension.
Little one puked today whilst eating her dinner. A full blown puke! It didn't bother her in the slightest, she just carried on had a drink of water, then apple puree and baby rice again!!!
There's a good customer around the corner who's been asking me to strim his banks for a while now. His wife wants to plant daffodils in amongst the trees on the banks, it will look really good. There's 2000 bulbs on order, which sounds a lot more than it actually looks.
I did an hour and a bit for him at the end of the day, just until the fog came in steaming my goggles up in the fading light.
I'll finish the rest on Saturday and then get some more topsoil off him for another customers lawn extension.
Little one puked today whilst eating her dinner. A full blown puke! It didn't bother her in the slightest, she just carried on had a drink of water, then apple puree and baby rice again!!!
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