In Desperate times...My Silky saves the day!

[silky fox]

Next week mate!....Tis Mecca! okay...photos later...leaving my final long travel now...best ever holiday...

[Old Mill Tree Care]

Home from Kew now and my cubs are in bed, thank god!

 

What a great day!! Kew is a truly special place for any discerning tree boffin. There are some magnificent trees, well they all are, but if you look closely there's some real gems.

 

I managed to walk round a quarter of it but probably only saw a quarter of where we walked. I really need another two days without the family.

I see why you wan to work there Silky.

 

Chaps, if you haven't been, GO THERE!

[Marc Lewis]

Just had a fantastic weekend with silky who came down to dorset to help me with a job on the saturday. We had a multi stemmed ash to section and rig and a poplar to crown raise. All went well and silky's work ethic is brilliant, always finding the simplest and quickest way to do things. For anyone needing an extra pair of hands, i cannot reccomend paul highly enough and look forward to the next time we get the opportunity to work together. Work complete and so it was to the antelope inn for an evening of beer tasting sampling many of the local ales and cider the pub had to offer! I am sure silky will be posting the pics v soon. I look forward to our next meeting, perhaps a guided tour through kew gardens. Cheers paul

[silky fox]

Old Mill..i,ll meet you next time you,re going to Kew.In the meantime...Just got home and sat down at my desk to continue the Fox,s tale.This will be my last Long distance journey for a few weeks...i,m tired and have achieved what i set out to do...this was the most satisfying episode for the travelling Arborist..I get on very well with Marc Lewis and it,s like i,ve known him all my life even though we have met only once by chance and he promised to give me a days work and i turned up yesterday to help him. The journey down was lovely...blue sky and beautiful scenery through the train window...The job was in the grounds of a Rectory near Gillingham, Dorset..it was a Fair sized Ash tree to dismantle..Marc would climb it,his young Apprentice would lower it and i would sned,chip and ring up the timber..No plan was discussed..wasn,t nesessary..i knew what he was doing and visa versa..Went like clockwork...Marc literally ran around the tree..rigged it all off(Buildings underneath) and when he came down it was all gone:thumbup: i have to say ,Marc is a real climbing machine! and if anyone requires a very competant quick climber,he,s your man:thumbup1:

[silky fox]

Job done,we packed up and drove to meet sculptor and best mate of Marcs,Jamie...now this Guy is REALLY talented when it comes to wood sculpture and as it happens house restoration...the cottage was little more than a delapidated wreck when he bought it and now restored it is quite simply the MOST beautiful house i have ever seen! inside especially...and he was building a second house alondside it...i,ve never met such a talented person like Jamie when it comes to design and immagination and a great bloke to boot:thumbup1:

[silky fox]

We would return later to "The Antelope" for some refreshment that night! Drove to Marc,s house, met his Wonderful Wife Sarah:biggrin:..had a shower and Jacket Potato,s with beef and melted cheese:001_smile: clean and fed me and my new mate hit the road...took with us three kinds of cider including "Thatchers Gold" and a couple of Scrumpys..when we got to Jamie,s house and got out i couldn,t believe my eyes...it is so dark compared to London...the sky was full of thousands of bright stars and even the milky way was clearly visible! short walk to the pub...no signal for the next several hours and saw only two cars pass outside the pub...right out in the sticks...enjoyed several beers with Marc his mum and his Dad...Couple of "Tributes" nice drop...Apple Rattler....even better and my fave of which i,ve taken a picture...A great GREAT night!!! My sides hurt from laughing:lol: so happy:001_smile: Don,t remember leaving the pub..or..walking across the field to Jamies either..

[silky fox]

Woke up with no idea where i was...:confused1: all i could see were huge ,thick old Beams above me...limed walls several inches thick...small alcoves...pictures of Sublime torso,s carved in wood...almost lifelike:thumbup: then i remembered:001_rolleyes: i was in the rennovated cottage! i have seen million pound homes in Chelsea,Richmond and Kingston but nothing quite as beautiful and organic as this dwelling i could see all around me....BREATHTAKING attention to detail and just lashings of huge peices of wood everywhere.....Outstanding...enjoyed bacon and sausage butties supplied by Jamie,s missus coffee then we said our goodbyes and head off to spend the day with Marc,s wonderful familly...:thumbup: Pictures to follow...just got to make a coffee and some pea and ham soup before the final installment .......back in a Mo! Don,t go away:001_rolleyes:

Edited October 7, 2012 by silky fox

[mendiplogs]

Woke up with no idea where i was...:confused1: all i could see were huge ,thick old Beams above me...limed walls several inches thick...small alcoves...pictures of Sublime torso,s carved in wood...almost lifelike:thumbup: then i remembered:001_rolleyes: i was in the rennovated cottage! i have seen million pound homes in Chelsea,Richmond and Kingston but nothing quite as beautiful and organic as this dwelling i could see all around me....BREATHTAKING attention to detail and just lashings of huge peices of wood everywhere.....Outstanding...enjoyed bacon and sausage butties supplied by Jamie,s missus coffee then we said our goodbyes and head off to spend the day with Marc,s wonderful familly...:thumbup: Pictures to follow...just got to make a coffee and some pea and ham soup before the final installment .......back in a Mo! Don,t go away:001_rolleyes:

 

HI PAUL thats marc wife kids jon

[silky fox]

Hey Big Jon! yes it,s the Lewis family and they made me feel right at home and were delightful company today! i,m just doing some munchies as a midnight snack as i am having a lie in Tommorow and a day in Kew...Tired mate....wait till you see the pictures from today...you and Ranger Matt were missed last night....brought some bicycle clips for you both! :lol:

[silky fox]

Spent today with Marc and his tribe at a place near Gillingham..i can,t remember it,s name but it,s famous for it,s Trees,land and follys and with a remarkable "Grotto" which contains a Spring from which begins the River "Stower"?? (Have i spelt that right?) begins!!.as i had drank my bottle of Dog(Newcastle brown ale) i had an empty vessel to try some of this enchanted water:001_rolleyes:.i shall just put a few of the pictures up and say that it Made my visit complete...Astonishing 400 year old sweet chestnuts..one showing some sort of Phoenix regeneration...a HUGE Cypruss made up of many HUGE Boughs. A Massive tulip tree...Some very very VERY tall trees and armed with a couple of bottles of Newcastle brown ale some Tuna and onion sarnies and some Chardonnay for Sarah me and marc put on our Airstreams and with the prospect of Meeting some Remarkable trees, these two Arboricultural Amigo,s entered a wonderful world:001_smile::001_smile: Thanks Marc ,Sarah,Sonny and of course the ever inquisitive Harper! Friends for life....See you soon Marc! Awsome time:001_smile:

Edited October 8, 2012 by silky fox