Zenfordinner

Aesculus, you forgot the s.

Good saying.

Ha ha ha, excellent! I like your wife already!

Indeed!

Oh dear. There is no accounting for some people. The whole election process in America perturbs me.

Chuckle!

That is awful.

Also, that the structural integrity of the trees may be compromised.

what if the decaying detritus is part of the tree? In the sense that often such organisms arise due to decay in the tree from another source.

Most of the subbies we use do not have their own insurance. You are correct, as far as I understand, they would be classed as employees if claim arose.

Good, glad to hear it! Well done.

My pleasure, and much obliged. Are you still alive to tell the tale?

We have a husky stump grinder that is only a few inches wider than a lawnmower, so it can go just about anywhere. the draw back is that it can only go so deep before it cuts out, like a lawnmower when tilted. ideally, we would not want to take it out for less than £50. We always price for size, based on time really, we take all arisings gained except for the back fill of hole so no one falls or trips into hole. Easily earns its money, does well with domestic clients who have small garden and want to replant in same area. Also, bonus that there apears to be few in use around these parts, so it brings in work from franchises with bigger machines that are restricted by access.

My favourites to burn in open fire: Beech Oak Ash Yew Hornbeam, Holly, Birch, Hawthorn Willow good if bone dry Love Pine and Conifers for light, and kindling (cypress smells lovely, as do false Cedars, and cedar, of course Love wood Robinia burns well, too, and gives that delicate pea smell Walnut pleasant, not hot though Apple and Pear good, too Least favourite: Poplar, as unless is it drier than a dry thing it smells like a dirty wet dog!

We had some Sweet Chestnut a few winters ago, bugger to split, albeit this one was full of knots. Burnt well with a gentle sweet smell, do not remember it being particularly hot though. We felled a horse Chestnut end of autumn and a gent took all the wood away to burn on his open fire, says it burns fine and he likes it, he is not particular with wood.

If I was going to tackle dismantling a collection of windthrown trees, I would make sure that I fully understood, both practically and theroetically, the dynamics of compression and tension, in wood, from every conceivable angle, and know it verbatim without having to think about it for a second. Then, I would consider carefully the site, from a wide angle, try and see the story or pattern of the windthrow; zooming in until I was touching the trees, looking closely at rootplates, fractures, leans, massive energy waiting to explode with a force strong enough to kill a man instantly, trap him painfully, or sever limbs in a split second. Once satisfied I was compentant to dismantle this puzzle, I would plan my movements, assisted by my thorough understanding of practicle physics, armed with knowing all about forces, masses, fulcrums, leverage, pivots, stored energy... the world of practical physics hardwired into my head. Then I would organise all the kit required, make sure the chains were sticky sharp, that I had saws full of oil and two stroke. Drop zones in order, spot on with boring, cool for kickbacksyou name it- ready to go. A strategic plan, as familiar as the back of my hand,yes indeed. Including plan B.B for back up, in case it goes tits up. Then I would have a chat with Creator, acknowledge this example of the power and magnitude, a result of Nature tossing her head; and ask, respectfully, to undo this knot, safely and with care, for trees I do love, and Nature is the beatuiful one, so how can one resist offering to comb her tangles? Upon making the first cut (long in the deciding- back in the formulating a plan stage) and nothing unexpected happening, with the fire of an arborist in my veins, I would be grateful and dance the dance. Only when I had completely finished, and was at home snuggling up to a cup of coffee, would I think quietly to myself, 'who's your mamma!' The crux? If you are going to do it, do it like you mean to, and do not underestimate your enemy (to be dramatic), nor the potential for harm to yourself and any others present. If you do undertake the challenge tempting you, or chance at a bargain, and you manage to pull it off sucessfully, and split it for use in your fireplace, store it whislt it dries, and finally warm yourself and your family with the woods, you will love that wood, its smell, its light, because you will have worked your arse off for it. Of course, I would endeavour to talk my self out of actually doing it. If I (in all honesty) knew nothing, or even a little, about trees, or working with trees I would not undertake dismantling a wind throw, would not even consider it as a possiblility; even in an emergency situation, not unless I knew exactly what I was doing. Even then all manner of unwanted things can and do happen. There are no such things as shortcuts, and many a bargain is a costly bargain in hindsight. That is all I have to say about that.

Looking at your photos took me back three years to a similar job, what a nightmare day that was! I was not on fire that morning, we had lost a day to winds, the slope was a bugger for getting the chipper in a decent position (we didn't have 4x4 then). What a blur: one minute the deck was clear, the next, it was raining Conifer; my partner was climbing like a madman, felling them like dominos, stacking them up a neatly. I did not get a look in! The chipper was at the wrong end, how DID that happen? (that it really was a steep slope was no consolation) I had torn a muscle in my left forearm about a month and a half beforehand, which seized up, the chipper then threw a wobbly and I so wanted to be doing something lovely! We finished in time though, and a few days later all was forgotten. But what a 'mare.

Militant Tony! :

Ha ha! First thing to make me laugh today! Good line!

What a lovely collection of tractors

We wondered how registering for VAT would affect our business, turns out that it was not a major impact, and probably works out in the wash. We have had work our way from businesses that prefer to use VAT reg. company, most of our domestic clients, who are mainly repeat & recommendations, will pay the VAT without much ado. Of course, there are always people who want to pay pennies, then it does not matter if you charge VAT or not.

Whereabouts are you? We have plenty of cordwood but you would need to pick it up from outside of Hitchin, Hertfordshire (about three miles from A1). Not quite giving it away, but close.

Well done! Nice to see a lady doing tree work, you looked comfortable and in command of the situation. Next time will be a little quicker and then, shortly, you will be speedy gonzales! Good luck to you.

Compost them!

We put approximately before percentage on reductions, or between approximately 10-15% or a maximum of x%. Our written quotations go out with almost a page of blurb, added on some for excessive wear and tear (metal in trees) and stump grinding operations, as we had a few clients who, after we ground out the stump, lowered the ground level then claimed we had not gone deep enough. The blurb for stump grinding with pedestrian grinder explains depth cut out.