Taupotreeman

I've had a pair of carbons for around 3 years. Snapped one of the pads clean in two when a long rolled on them as I was walking to the next tree. A boat builder did a carbon patch on them and fixed them up good as new. Sent using Arbtalk Mobile App

Give it time. It takes a while for the LJ to get to know the rope and vice versa. Sent using Arbtalk Mobile App

Not sure if you get much of this going on in the UK. Had to do a little bit of trimming as this was moved from one side of town to the other.

Steve, we were over in the US last year and I was surprised by how much fresh food there was available. Heaps of fast food salads and grilled chicken breast, turkey to feed an army and there's also a lot of food trucks about doign healthy alternatives. I don't think you'll be too bad over there to be honest. Theres a few shops popping up now that are health food super markets. We seemed to come across them where ever we went. The bonus of them is that they do food to go such as casseroles, salads, fish pie, curry, stir fry, hot veges and all sorts of wonderful concoctions but most of it is healthy and organic. You can fill a takeaway box and eat it at the in store cafe if you wish with the added bonus that they sell a lot of really off beat beers and ales. Keep your eye out for them as there seems to be quite a few about. I'll get the wife to tell me the name of them (better memory than me) and you can just google their locations. Failing that; you could just indulge for a few days here and there.

What he said. Emails are far too easy to ignore and they probably get heaps of time wasters. They might not have the common decency to reply but in all fairness, if you're that keen you should have the imminent decency to phone them. Sent using Arbtalk Mobile App

Have a look at Davey Tree. They were crying out for workers last year right across the country. Chances are with the bigger outfits that theyre more likely to have quicker way through the whole immigration process.

Taken last night. No storms here. Sent using Arbtalk Mobile App

Funny thing. Got talking to a farmer at his holiday home today. Started off with him telling me how he had turned his farm into an organic crop. Got telling me how Omega 6, sunflower oils, canola oils etc were bad and that animal fats were good so we got talking. 12 years ago he was bed ridden as near as damn it with bad allergies, bleeding bowlers and all sorts of nasties. He went to the quack who told him to get all caveman on it. He ditched all the margarines, sugar, wheat and processed oils and foods and got back to basics. Never had a problem since he reckons. Grows all his own meat (in fact, I'm tapping him up for a pig), reckons sugar is the work of the devil and can't understand why people are hooked on all the low fat, high sugar rubbish. Ended up talking to him for about an hour. He is not on a diet, in fact, he'd hardly heard of Paleo. Just sticks to organic (but not the "shop" organic which he reckons is rubbish) stuff. He's done a heap of research, especially through Massey University, on various healthy farming methods, including a Totara teat spray which he reckons is a better antibiotic than current vet issued stuff. In testing so far it has an almost 100% kill rate on bugs. Also reckons that roundup is a major cause of issues in humans as it degrades the immune system. Needless to say I could repeat for a page or so all the stuff he was telling me but most interesting it was to say the least. Sent using Arbtalk Mobile App

the boys reckoned it was over kill. Sent using Arbtalk Mobile App

Far out Dalton that's a pretty impressive reply. Sent using Arbtalk Mobile App

Mark, the AUS really are better than the Jameson's. I've used both plus the chance hot sticks and the AUS have less bend and are more robust. I haven't read all the posts yet but two poles on Jameson's is ok, more than that and it's difficult to cut thick stuff or even get them up. The AUS poles you can keep adding too. 13 was the most we ever had on along with the same on a second set to hold the cut branch. Sent using Arbtalk Mobile App

Just get on the phone and ring around. Many places don't bother advertising. Sent using Arbtalk Mobile App

Talk to the orange brigade. I think they had some crews working in the area. Sent using Arbtalk Mobile App

I get my jerky from the local butcher. It's just big hunks of thin, lean beef. Very chewy so keeps you going for ages. Not like that stuff from the supermarket; one chew and it's gone. Almond flour should be available in the super market. It doesn't seem to be one of those odd ball ingredients that you have to go to a specialist shop for.

2 1/2 cups almond flour 1 tablespoon cinnamon 2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups carrots, peeled and grated 1 large apple, peeled, cored and grated 1 cup shredded coconut 1 cup raisins 3 large eggs 2 tablespoons honey (optional) 1/2 cup coconut or olive oil 1 teaspoon vanilla Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a standard-sized muffin pan. 2. Combine almond flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add carrot, apple, coconut and raisins and combine well. 3. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, honey, oil and vanilla extract together. 4. Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and mix very well. The batter will be very thick. 5. Spoon the batter out into muffin pan and place on upper or middle rack of your oven for 40-50 minutes. 6. When a toothpick inserted into the top of a muffin comes out clean, the muffins are done. 7. Cool muffins in the pan for 8-10 minutes and then remove to a rack to finish cooling. Hers the other. The wife made these and they're surprisingly good. They taste like bran muffins. Sent using Arbtalk Mobile App

Ingredients 2 cups blanched almond flour ½ cup tapioca starch ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon sea salt ⅓ cup coconut palm sugar ¼ cup pastured butter, room temperature 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract ½ teaspoon pure almond extract 3 large eggs, room temperature ½ cup plain, unsweetened almond milk 1½ cup fresh blueberries (or 1 cup frozen) sliced almonds for garnish (optional) Instructions PREP: Set eggs and butter on counter and bring to room temperature before starting the recipe. Eggs should not feel cold and butter should be completely soft. This usually takes a couple of hours. COOK: Preheat oven to 350F. Line a muffin pan with 10 (or 12 if you want them a bit smaller) muffin liners. Combine almond flour, tapioca starch, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt in a mixing bowl. Use a fork to to mix and crush any almond flour clumps until flour mixture is fine. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a muffin pan with 10 (or 12 if you want them a bit smaller) muffin liners. Combine almond flour, tapioca starch, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt in a mixing bowl. Use a fork to to mix and crush any almond flour clumps until flour mixture is fine. Using a stand or hand mixer, beat palm sugar and butter together until well creamed, about 4 to 5 minutes on medium speed. Add vanilla and almond extracts and eggs. Beat an additional 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed until well combined. Pour flour mixture in and mix to combine. Slowly add almond milk while mixing. Turn off mixer and gently fold in fresh blueberries (see NOTES if using frozen). Divide batter among muffin liners. Bang the bottom of the pan a couple times to make sure there are no air bubbles and muffin batter settles evenly.Top with a sprinkle of sliced almonds and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until tops are starting to brown and toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool in muffin pan for 3 to 5 minutes then transfer to wire cooling rack and completely cool before serving. Here the first one Steve. It's a. Bit full on but if you miss muffins it's worth a crack. I'll try and dig out the other one too. Sent using Arbtalk Mobile App

I've found the sugar part easy. Ben is right; you feel heaps better without. Same as snacking. Surprisingly enough I don't need to snack anywhere near like I did but I keep jerky and cashew nuts on hand for the savoury and grapes and some home made muffins made with almond flower, carrot, apple, sultanas, cinnamon and vanilla, for the sweet side. The only thing I'm really missing is crisps and a glass of wine. I have a cheat day on Sunday but try and keep that healthy anyway. I've probably not lost weight as its only been two weeks but my pants fit me better already as I'd changed my general eating habits just before Xmas, and I don't feel bloated and sluggish any more. Sent using Arbtalk Mobile App

Don't know too much about the roots except that they don't like being disturbed. You can eat the very inner core of the fronds. Tastes like cabbage hence the name. Sent using Arbtalk Mobile App

I'm half pie between the Paleo and the 5:2 diet in that I've cut out all the sugar, completely, and all the wheat and I also do 2 days of low calorie fasting. I have one cheat day which is Sunday in that I allow myself a glass of orange and a couple of pieces of toast at breakfast. The sugar is pretty easy and although I've only been going for a little over two weeks, I don't miss it at all. I sometimes miss bread, especially when the wife does home made soup and has a nice crusty sourdough (Lord knows how I'll cope in San Francisco next year) but in general it's been OK. Still working through what I can and can't eat and a couple of foods, such as rice, that are right on the line between the two. To be honest, even the toast on sunday left me feeling a bit odd. I've also found that Kumara chips are better tasting than normal chips. Chances are that I won't strictly follow either of these diets but more like use them to change my eating habits to cut out the rubbish almost completely.

If you're going to relocate you'll need a decent chunk of the root ball and as little disturbance of the roots as possible.

Looks like a Cabbage Tree - Cordyline australis.

Thanks for this Rich. Got a hold of Mike who was good enough to ring from Norway (I believe) this morning and give me a whole heap of useful info.

Not sure if Riseholme are still doing courses. Worth checking out.

Mario, it was all a blur of big trees for me. I've never seen that many giants in one place and I'm glad you encouraged me to spend some time around there. We drove a few of the roads several times, very much stop start so as to get plenty of photos. Sent using Arbtalk Mobile App

I'm not sure in all honesty. We just kept driving and stopping. We did little side roads here and there but it all became a blur of huge trees. Sent using Arbtalk Mobile App