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bjam1964

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Everything posted by bjam1964

  1. bjam1964
    I run both the Stihl and Echo top handled saws. The Stihl is marginally more powerful, the Echo is lighter with a quirky handle. I have replaced the handle on the Echo twice - easy to do and not expensive. It might have been redesigned by now as my saw is over 5 years old. I rate it and good price as well.
  2. bjam1964

    Hand cream

    bjam1964 replied to bjam1964's topic in The Lounge

    That looks really good - can buy it on Amazon - thanks.
  3. bjam1964

    Hand cream

    bjam1964 posted a topic in The Lounge

    Hi, I can't believe I am starting this thread but it is serious in a sort of female relationship kind of way So here goes - it's the not so delicate subject of rough hands. I love mine - like a pair of thick leather gloves but her indoors dislikes them. When out socially I often find myself subconciously hiding them from view. Worst of all though the hands crack in the winter leaving things rather sore. so here is the question: what hand cream, if any, do you use? I have Neutrogena Norwegian Formula but not sure if it's the best?
  4. bjam1964
    Err, dead fence posts - well seasoned!
  5. bjam1964
    This thread makes typical reading for the log business. Our customers come and go but there is a band of loyal people who always come back for more year after year. A delivery recently was rejected because the ladies fire had a 6" hearth and my logs were 12"! We took them back and cut them in half and returned an hour later. Our reward was no coffee, a cheque and an expectation to stack all the small logs neatly in her garage. Another customer visited to look at our logs and decided that the best logs were the fragrant ones. We explained that they were conifer logs but it made no difference. We now have a regular delivery of Leylandii logs at premium prices - amazing! If anyone kicks off we collect and refund immediately - it's there loss even if they are trying it on which makes it all the more satisfying.
  6. bjam1964
    Turning 46 next week and still loving the climbing. It takes a little longer to get going on a cold morning, plenty of stretching, but, once up the tree, the 22 years experience takes over and any aches and pains are forgotten. Two things I have noticed of late: 1. After a hard days climbing I seem to suffer a lot of leg cramp. Not all of the time but it is related? 2. Sometimes have to resort to lifting my own leg with my hands up onto branches that once upon a time my leg would reach on its own:laugh1: I consider myself very lucky to be able to climb and long may it last.
  7. bjam1964
    To compensate for local area competition simply monitor your quotation success rate. Aim for around 75 - 80%. If you are lower then your local market will not sustain your day rate and the competition is cheaper. If you are a lot higher then your pricing is probably too cheap. If you are able to make a profit and grow your business with a 75-80% success rate on quotations then you are doing the right thing and will stay in business. All of the above does not apply to what I call "Yellow Pages" customers. The majority tend to look for the cheapest price and will call in 4-5 local companies wasting a lot of peoples time. The best thing to do is to master the skill of weeding out the time wasters on the phone and master the art of repeat business through word of mouth advertising. If you have been highly recommended price is rarely the issue and your business can grow quite nicely.
  8. bjam1964
    The older guys are highly experienced and walking history books - there is a huge amount of information and attitude that youngsters can gain from the older worker. Not all youngsters are suitable for their chosen careers or fit in as well. The staff reduction should be balanced via historical working evidence and suitability for the roles understaken. The older worker is also very vulnerable with a low chance of retraining or re-employment. Its a shame this has to happen at all but difficult decisions have to be made in business. To loose all of the older staff in one go does not seem a balanced way of doing things.
  9. bjam1964
    Oregon Super Saw Chain Oil - £35.00 for 25 litres - excellent.
  10. bjam1964
    Some staff in various government Quangos (no names no pack drill) that we sub for actually ask when and what we will be buying them for a sweetener I find it disconcerting and puts us between a rock and a hard place. If I don't sweeten someone else will and pocket the contracts. Do I choose to loose out on principal - sometimes yes, other times no I service a lot of contract gardeners - they are worth keeping on side as a lot of work comes my way from them. I generally pay them a finders fee (£50 or so). This is usually added to the bill so not any worse off.
  11. bjam1964
    Stumbled across a few more fungi today - sorry but not had time to look them up. The first two show a very pink fungi. The third picture was growing in a railway sleeper! The last in the middle of the lawn where we were working. Its amazing, once you start looking they are everywhere - literally under your feet. Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I do taking them.
  12. bjam1964
    Yum, yum, pass me the frying pan - delicious. Do a spore colour test before eating if in any doubt.
  13. bjam1964
    Ramaria spp. (could be stricta?) Fantastically coral like - growing on mulch of wood chippings. Photo taken with iPhone 4 camera !
  14. bjam1964
    Trip, trip away - Amanita muscaria - fodder for the shamens amongst us.
  15. bjam1964
    That is criminal damage - police caution probably for first offence.
  16. bjam1964
    Fit a narrower bar and chain kit (Oregon sell the conversions) and change the number of teeth on your drive spocket - sometimes from 7 - 9. Both of these things will speed up your cut with the same saw without playing with carb settings.
  17. bjam1964
    Only with the thought of what is yet to come. Thank you for your kind words regarding pictures.
  18. bjam1964
    Stereum rameale - but don't quote me - over to you Dr ryad
  19. bjam1964
    Mycena vitilis
  20. bjam1964
    Russula spp.
  21. bjam1964
    I love photography and currently own a Canon EOS 500D - in other words your camera prize will not be coming my way even if I deserved it:laugh1: I caught the mushroom hunting bug through arboriculture and own many books - especially Michael Jordan, Olaf Schmidt, David Lonsdale, R G Strouts & T G Winter and Wayne A Sinclair and Howard H Lyon to name a few. The biggest frustration in modern arboriculture is the complexity of the many diseases and fungal infections found on nurmerous trees, all in various stages and the lack of information that is required to make a truly informed decision on the fate of the tree. We tend to pander towards health and safety edicts and not necessarily a watch it and monitor the situation for a plethora of reasons which could be disussed for hours on end. Needless to say I thoroughly enjoy all of your threads and especially your positive attitude.
  22. bjam1964
    I'm guessing, from memory and where it is growing, it is a ramealis but not 100%. Glad you are enjoying yourself.
  23. bjam1964
    Xylaria carpophila - I hope this is a better picture?
  24. bjam1964
    A mushroom ?????? Basidiomycota
  25. bjam1964
    Xylaria hypoxylon - macro photographed on my belly in a wet ancient woodland this morning especially for this thread (any extra credit for this? )

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