john k

Genius. Where's Dadio when he's needed?

Do you make sure you always ask people where they found your number?

It certainly opened my eyes. Between two of us on the saws and a third on the digger it felt like we could do the work of ten men.

You can't beat a real bit of precision drill

Have you managed to get any good feedback from customers? I used Checkatrade recently when I wanted a plumber and only called people who were well established with plenty of good feedback. My guess is that it takes a bit of determination to get it working properly for you but should get easier with time if you stick with it.

Here's one on a job I was working on recently. It's 2.5t and has a proper grab. It was mainly for pulling up Rhodendron and piling it in the fire, but also did a very efficient job of tidying up the trees that we were felling too .

The choke-on-then-off just sets it to half throttle. I haven't found any need to do that on warm starts, just decomp and pull. If it doesn't start on second pull then a couple of squishes on the primer bulb and you're away.

And the rest...

Clearing some wind blown and overhanging trees on the edge of the woods

Found some pictures of the blue tractor

This semester I have done Botany, which covers things like cell structure and reproduction, photosynthesis, respiration, plant structures. Quite basic, but lots of names to learn and processes to remember, backed up with a 2000 word essay and a slightly feeble multiple choice test. Soil science was very basic, but quite fun. A bit of lab work, a couple of sessions in the field, another 2000 word essay and a multiple choice test.

We also did some tractor driving, mostly on a selection of MFs but also used the Valmet with a timber trailer and Botex crane. There was also a written assignment about forestry operations including thinning and extraction methods (arbs had something different, but can't remember what).

I also did my CS38

It's been a while since I updated this thread so I thought I would add a bit more. I am with a new group of first years as I'm doing the units that I didn't do last year. We've just finished the first semester of this year, so I'm nearly half way through. In the second semester last year we covered a lot of more exotic and ornamental trees and shrubs. It wasn't immediately obvious to the foresters why all of these are really relevant, but it's all good background knowledge. We had to be able to identify and name these in the classroom from samples of twigs and leaves: Shrubs Strawberry tree Arbutus unedo Variegated laurel Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’ Darwin’s barberry Berberis darwinii Narrow-leaved barberry Berberis Stenophylla Californian lilac Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. repens Mexican orange blossom Choisya ternata Cotoneaster tree Cotoneaster salicifolius ‘Rothchildianus’ Elaeagus Maculata Elaeagnus pungens ‘Maculata’ Eleagnus Lime Light Elaeagnus x ebbingei ‘Lime Light’ Japanese loquat Eriobotyra japonica Escallonia Escallonia macrantha Gum tree Eucalyptus gunnii Eucryphia Eucryphia x intermedia Japanese spindle Euonymus japonicus ‘Ovatus Aureus’ Winter creeper Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald Queen’ Caster oil plant Fatsia japonica Silk tassel bush Garrya elliptica Kapuka Griselinia Littoralis Calico bush Kalmia latifolia Bay laurel Laurus nobilis Gold edged privet Ligustrum ovalifolim ‘Aureum’ Common privet Ligustrum vulgare Chinese privet Ligustrum lucidum Privet honeysuckle Lonicera pileata Wilson’s honeysuckle Lonicera nitida ‘Baggescens Gold’ Evergreen/southern magnolia Magnolia grandiflora Oregon grape Mahonia aquifolium Mahonia charity Mahonia x media Charity' Olearia Olearia haastii Holly leaved osmanthus Osmanthus heterophyllus Photinia Photinia x fraseri ‘Red Robin’ Black bamboo Phyllostachys nigra Black matipo Pittosporum tenuifolium Laurel Prunus laurocerasus ‘Zabeliana’ Laurel Prunus laurocerasus ‘Otto Luyken’ Portuguese laurel Prunus lusitanica Butcher’s broom Ruscus aculeatus Skimmia Skimmia japonica Leather-leaf viburnum Viburnum rhytidiphyllum Laurustinus viburnum Viburnum tinus David’s viburnum Viburnum davidii Trees Chinese paperbark Acer griseum Variegated box elder Acer negundo ‘Variegatum’ Silver maple Acer saccharinum Leopold sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus ‘Leopoldii’ Red horsechestnut Aesculus x carnea June berry Amelanchier lamarckii Himalayan birch Betula utilus var. jacquemontii River birch Betula nigra Indian bean tree Catalpa bignonioides Katsura Cercidiphyllum japonicum Hinoki cypress Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Gracilis’ Turkish hazel Corylus colurna Japanese cedar Cryptomeria japonica Dove tree Davidia involucrata var. vilmoriniana Fern-leaved beech Fagus sylvatica ‘Asplenifolia’ Single- leaved ash Fraxinus excelsior ‘Diversifolia’ Claret ash Fraxinus angustifolia Subsp. oxycantha ‘Raywood’ Ginkgo Ginkgo biloba Golden honey locust Gleditsia triacanthos ‘Sunburst’ Climbing hydrangea Hydrangea petiolaris Sweet gum/liquidambar Liquidambar styraciflua Tulip tree Liriodendron tulipifera Black tupelo Nyssa sylvatica Boston ivy Parthenocissus tricuspidata Brewer’s spruce Picea breweriana Oriental spruce Picea orientalis Serbian spruce Picea omorika Montezumae pine Pinus montezumae Himalayan pine Pinus wallichiana Oriental plane Platanus orientalis Tibetan cherry Prunus serrula Callery pear Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticleer’ Willow-leaved oak Quercus phellos Hungarian oak Quercus Frainetto ‘Hungarian Crown’ Pin oak Quercus palustris Stagshorn sumach Rhus typhina Black locust Robina pseudocacia Corkscrew willow Salix matsudana ‘Tortuosa’ Japanese stewartia Stewartia pseudocamellia Chinese wisteria Wisteria sinensis For Tree Establishment we looked at aspects of urban and rural tree planting and did a small amount of practical work planting some hedge plants and transplanting some small Ash trees. For our assignment we were given a couple of fields on the college farm and had to do a site survey then produce planting schemes with supporting maps.

I've been doing most of the childcare in our family for the last ten years and it works really well for us. I work part time, but looking after the kids is my priority. I'm self employed and can normally schedule my working days to suit my family commitments. It's not always easy though, and things tend to unravel a bit if I try to take on too much work. There are sometimes things I'd like to do, but can't. You just have to accept that and not fight it too much. Pre-school is relatively easy as childcare tends to be for full days, but when they get to school it can be a bit more complicated. The school day is short, and it's a five day week so you don't get any clear working days any more. This is something that can take you by surprise a few years down the line, just as you think you've got it sussed! Don't forget the school holidays too. And inset days. Oh, and their first term at school when they may only do mornings. Early starts don't mix well with the school run, which may limit work options, but I have found that people are generally pretty helpful if you're up front about things. Surveying would seem to be a good option for flexible working anyway. It sounds like it could well make sense for you and your family. It's very rewarding and can be a lot of fun.

If I did that I'd never want to burn any of it!

Ouch! Hope it mends soon. Anyway, that's enough sympathy. Where's our photo of you with a pirate eye patch?

Is that good or bad?

Cutter gloves in the dry - comfortable, good thorn resistance but very slippery when they get wet. Traffi gloves when it's wet - grippy but much less thorn resistant. Cheap enough to by several pairs and put dry ones on after after stopping for a break for a touch of luxury!

Thanks Stubby, I'll go and have a look next time I'm down that way.

I haven't seen those, but I'd like to have a look. Where exactly are they? Have you seen the oaks just north of Chichester marina? They're sitting on the beach with amazing roots running on the surface back into the nearest soil about a metre or two away. It's amazing what they can survive, even if they're not exactly thriving!

Similar, just took a wrong turn!

Fiskars geared loppers for me. They are so light it makes using them a pleasure. Mine are bypass, and I'm really happy with them, but I think they do an anvil version too.

Work trip. Bit of a pain, but unavoidable. Would much rather stay at home, but hey, won't be away for too long...

Mine broke another chain brake band last week. Got a whole new side casing this time. Apparently there may have been a dodgy batch but no one seems to know what the actual problem is/was!