JimM

As above, I've got to the point with Microsoft that the next machine will be a Mac. "It just works" has been my mate's mantra for a decade and a half.... And he's right. Plus you have got great integration with your iPhone, iPads etc. whereas the pc iTunes updates invariably throws up glitches of some kind or other.

I read through the thread but bumped it to see if Fiskars had made an impact, if anyone had started using them in preference to Felco

Bump. Pruning out a Beech the other day and unhappy with my secateurs. Anyone use Fiskars now instead of Felco?

These are all maidens. Most are completely bark-less, A very few are just now starting to lose bark off the smaller limbs. There was a small cluster of elms felled in the centre of Elgin some months back that had obviously all been hit at the same time. I worked on a large one nearby, which is just starting to show signs. Great canopy on it, so it'll be a shame to see it go in a couple of years.

Felling load of elm just now up here. Some only just dying. There are a few live ones around still.

Great day out and brilliant carvings.

Not long back Glasgow was voted one of the best shopping cities in the UK. But you're better coming up to look at the scenery and save the shopping for Jonesies online ;-)

That's the million dollar question....or should that be the million barrel question. We used to debate that on the jet. Why let the people of Rwanda and all the other places in Africa suffer, when we had the ability to render intervention there. Bear in mind that many of these places in Africa suffered in times when we had no military action going on and our forces weren't as stretched as they are now. Our feeling then was that it is all down to politics. What's in it for us, the UK, the politicians themselves. Believe you me, we were every bit as angry as the public, watching suffering being doled out with relative impunity.

No, Kevin. Not missed the point. I know full well what they are like to deal with. And I completely agree with you on the lack of thanks we would get, followed by the political about turn to make us the bigger enemy than the dictator before. What saddens me is the that human beings get needlessly slaughtered whilst the UN's toothless teams get the runaround and nobody wants to stand up and help. Apart from groups like MSF etc, who get a hard enough time too. I can't see surgical strikes having much effect, unless they go for regime change targets, and get lucky.

Looking forward to seeing it again. Red Arbtalk t-shirt will have to get ironed. Should be there with the family by about 1. Burgers for lunch then!

55ft

Enough about the Scottish government, can we get back to Syria?

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men should do nothing.” I remember the heartache of the guys, certainly the Dutch, in the UN mission during the Yugoslavia conflict. Held back by the rules of the UN whilst atrocities were performed. The UN is a toothless old lion, hamstrung by those within it with their own political agendas. So who steps up to the plate? And who amongst us condones the slaughter of innocents? Not Muslim, not Christian, but human beings. I have spent many, many hours of my life circling over Baghdad, Basra, Helmand. Looking down on these poor people scratching an existence out in such poor conditions. Wanting to live a peaceful life. If only their worst fear was a tree that threatened to knock over their garden wall, or block out their light. Sometimes the help can't be just handing out food and bandages, but wielding a big fist.

Masses of evidence through Google that man did not, in fact, land on the Moon. Sorry TCD, not with you on this one. Winning the propaganda war is everything. Audience manipulation to one side's point of view is so important, for financial and material backing, more troops, world-wide favour. Would you consider yourself manipulated? The loss of civilian life in Syria is heart-breaking. And it will continue for many years. Just look at the continually high death rate in Iraq. Still. If you want to blame anyone, then look to Russia and China. Their stalling of early intervention has stretched the fighting timeline. Their arms sales are important. Their political agenda against western nations means these people will see no chance of some kind of peace for some time to come. Their veto stalls efforts to help in some way to reduce these people dying. I for one spent many "holidays" in Basra, and have no wish to see any of our guys back out in harms way. Yet again. Such a shame that perhaps a "United" Nations may have pressured Assad to back down right at the beginning.

Scary DED elm fell today. 15m of timber left, windthrown at 45 degrees into a massive beech. Winch on the bottom ready to haul out after severing at the base. The one beside it winched 20ft before breaking out to the ground. After the cut, the stem immediately split at the 6m point, with the top part spearing vertically and tipped back straight towards me as I did the woodland jig away. Tips finished 10ft from me. Mr Bolt would have been impressed at my turn of speed. 20 of the buggers down, about 60 plus yet to go. Will be popping to Tesco for some waterproof underpants.

Working. Ickle birch yesterday morning. Paperwork today and paying invoices. Tomorrow is a bit of a tidy up after felling 14 DED elms last week. Might get a couple more down too. Then it's a meeting with someone who's an expert in felling hardwoods for milling. Should be interesting.

Been warm and dry up here since yesterday morning. Lovely afternoon

Plan to run mine on Aspen from the get go, so it'll be interesting to see how it performs on that. The battery Husky will still be first up the tree though.

Good news, Stubby. Still awaiting mine.

Any preferences in 12" or 14" bar on this beastie?

Ford Ranger Supercab. 07 plate and going fine after the engine rebuild last year (touch wood). Enough room for the kids in the back, they love the suicide doors. Or my climbing kit sits there, with the seat pads up, while the mucky stuff goes under the MountainTop lid. Decent ground clearance too.

Thanks for that, Edwood.

That's fine for occasional work, but if you are working constantly for the same guy then you are "employed" by him and he has obligations in terms of PAYE, NIC's and pension rights. The HMRC website has an anonymous tick test that shows whether you are a sub-contractor or employed. I work regularly for the same firm, but because I use ONLY my own equipment and I dictate how the task is carried out, I sit in the "sub-contractor" box.

Yup, seconded.

Cut a Laurel hedge today down to 7ft. What a distinctive smell from the chipping. No sore head though, although I was wary.