TGB

Thank you! Now time to dig out a fresh piece of paper and sharpen a pencil.

The woodland groups I sometimes work with, always state the saws must have their spark arresters in place. Even in the dead of winter, when the ground is soggy or snow covered. So although I'm inclined to remove it/them, I guess it/they will have to stay in place.

Sorry. That should have been MPs.

Olive trees grow at all angles and tend to be farely stunted when well tended. The smell of burnt olive wood, as with burnt orange wood, has a sweet smell. During the summer/dry months in Spain, it is illegal to have bonfires. Even if you're the land owner. Seasoning wouldn't be a problem but grove owners don't want dead wood laying around loose. Olive wood can be dense, even when dry. If it's going to be shipped straight after cutting, it's going to be pretty heavy. So weight may come into it more than volume. I doubt that you'll find a Britsh firewood buyer at that price but maybe there's other markets for it.

As I gather, the 'Humbolt' was developed as a felling cut, for use in that region; where the terrain is often steeply graded. And its use helps the tree brake down and away from the cutter. Giving a much reduced chance of the stem's butt slipping backwards towards the cutter and thence levering off the stump in a chaotic manner.

I'm wondering if there is a set calculation to find out the max. speed of a chain in m/s? I realise that one must take in to account the length of the chain, (number of links) and the engine revs. but trying to work it out is doing my head in. Note. Trying to find out some saws' 'class' in relation to PPE required.

You could try steaming, rather than frying at least some of your food. Also, instead of bathing the pan in oil, then immersing your food therein. Use a non stick pan and only use the merest hint of oil, for lubricating the pan's surface, rather than being the heat transfer medium. Use veg or nut oil instead of lard. Replace butter with spread or better still, forget the spread/butter altogether. Start looking as contents. Even sweet things like jam and chutney often have salt in them. Go for the low salt option. Yes one needs salt, as other minerals. But only trace amounts; not the strata some apply to every meal. Things like baked beans and many tinned veg, are already salted, so why add more? Less salt equals less taste for some. But give it a go and soon you'll begin to taste what you've been missing; not the seasoning you've been adding. If you really can't 'taste' without lots of seasoning. You have to ask yourself, am I eating this because I like the basic ingredients or because I like the taste of the seasoning?

Well said Brooklandsbob. PMs often have their real plans hidden beneath the shock-horror announcements. And oft these backroom plans, are more dastardly than the show in the shop window.

Been meaning to get one but £s now going to boiler repair. Back to the file me thinks.

Some people love it some hate it. But in my opinion, though it's of nature, durian is the devil's very own seed.

Breathes there the man with soul so dead, as Owen Paterson Who never to himself hath said, This is my own, my native land! Whose heart hath ne’er within him burned, As home his footsteps he hath turned From wandering on a foreign strand! If such there breathe, go, mark him well; For him no minstrel raptures swell; High though his titles, proud his name, Boundless his wealth as wish can claim Despite those titles, power, and pelf, The wretch, concentred all in self, Living, shall forfeit fair renown, And, doubly dying, shall go down To the vile dust from whence he sprung, Unwept, unhonored , and unsung.

I don't often use the three letter word but... Wow! That, is truly impressive.

I've always used 20cm tongs and have no problems. Apart from being able to more easily grab a big log, is there any real advantage with the 30cm tongs? Or are they more awkward in everyday use?

I was looking over Somerset strata maps the other day, as had wondered how the area came to be. On a much reduced scale, the area is rather like Bangladesh. In basic terms, it's a silted flood-plain. So every time it rains hard, they get it in the neck, as the rivers backup and break their banks. It's a lovely spot and must be nice to live there when dry. But come the rains or a big melt and you can only feel for the people, as they live through the inevitable. Even if greater river defences were created. With enough rainfall, the water table simply rises through the ground. I do hope they get through it quickly. One can only hope for a cessation of the rain.

It's ok now. Comfusion over and mormality has resumed, it's raining.

It's not raining! I'm confused - I thought it always rained.

I know a guy in the south of Powys, who was told caragorically by his local 'Job Centre', that he could not get funding to train in arbor culture, unless he had a firm job offer. At which point he could sign-off and his problems would be nothing to do with them. He took to jobbing-gardening to pay for his training. All of which had nothing to do with his local 'Job Centre'.

Been looking too. Doesn't matter where you get them from, price comes in at £30 to £40, (not including P+P) depending on length.

Is the muffler full of crap?

Thank you Steve. I'll be disturbing the wallet moths shortly.

How does one actually purchase a ticket. Is there a secret jig, mystical hand waving and ancient incantations? I've looked through various posts but can't figure out the process, nor how to go about it.

A tad damp - rain, quite a bit of rain, falling sideways.

Well that's the saying. All the same, I do hope it stops raining and the sun shines on you all. May 2014 be all that you would wish for yourselves, your nearest & dearest. And I hope it goes with a buzz. That goes for all the beekeepers too.

Been some local flooding and this morning, it was bucketing down, with a strong steady wind. Both have eased as the day has progressed. I've got family on the south coast, who I gather have been having a rough time of it.

When I got the 545, I didn't have any full bar length diameter logs, so I just worked the saw from new on the thickest stuff, (politicians excluded) to hand and all has been good.