Doug Tait

Pulled off a job this morning after discovering this little fella.

Thanks 5thelement, it definitely caught a fish so I guess I saw an osprey today!

Are they not bigger than buzzards? It seemed like a buzzard, see them every day here but not the eagle or osprey. As it left the river it made directly for a small wood where there is a buzzard nest so just assumed that's where it was going. Never associated them with fishing though so I may be wrong!

No pics but was working near a river today and saw a buzzard drop vertically into the water and emerge with a fish! It got up a few metres and shook the water off like a dog before heading to the trees nearby. Didn't know they hunted in the water, was quite a sight.

At one time I was reliant on firewood too (before I did tree work), got everything I used by going round farms and landowners and asking directly. Most were happy to help. Hopefully being a tip site will pay off for you anyway, all the best.

You did well to see about it within a few weeks Mark, think I'd have put it off endlessly. Was your dull pain a constant thing or come and go?

You're lying

Promise Les, all 5. Got the naughty ones first

I have 5 now!

I'm stuck on 4, give me your extra difference please, we'll both be winners!

Hi Theo, is it firewood for your own use you are looking for? If so, you could try approaching a local Tree Surgeon to ask, and register yourself as a tip site on here. https://arbtalk.co.uk/recycling

Make the kids earn their pocket money!

No Moose, the guide Mr Cropper has is for the much larger model.

Some of those instructions are mind boggling!

Some Willows that had collapsed into Gala Water to remove today. One irate tree hugging local saying we were working illegally and threatening to call the Council , disappeared when I explained we were working for the Council. A good day to be a tree worker, even managed an early finish. One saw went for a swim but dried out nicely and ended the day cutting wood.

The tree would probably appreciate not having a shed built 1m from the trunk, but if you can't leave it any more space than that, prune the small root in the picture off, don't concrete over it.

You didn't miss much

Bo' Selecta! - Wikipedia EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG Re-Rewind (The Crowd Say Bo Selecta) - Wikipedia EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG Craig David, bow selector at the Olympics.

Made me laugh openspaceman, he rolled it over and ended up in the infantry! The boss is a bit more recent, he's been in the tree business 30yr and started in his late 20's I'd guess. I'll say one thing for him, between his farm upbringing and time in military he can drive anything bloody effectively, and fix it all too.

Foreman was telling me about the first time he saw the boss take it on site. He didn't think it would even get up the ramp to load on trailer but went up no problem, said it was unstoppable. Horrible to drive though, hence bonerattler, but the boss was in tank regiment so I suppose used to it.

Doesn't it! The boss used to use it occasionally for pulling trees over but it's not been out for a few years. Superceded by Valtra with igland winch

Barn find today, what a beast. Thought I'd stumbled on the A-Team's lair. Apparently they call it "The Bonerattler".

Can I ask how the walk being raised 300mm makes the squirrels feel safe?

I was really quite taken with the the lady we were working for yesterday, what a character. Big old family house in the countryside, estate with horse stud etc. She insisted we had tea and biscuits before starting, to allow one of the gardeners to clear land mines left by the countless black labs. Throughout the day she brought tea, biscuits and ice cream, and her chat was excellent. Talking to the boss about travelling she declared that on her first visit to the USA she entered (in Texas I think) by freefall parachute jump, on her own, and felt it was a good way to travel as she only needed to remember knickers, a parachute and passport! She also recalled as a young girl her grandpapa taking his first hot air balloon flight from the front of the house, and how disappointed she'd been not to join him. Later on when we needed to park the tractor on the roadside to crane timber out she said 'be too dangerous, they drive too damn fast up there now' and called the groom who duly parked a horsebox across the road and she blocked the other side with her car, standing the whole time telling people they'd have to 'just drive the other damn way around'!. Years back I worked on a farm and the farmers father, retired army officer in his 80's would potter around in his fiat panda that had quotes from Wind in the Willows written all over it in marker pen. He'd ask me to 'start the saw lad' as he couldn't pull it over, then he'd stick it in the car ticking over and go off cutting firewood, never switched it off until finished, even to refuel. He was most happy when he found a badger on the road as he'd replace the hair on his shaving brush. More than once I was in the steading while him and my boss traded punches to sort out some minor dispute, think they call it milling in the military! Did gardening and odd jobs at one time for a lovely older couple. Vice Admiral (Ret) Sir....... KBE. Whenever I'd cut the hedge along his driveway he'd always go up to the crows nest to inspect it, said it was the best place to assess straight lines and crisp corners. He had a stream and dilapidated waterwheel that powered a fountain at the front of his house which I did up for him. He wanted his wife to be able to see the work done to the waterwheel so had me build some rustic steps down the slope for her. They were so pleased she decided it should be officially opened and brought a bottle of wine and trickled some over the steps naming them 'Dougie Way'. It didn't seem to matter to him if something went wrong, his favourite phrase was 'no matter, worse things happen at sea'. One of the best compliments I've ever had was when he said in his experience, for every 100 men bringing problems on a naval vessel there was 1 bringing solutions, and I was that man, praise indeed! Be interested to hear who else has known/worked for a real character?

Santi was wild swimming today too, well paddling. He's not enjoying the heat much