Ouch!!

Here is today's lesson:
When using a chainsaw, always use two hands to hold the chainsaw, and wear gloves.

I should be relieved I didn't cut my bloody hand off. Quel con!

In full Spring mode, I had cut back a hazel nut tree and was using the chain saw to cut up the trunks and branches for firewood in a few years. My chainsaw is quite light, it has a 40 cm blade. Fiona was using shears to cut off the smaller branches, some of which we'll keep for kindling and the rest will be put on the bonfire.

I had developed the lazy and dangerous habit of sometimes holding a slimmer branch in my left hand and the chainsaws one-handed in my right, and using the chainsaw to trim off twiggy bits.

Suddenly the chain bit into the junction between twig and branch and pulled the branch (and my hand) into the chain.

Some choice swear words followed, followed by the immnse relief that my stupidity had only inflicted a small wound and not left me handicapped and unemployable.

Because I'm a craven coward I decided immediately that I didn't have to see a doctor. A doctor might decide to stitch it! Lots of thick dark blood pouring out of it convinced me that it was flushed clean. Obviously I wasn't going to be catching tiles at the factory the next day. I phoned in to tell them, and the next day saw the doctor to get signed off for a day or two. The toubib signed me off for a week! Happy days! The weather report says subshine through to Sunday.

Friday's Favorite French Things

Ok, it's not Friday, but when you're late, you're late.

Pollarded Trees.



A big kiss for whoever can tell me what kind of trees these are. You see them in avenues, town squares, in front of the hôtel de ville. In summer they are full of leaves, but in winter and spring they get pollarded and at this time of year you can see their fantastic gnarled shapes.

We call them "Titeuf trees" after the catroon character Titeuf

Family interlude, Spring etc.

This past week has been very hot. Although it's not yet May, it is already feeling like Summer, and yet the swallows still haven't arrived in any great number.
Fiona took the kids for a walk to the lake down the road and the picked spring flowers.
Here are the kids in hippy mode. Callan wil be nine in August and Briony will be seven at the end of November.




Because my wife, Fiona is such a creative genius, she had to make these sculptures for the garden. She's been working hard on her website, as well as another site for a client, and it was driving her crazy staring at a screen all day. So she banged stuff together in a catharsis of sculpure.