mmmm, Berkhamsted on a sunny Friday... Nice

Just a quick post today, yesterday was yet another good day, spent chopping, sawing, trimming and had the chainsaw out! I love my chainsaw - do you think that may be a subliminal thing, showing my personality up for the strange thing that it is or just a healthy outdoor pursuit?

Old guy lives in the first floor flat above

Chop, chop, saw, saw, so satisfying... Tremendous fun!

...and a quick pint of Riser in the Rising Sun at the end of a really satisfying week. NB: The Rising Sun is not just the best pub in Berkhamsted, it's the best in Hertfordshire, probably the best in the South of England!

Just a little note of irritation though. When I am using my chainsaw or any other petrol driven tool I not only wear ear protectors, I listen to the radio and obviously can't hear anything else. Bearing that in mind, why do old-ish people walk up to one and talk as though one can hear them? It is bizarre. Not once, not twice, but three time yesterday I had to stop, put down the chainsaw, take off the ear protectors and take out my ear phones and say, "Sorry, I didn't hear a word of that." 


I wouldn't mind but they don't even think to repeat what I obviously DIDN'T hear. Yesterday the worst one was an old guy who lived in the flat as shown in the top picture. The Conversation went:


"Muffled blah, blah blah blah blah."


I took about 10 seconds to get all the above gear off.


"(muffled) and it's great!"


"Sorry, I didn't hear a word of that."


"You should cut down those white trees."


(Those "white trees" are very beautiful white beech trees)


"No, won't be cutting them down, that would be a crime."


"Cuts out all the light, I say, cuts out all the light."


"I'm just cutting back the shrubs, NOT the trees."


"Cuts out all the light!"


"Well there's no way I'm cutting the trees down... Sorry I have to get on with my work."


He carried on talking as I put all my gear back on. I gave him the thumbs up and he carried on shouting for a bout another minute, even as I started to cut down the central 2/3 trunks of the sambucus - the large over grown shrub in the middle of the middle picture.


Bizarre...


Happy chopping!