Kind deeds.

[Colin]

Hi,

How nice it would be if everyone would rub along together in peace and harmony helping rather than hindering.
Bron and I like to do good things whenever possible even if many times it really puts us out. Our lovely neighbour Carole is retired living on her own and although Carole is fit and well we keep an eye on her and do lots of jobs for her.

A couple of weeks or so ago Carole's bird table fell over it being secured to the top of a thick tree stump. Carole's washing machine died on her and when Carole opened the machine door it flooded her kitchen so she quickly mopped up the water with large towels; these heavy wet towels were then hung outside to allow most of the water to drip free; the washing line was also attached to the stump hence the stump fell over the weight of the wet towels proving too much. At the time it was freezing outside and Carole informed us her son would sort it out for her?

Yesterday's snow has cleared leaving Blackie and Gale; Blackie being fully loaded is putting down lots of rain in showers whilst Gale is trying her best to blow everything over. This morning I popped round to Carole's to have a look at this stump and I was surprised by how thick it was; initially I intended to use my log saw to cut the stump into short lengths for our friend Caroline who has a woodburner; with everything already soaking wet I decided to do the job as quickly as possible so collected my petrol 20" Timberwolf chainsaw.

The bird table came away with a good tug and the chainsaw made light work of cutting the stump into short lengths; I carried the logs round home then tidied up best I could considering how wet everything was.

The whole job only took about half an hour and I enjoyed playing with the chainsaw. Carole is delighted to now have this little job out of the way at last; Caroline will be glad to collect the logs so I'm pleased I could help out so easily; having the chainsaw is so handy and it paid for itself years ago on the first job I used it for in felling an 80' tall tree.

Blackie is losing the plot because I didn't receive my usual soaking but he's certainly put some rain down since I completed the job. I drained the fuel and oil out of the chainsaw then put the chainsaw away. Perfect timing for a change between downpours; if only this bad weather would let up I could really enjoy myself pottering around. A good neighbour is well worth looking after.

The wooden cat house I made for Carole's cat Max about three years ago; Carole is as independent as she can be but is unable to do the jobs I do for her after all I have lots of kit at my command.

Just another little story whilst Blackie and Gale are doing their thing outside. Dust isn't a problem living here. Carole needs a bit of help with another job next week and I've asked Carole to let me know when?

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Silentrunning]

You are good people Colin!

 

[alp]

Very kind of you and Bron to lend a hand when most needed. I haven't used my chain saw for nearly 10 years. I do use the joke saw by Black and Decker. The big one might be gathering rust somewhere. My neighbour was so scared when I used my chainsaw that he advised to get a tree surgeon to fell my tree. His apprentice came and the felled tree fell into his garden and he was livid, saying that I did a better job than the apprentice who was so scared that he would bad-mouth him to his boss that he offered to trim the branches for me. I got rid of the tree stump and the remaining bits have decomposed into lovely organic matters for my hellebore babies. After a few year, the same tree sprang up a sideshoot his way and is now the same size as the one I felled. Life is a circle..

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Thanks Silentrunning.

Good on you alp; I bet your neighbour wished he had kept quiet about you using the chainsaw? I must add that i don't recommend novices to play around with a chainsaw because chainsaws can be very dangerous indeed.

I'm sure you'll agree with me alp in that felling trees is the easy part; getting rid of the trunk and brash takes much longer. I now cut thick branches and trunks into logs for our friend Caroline to collect for her woodburner the rest gets shredded and used as mulch.

Bron and I do all kinds of small jobs for our lovely neighbour Carole and below are pictures of one job I did for Carole a couple of years ago. Carole was having her security upgraded and inside the front room she had a quite large security unit mounted right in the corner near the ceiling that she wanted to dispose of so I popped round with screwdrivers and removed the unit; unfortunately this now left big gaps in her picture moulding and wall moulding.

I browsed the web for the moulding profiles having taken the dimensions; the picture rail (thickest moulding) was available but only in 8' lengths the slim moulding no chance. I enjoy these challenges so set about and made new mouldings for Carole; the pictures are poor because of my chum Blackie my constant black cloud making everything gloomy. I used my table saw to form the main hollow then made a "scratch stock" to add the rest of the moulding detail blending using abrasive papers. The thick picture rail moulding involved a mixture of machines and tools but both mouldings once completed and I had installed them looked perfect and Carole was over the moon; the mouldings cost me nothing being made from offcuts of timber I had to hand also I always have finishing materials in stock so this turned into a nice project for me; hardly associated with gardening but still enjoyable.

I wish it was dry and warm most of the time then I could settle down to lots more interesting projects in the garden and workshop; I'm more at home woodworking and metalworking than in the garden but I'm learning.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Silentrunning]

Colin, I think you are part magician when it comes to solving problems.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

so bitter cold out today. filled my bird feeder with seed and put more suet. noted in my gazebo a little mouse nest up in the eves . went back with some bread with peanut butter on it, put it on one of the chairs there for them. In the spring, will clean out the nest and they will then scurry off somewhere, for now my good deed is for a wee field mouse family.

 

[Logan]

@Colin that's great of you and Bron to look after your neaghbour like that. Down the road from us there's a blind lady. 6 years ago when we had snow like the last time, she couldn't go out because of the snow was too deep. Her mother Couldn't take the guide dog out for her walks,so she asked me. It was a week before Christmas i had a lot to do, but i still found time for her. I didn't expect anything for doing it, but she bought me a tin of shortbread.

 

[marlingardener]

It takes so little to do a great kindness--finding time to walk a guide dog, helping a neighbor with a fallen stump, or making a shelter for a cat.
Folks here understand that, and that is one of the many reasons I enjoy this forum. Keep the kindnesses going!

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Couldn't take the guide dog out for her walks

that had crossed my mind years ago. how people with guide dogs manage in the cold, icy, snow, taking them out. I had GSD's and there you are out with them, 3 x a day, making sure they go. I never just opened the door and let them out. I was out watching them the whole time.

 

[Logan]

that had crossed my mind years ago. how people with guide dogs manage in the cold, icy, snow, taking them out. I had GSD's and there you are out with them, 3 x a day, making sure they go. I never just opened the door and let them out. I was out watching them the whole time.

Yes it's bad enough for us to walk ours in the ice 4+ a day.

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Colin, I think you are part magician when it comes to solving problems.

Many thanks Silentrunning for your kind comment. Making things and repairings things is just so natural for me these days after a lifetime of practice.

Nice one Esther; yes look after all the little critters Bron and I always stop to pick up worms and woodlice from our paths and gently place them in the garden out of harm's way. A couple of years ago our lovely neighbour Carole arrived at our door with Alexandria a lady neighbour from the end of the street; could I please assist in catching a mouse in Alexandrias front room? Of course I could so off we went. I know mice can be fast but the acceleration of this one was amazing; it was just a blur as it darted around the room; we cornered it and I finally got hold of it only to suffer a sudden sharp pain in the little finger of my right hand; the scared little mouse had just given me a nasty bite and blood was pouring from my finger; I dashed out with mouse to the very top of the garden and gently let this ungrateful little critter go in safety. Back in the bungalow I was fussed over by the Carole & Alexandria and a plaster was wrapped around my bleeding finger after my finger had been washed then a very large box of chocolates appeared as a thank you from Alexandria which was nice but really not needed although I accepted with good grace. I'm used to catching mice for Carole because her cat Max is forever bringing them indoors. I'm becoming the mouse catcher of the street?

Well done Logan in helping your blind neighbour out; very good of you and your kindness will have been much appreciated.

Well said Marlingardener; I couldn't agree with you more; just a simple kindness costing nothing but a little time can mean so much to someone or some critter in need; I felt truly ashamed of myself a couple of months ago whilst shopping in Morrison's; I saw a young lady on two crutches carrying a hand basket doing her shopping; looking back I should at least have offered her an helping hand and in future this will never happen again; I'll offer help immediately. Being tall I frequently get asked by lady shoppers if I would be kind enough to reach something from a top shelf which is never any trouble to me. For a number of years whilst shopping I've exchanged greetings with a little old lady; this lady bent over having to use a walking stick; one day she asked if I had any stamps? I then found out her husband who was disabled collected all kinds of stamps so I started to save stamps for her and would give her packets of stamps. I feel rather saddened because I haven't seen this lady for about a year and truly hope she is OK; I've asked in the stores if there is any news of her but without luck and I don't even know her name; I know she was disabled because she parked her Suzuki Jimny in a disabled parking bay. Strange how we can meet someone in stores twice weekly for years and never know their name? Yes Marlingardener the people on this forum are very helpful and willing to share information.

Last night at midnight WW3 erupted as all the locals let off their fireworks. To me New Year is just a carry on from the previous year; no let up from Blackie nor Gale and another year of miserable weather working in a black hole.

This year though I've done things a little differently; in November we paid our remaining council tax for the year; on Sunday I took both gas and electric meter readings; submitted both online then paid the bills; this is three out of the way already. This morning with the usual dire forecast for later today in fact I'm surprised it's not already here; I was out by 9:15 and washed and dried the Yeti in readiness for the rain and snow later today; Gale of course is ever present and with the forecast showing 4C Gale ensured it felt much colder. With the Yeti being now dry (Rare) I set about trimming the end of a rotten stump bagging the rotten debris and now I can let our neighbour Caroline know we have more logs for her woodburner. I save all our unwanted timber for Caroline and last year she collected many full car loads of logs; how nice of Caroline to bring us a big box of Black Magic chocolates and a lovely potted plant at Christmas as a thank you; we are just happy to see the back of our unwanted timber saving trips to the tip so everyone's happy. Small acts of kindness go a long way and I've often said a smile opens doors.

I like to start my day with a good laugh so I'll keep looking at the daily weather forecasts even though I know what this year's weather will be like a year in advance.

How nice to see our Yeti dry even if only for a brief period.

Kind regards, Colin.