We’re Still Working with the Firewood.

 

Wednesday dawned with a frost, a fine day, and off we  trudged, oops ,I meant walked briskly to the trees and logs. Ann arrived on her bike and soon the splitter was in action. It is a “ Yard Machine” 20 ton splitter, with the wedge driven by a hydraulic ram, petrol driven, pull cord start. It can handle rounds in the vertical position easily, when they are too heavy to lift up. There is a horseshoe shaped mould on the bottom plate and this holds the rounds as the wedge cuts into them. Safety  always comes  first, so muffs, gloves, and no fingers anywhere near the wedge or behind the rounds!!!

Hugh is putting the wedge to a vertical position.

Locking it into place.

One round on its way to becoming firewood.

A smaller round, easily lifted to the horizontal plate.

I loaded the video to Vimeo,  but needed to change the format so after another try, here it is. No voice commentary, the machine was  too loud!!! I had to double click to start the video.Somehow on  this my name is  Anna, which is my first christian name, Anna, after my Dad’s mum and Jean, after my Mum’s mum, but as a child  was always called Nan or Nancy, hence my blog name of Nancy J.

Actors and actresses have given permission for their screen debut to be published, and I’m sure an Oscar, an Emmy, or maybe an new NZ only award, “AOWS” .. Art of Wood Splitting, they deserve it so much!!!

Another frost this morning, a  fine day will follow.

Quotation of the day, author unknown

The mighty trees give shelter and shade on a hot day, and warmth in  winter

Greetings from Jean

Look up,Look down,are the optometrist’s words

 

I did look up, then I did look down, and what did I see? Trees!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This one  was felled in a gap between other trees, and  is  down partly over the edge of the stream, so it will be a cut, trim and winch job , I might close my eyes at the difficult part!!! These rounds are cut, ready for splitting on Wednesday. The splitter is  a petrol driven machine, photos to come  on Thursday.

Tonight the sunset was gloriously  deep pink for those fleeting moments.The larger photo is looking to the West, the tall trees are to the North, and with some trees now felled, I can see more of the  afternoon sky.

Quotation of the day, by Martin  Luther

“For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver.”

Greetings from Jean

Noisy Days, and Busy Days , and many trees are falling

           

The title words  can be sung to the tune of “ Mairzy Doats”             The tree feller has been and so far 8 trees are waiting for their turn to be cut into rounds, and then split. Every fine day we are out  there, Hugh with the chain-saw, and I have some new heavy duty gloves, so far they have done the job, no splinters or broken skin. More photos to follow as work progresses.

These ones are now down,  the tree lowest in the photo has been trimmed, and cut into rounds, well most of it, the largest trunk part is for another day. Energy is ordered!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The best part of the day, apart from when Hugh says “ time to stop”. is the  sit down on a stump, and have a compulsory juice and choc bar!!! Yummy, guess it makes the hard work seem a little easier. But next winter, when the fire is roaring hot, and I’m cosy inside, this will all seem a distant dream. At least that is what I say to myself, as the muscles ache!!!

Quotation of the day, by Colin Powell

A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.

Greetings from Jean

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Photo Processing Fun with “Lightzone”

 

I recently loaded a free photo processing program,  “ Lightzone” and am learning what is has , how to use it all, and wonder if  will I ever need  or get to use everything it has!!!

A few photos from my collection, with processing to enhance, beautify, or alter to the extreme.

Mt Tongariro, with the ash plume, taken a few  weeks ago.

Sunrise one morning, January 2013

The Coastline, South Otago, January 2009

Quotation of the day,  from C S Lewis

“You are never too old to set another goal

or to dream a new dream”

Greetings from Jean

The Reality of Yesterday

 

I had phoned the surgery, we did visit the pharmacy, the faxed prescription was not faxed, we came home empty handed.

Our drive to town  yesterday, ( The Parody) and today  ( The Reality)  again  were both  uneventful, quite different if we had been in  Dunedin this morning. Thick snow, roads and schools closed, and lots of cars skidding into others, the sides of the streets, or left safely at home.

The photos were taken some time ago, over different years and months

The stream was a little flooded in July 2011

 

 

The sheep were on a country road down South, in December 2011

The tractor was on the farm down south, January 2009.

The log was felled, in October 2011

Hugh and I walked the Kahikatea walk in October 2012

And the gumboots, Google provided them I have deleted  the original photo of my pristine red and black ones

Snow south of Dunedin. Glad I didn’t need to go anywhere down there today!!!

Quotation of the day, author unknown

“ Do not believe all you see, read or hear,

a grain or two of salt helps

distinguish the imaginary from the reality”

Greetings from Jean

A Parody of the Day’s Events

 

 Definition “a humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing:”

No animals or vehicles came to any harm  in the making of this story.

I phoned our Doctor’s surgery last week and asked if my prescription could please be faxed to our Pharmacy.I was phoned the next day, to confirm exactly what was  needed, and was  told it would all be done.

===================================================

The surgery assured me, the prescription would surely be faxed,

and tablets that were all needed would be ready and waiting as asked.

I opened the garage door, not remotely, but by hand and brute force, that was me,

We forded the river, “ Go slowly”,  gumboots and  tow chain  if need be.

Some sheep blocked the  highway,  the heading dog doing his stuff

Then a tractor, that huge beast,  I knew it, I just had to be tough.

 

The wind had blown mightily all night, and a tree was blocking  our street

Hugh with his chainsaw,   with  everything  ready, quickly cleared it so neat.

 

Gumboots and sou-wester  I put on, as the rain continued to  pour

Finally we arrived at the Pharmacy front door.

Prescription for Jean, please, the surgery faxed it to you

“ Oh no, I’m so sorry,

the one they forgot to do”

Home again, a smooth trip, no obstacles blocking our way

And I guess I’ll do it again  tomorrow, maybe a much better  day.

 

Rider… Photos used may have been taken  at an earlier time or day or year.

Quotation of the day, author unknown

“ Be prepared at all times, and never leave anything till the last minute”

Greetings from Jean.

August Flowers that bring colour to our Winter

 

We are still theoretically in winter, but the spring Daffodils are blooming,along with Grape Hyacinth, Snowdrop, and the stunning Protea Neriifolia , which has so many buds and flowers. A few photos from our place, some with a little, or a bit more Post Processing.

This reminds me of old school photos, the original black and white mellowed with the years to an aged sepia look.

Later this afternoon 2 pigeons  , the New Zealand Pigeon or Kereru visited us. They balanced on the far branches, eating berries, oblivious to me standing directly underneath, the thought in my mind, I did have glasses on, maybe a hat would be a wise addition!!!

Quotation of the day, from Minnie Aumonier

“  There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. “

Greetings  from Jean