Tree-mendous Work, Practical Problem Solving, Excellent Overall, House Proud Mouse, Cracking Demonstration & There’s Love-ly

Taken from Lynne’s weekly column ‘Green Scene’ for the Western Mail
20^th January 2024

Tree-mendous Work

This week I’ve been impressed by a few things – and whilst at an age where I am unimpressed by a lot of stuff, it’s been a real tonic.

Firstly, a large tree had been uprooted in the recent storms, in a client’s garden. It had got hooked up in adjacent trees and was ‘hanging precariously’ over a wooden footbridge, a stream and a terraced area densely planted with various much-loved mature shrubs.  It was ‘well above our pay grade’, so we called in a tree surgeon.  And that was my first ‘wow’ of last week.  The skill, patience, expertise and general camaraderie of the team was just an absolute delight to witness.

After a bit of head scratching and chin stroking – essential in these situations – they used numerous ropes, mightily impressive knots, a telescopic pole hook and a Capstan winch and basically lowered the whole tree more gently than you could rock a baby to sleep.  The three lads worked well together, with communication, cheerfulness and camaraderie being key – if only everything in the country operated that way.

The youngest lad, who was also the enthusiastic ‘climber’, was just totally enamoured with his work, so much so that when I commented on it – over coffee and biscuits – he cheerfully replied, “It’s the best job in the world. It’s like being a dog. I can eat whenever I want and I get to play with sticks all day.”  I’m still laughing – and in awe of such a competent crew.  Thank you Ross, Joe and Sam of www.uskvalleytreeservices.com

Practical Problem Solving

The second ‘impressive event’ was courtesy of my brother – if problem solving were an Olympic sport, he would be on the centre podium.

Last weekend he had a tool chest delivered, which weighed almost a quarter of a tonne and was unloaded and abandoned by a nervous delivery driver, who left the two of us to get it into the garage and off of two pallets and onto it’s castors.  I can’t begin to describe the procedure, suffice to say that it was all accomplished with half a dozen planks of wood, two axle stands, me doing what I was told and minimum fuss.  Oh, and a sleepless night for my brother prior to delivery whilst he worked it all out. I am always so impressed by that sort of thing. I think he learned it from Dad, or certainly learned how to do these things ‘because’ of Dad, who always loved a practical challenge.

Excellent Overall

My ‘impressive item’ has been my thermal ‘romper suit’, which I found when I cleared out under the stairs to make my ‘drying pod’.  There wasn’t a day in work last week where the temperature got over 3 degrees and for a couple of days, with the wind chill, it remained below freezing. It’s been challenging on the body and the mind!

However, my padded, thermal suit has kept me toasty warm.  It certainly won’t win any fashion awards, although I do use a particularly fancy belt from Peruvian Connection (a ‘belter’ of a Christmas present from a generous, fashionable friend) with it, just to raise my spirits – and often a topic of conversation.  I have learned there is no point in keeping these lovely things ‘for best’ – every day is the best one.

My ‘thermal romper suit’ is actually a Storm Suit Waterproof Overall by Motamec, who do all the rallying gear and are based in North Wales, and as my brother quite rightly pointed out, ‘They will know what cold weather is there!’

Size ‘small’ is still very ‘roomy’, hence the belt, but it’s probably the best £45 I’ve ever spent on ‘gardening’ clothes and has also proved ‘paw-fect’ to walk Yogi in, as our ‘sniffari’s ‘ are far too slow to build up any walking-warmth.

House Proud Mouse

And my last ‘that’s impressive’ moment watching the little mouse in Builth Wells that has been tidying up Rodney Holbrook’s shed almost every night for two months. The meticulous mouse gathers up items including clothes pegs, corks, nuts and bolts, and drops them into a tray on the work bench.  Rodney set up a night vision camera to catch the house-proud mouse in action and has called him ‘Welsh Tidy Mouse.’

Cracking Demonstration

Oh and of course, my ‘cracking’ Kindling Cracker also continues to impress, as I can chop, or ‘crack’ kindling to my heart’s content now.  The ‘Cracker’ is available from Webbs of/in Crickhowell, where they will also give you a ‘cracking’ demonstration.  www.webbscrickhowell.com

There’s Love-ly

If there is someone in your life that you want to impress, remember that next Thursday (25^th January) is St Dwynwen’s Day, or Dydd Santes Dwynwen – the Welsh equivalent of St. Valentine’s Day.  Dwynwen, was the daughter of the legendary king, Brychan Brycheiniog who ruled Brycheiniog (Breconshire) and who had arranged a marriage for her. Wanting to marry Maelon Dafodrill instead, when King Brychan refused, she fled to the woods and prayed to God for help. It is said that an angel appeared and gave Dwynwen a sweet potion that would help her forget her love for Maelon, but the moment she drank it, he was turned into a block of ice.  God then granted the distraught Dwynwen three wishes – the first was that Maelon would be thawed, the second was for God to help all true lovers, and the third was that she would never marry.

Dwynwen chose never to marry, became a nun and dedicated the rest of her life to God and helping true lovers everywhere. She retreated to North Wales and set up a convent on a remote corner of Ynys Môn (Anglesey).

One of her most famous sayings was, ‘Nothing wins hearts like cheerfulness’ – which might be worth remembering if you are trying to impress.

If you are buying roses for that special someone for St Dwynwen’s Day, of course red roses are traditional with love, but white roses promise loyalty, yellow signify friendship and pink say ‘thank you’.

And the ‘Love Language of Roses’ suggests that one red rose promises a ‘one and only love’, two roses signify mutual love and affection, three roses say ‘I love you’, four promise commitment, five are supposed to bring good luck, and six say, ‘I miss you’.

Call me cynical but I think any more than that say, ‘You’re trying too hard.’