And I'm alright, I work all day and I dance all night.
All the gear and some idea of how to fell a tree.
So, I have done the course and passed the assessment.
It was incredibly hard: very physical, a great deal of information to absorb and techniques to master. To be fair, I am nowhere near mastering them, but I have been deemed safe and competent and now, hopefully, I will build experience while keeping my limbs.
In the first aid kit, I have haemostatic gauze, a pressure bandage and a tourniquet. That focuses the mind.
It's funny, as I first fancied the idea of being a tree surgeon in 1999 when I moved to Northampton. I wanted to be up in the tree with ropes and a harness. That is still a dream that I could attain. Who knows?
The current need for a chainsaw ticket is to assist in the management of woodland, for safety, access and habitat. Those who wish to do coppicing properly really need a chainsaw ticket.
The day of the assessment was very stressful. While my colleague was undergoing hers, I had time to wander a little and consider wood.
The smell of cut pine. This is a tree I had cut up. The age recorded in rings. Something reaching the sky and I made it fall to the earth. These trees are not native to this part of the country and the idea is to gradually reduce their number allowing space - and light - for shrub and deciduous trees.
It's an ongoing process.
I also had time to listen to the birds.
A little after this recording, a mixed flock of goldcrests and long tailed tits flew over on a foraging mission. For about five minutes I listened to their happy calls and watched them flit across the ride, testing what different shrub and tree species had to offer.
I think the magic minutes with the birds helped me pass the assessment.
Wow!!!!! Congratulations!!!!!