- Over the past few weeks, we began a combination of spring cleaning, purge of all that is extraneous, and preparing the house for sale.
- This weekend, we worked on the yard.
- Irish Woman has a small electric chainsaw. She used it to cut back a rather aggressive honeysuckle bush.
- She claims it was a juvenile whomping willow. She survived the encounter, so I’m only say that it might be a hybrid of some rather combative arboreal lifeforms.
- I tried using the electric chainsaw, found it lacking, and dug out my old gas-powered saw.
- This, after several years of no use and some neglect, refused to start, no matter how fresh the gas or vivid the cursing.
- One trip to the hardware store later, I was the proud owner of a shiny new chainsaw. It worked like a charm. I cut down two dead peach trees, one dead cherry tree, and then tried to cut the honeysuckle stump back.
- Note that I said ‘try’ there.
- As I was cutting through that darned honeysuckle, the nut, which secures the plate that secures the guide bar, which secures the revolving, toothed chain of death, decided to explode off of its bolt, taking all of the threads with it.
- Imagine my surprise when the nut and retaining plate went 90 degrees to my right, the guide bar sent 90 degrees straight up, knocking my hat off, and the chain wrapped itself around what was left of the saw and my right arm.
- Luckily, Husqvarna has some really good safety features, and the saw cut off almost immediately.
- My long-sleeve shirt was ruined, but all I got from it was a couple light scratches on my hand and forearm, as well as an elevated heart rate and a distinct puckering sensation.
- I was able to find all of the parts except for the nut that started all this. It is my belief that it is currently moving rather quickly over Lake Erie on its way to Nova Scotia.
- The hardware store gladly replaced my 2 hour old chainsaw of doom with what is hoped to be a better example of Husqvarna’s product.
- I haven’t tried it out yet, but when I do, you can be sure that I’ll be wearing as much safety equipment as I can fit my fat self into. Think “StayPuft Marshmallow Man stuffed into a shark-proof chain mail suit”.
- Since we have to consider the epidemiological implications of every activity we do these days, I noticed that even though the hardware store was packed, everyone was keeping six feet of separation. They were also refraining from touching anything or anyone.
- Lowe’s has put up large sneeze guards made of plexiglass and two-by-fours at the checkouts.
- Of course, in order to converse with each over and be heard over the noise of hundreds of people talking in a large warehouse, the cashier and I had to lean over to the side of the sneeze guard, but at least they’re making an effort.
- A smart man uses an electric implement to trim the bushes in front of his house and not his machete. A wise man has his wife supervise so that it’s done to her liking the first time.
Join the NRA
Musings
Posted by daddybear71 on March 30, 2020
https://daddybearsden.com/2020/03/30/musings-340/
Previous Post
Rumblings
Rumblings
7 Comments
DaddyBear
DaddyBear’s Den 
Jennifer
/ March 31, 2020I rejected decorum and used the machete
LikeLike
daddybear71
/ March 31, 2020I did that once. Once.
LikeLike
barkleymom
/ March 31, 2020Are you moving jus to a different house or are you relocating? Lots of work in either case. SO glad Dad’s house is sold but unbelievable how much “stuff” a 99 year can accrue in it in 70 years. – Brigid
LikeLike
daddybear71
/ March 31, 2020We’re moving to a different house in this area. We’ve built up a lot of ‘stuff’ in just 20 years. Not sure what this place would be like in 70!
LikeLike
MaddMedic
/ March 31, 2020Machetes…….Cut short (no pun intended) a trip to the Boundary Waters with my Eldest Son years ago. Caused much excitement for this old medic, his son, the Rescue Squad. It is now safely locked in the Gun Safe, with strict wifely instructions that I better never touch the damn thing again!! But as a medic I was clinically able to see how quickly one could get to feeling terrible watching blood spurt. Tourniquets work!! Only if they are applied correctly! As in crank the sumbitch tight!!
LikeLike
OldNFO
/ March 31, 2020WOW, glad you’re okay. NOT good that the saw came apart…
LikeLike
daddybear71
/ March 31, 2020Yeah, I got lucky. At least my eye protection wasn’t put to the test.
LikeLike