Machete Vs Machine

I was given a telling off yesterday by my neighbour, the farmer’s wife.  We have a beautiful Mimosa tree http://spiritrisingherbs.com/?p=33 which blooms throughout the summer but it was planted against the garden wall and, willow like, it’s branches hang down and block the road.  I can live with that but, annoyingly, they also grow through the electricity cables.

Our Mimosa

Our Mimosa

So every few years I have to give it a severe haircut. I had just climbed down after the latest operation when I was sharply interrogated about my intentions regarding the 50 or so branches strewn across the road. Up ’til then I’d been using a hand saw as chainsaws, me and ladders don’t mix but I explained that I would be using my chainsaw to lop the branches into firewood.  Makina yok! she said, zooming off and after a couple of minutes returned with a wicked looking and razor sharp machete and a chopping block.  I was then given a lesson in the art of stripping off the twigs and lopping the 10 ft. branches into one foot lengths with the same apparent effort as it takes to scramble an egg.  Suitably impressed, I was handed the heavier than it looked billhook and told to start.  Well, after two minutes I discovered, unsurprisingly, it wasn’t anywhere near as easy as it looked!

However, I persevered and managed to complete the job in record time with no damage to the enviroment apart from a couple of blisters.  I sure my neighbours enjoyed a good laugh….”Guess what! He was going to use a machine to make a bit of firewod!” And Gina has promised to buy me a machete for Xmas….mmmm

Kayakoy Chimney 10" x 8" Acrylic on card

Kayakoy Chimney
10″ x 8″ Acrylic on card

Anyway this has nothing whatsoever to do with my painting today which is of a lonely chimney stack back in Kayakoy.

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