Guerrilla pruning, chimney re-pointing and fox shit.
I’m just back from the rear of my property, accessed via a road different to the one I live on, where I carried out some guerrilla pruning of my neighbour’s Leylandii as it was robbing me of ~ 1/4 of the big sky that would otherwise be visible to me when I am lying in bed.
On that particular score, the mission was largely a success, although I need to return in order to effect some minor trimming.
Perhaps tomorrow.
Go back back a couple of years, when Ronald and David were my tenants upstairs.
Following some particularly stormy weather, they reported the ingress of water into their newly decorated chimney breast at the back of the house.
My friend's builder at the time, was prised from imminent retirement.
He came round and inspected the chimney breast from indoors and declared that the chimney would need re-pointing.
A date for the work was agreed on.
He turned up and carried out the work.
He sent me a photo of the re-pointed chimney.
I showed the photo to Ronald and David, and they promptly paid the bill.
Something that, as freeholder of the property, I probably should’ve done but, for the moment, let us gloss over that particular detail.
So, fast forward to the present day, where I find myself just outside the back of my property with a lopper on the end of a 2m pole.
For the first time, I am able to see the chimney, which is otherwise not visible whilst the viewer is on my property.
There is no re-pointing.
Nor is there any evidence that there ever was any re-pointing.
Sure, the builder showed me a picture of a re-pointed chimney.
However, I’m pretty sure that the chimney in the picture he showed me, belonged to someone else.
It certainly wasn’t a picture of my chimney.
The fox shit comes into this as I have just had the unenviable task of removing said shit from the chunky soles of my hiking boots.
Delightful.