Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Chainsaws-Я-Us

In French, it's une élagueuse. When we had the hazelnuts and the laurel hedges cut down to size, we noticed that the gardener used a very small chainsaw. It was useful to cut the small trunks of the shrubs and trees since the gardener could hold it in one hand to work it. So, we decided that a tool like that would be good to have around when we wanted to prune our trees and shrubs ourselves.

The new saw is a MacAllister, a local store brand. I don't know anything about them. It's small enough to use with one hand.

After a little research, we decided on a hand-held model rather than one on the end of a pole. We think it will be more versatile. I can use it on a ladder in most situations. The first thing I plan to use it for is to cut up the hazelnut branches that the gardener left for us as firewood and kindling. They're smallish branches and using the big or medium chainsaw (in French, une tronçonneuse) on them is overkill and not very practical.

It came with a handy carrying case, which I think is hilarious. They probably wouldn't let me on an airplane with this.

So this is my third chainsaw. The first is a medium-duty electric model by Black and Decker. It's been great and I still use it for some things. The second is a heavy-duty gas-powered chainsaw that I use for cutting serious firewood. Now we have the little one for small jobs.

I'm a lumberjack and I'm o.k. I sleep all night and I work all day. I cut down trees, I eat my lunch, I go to the lava-tree.* On Wednesdays I go shopping, and have buttered scones for tea.

* That's how the English pronounce lavatory.

16 comments:

  1. Oh no we don't!
    One pronunciates it as...
    "Love a Tory"....
    or "Lava Tory"
    unless, of course, you are a Tory...
    they would probably call it...
    "The Facilities"
    "The Wee Smalls" [Scottish]
    "The Quiet Room"
    "The 'Where is it?'"
    and loads and loads of others...
    that do not refer to the actual use...
    but never, ever...
    "The Comfort Station"

    But...
    to us it is just...
    the "Bog"!

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    1. And I love the "baby" chainsaw!!

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    2. tim, well, Michael Palin stylized it a bit when he sang the song. LOL!

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  2. A well maintained household can never have too many chainsaws ;-)

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  3. The idea of a chainsaw on a stick is just terrifying! P.

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    Replies
    1. Which is why Pualine doesn't want me to get the attachment for the strimmer!!

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  4. Lava as in volcano and tree as in a woody green thing? No lava with the a sound as in apple. Um, but I don't know the US pronunciation of lava or apple. Ok, not your fault. My father always used a chainsaw starting with Mc, but maybe it was McCulloch.

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  5. That's a cute little machine, even I could manage it.

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  6. Jeez, you and your tools! Thanks, once again, for planting a ditty in my head that I will be singing for the rest of the day.

    (By the way, I love working with a chainsaw and I love scones. Maybe I'm also a lumberjack.)

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  7. I cut down trees
    I skips and jumps
    I like to press wildflowers

    :)

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  8. Silly question maybe, but: Why would you want to take a chainsaw on an airplane? "Massacre à la tronçonneuse" perhaps? :) Enjoy your new, very useful and handy toy! ;) Martine

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    1. Martine,

      May be when Walt would have to land in a jungle and cut his way through.LOL ( I am running for cover)

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  9. Now, you may be a lumberjack, Walt, but I am one of the Axemen (that is the name of the mascot for my high school here in Oregon!). I had to look up the manufacture of that Oregon Saw Blade - and although it is NOT the one I was hoping for (a personal connection to a manuf. here in my city) it IS from Portland Oregon. The site I found was very interesting - and details an early selling job to European sources!

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  10. I never will understand why the Brits refer to dinner as "Tea"!

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  11. A necessary tool for gardeners but I hate trying to start the gas powered ones.

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  12. One is SO tempted to post a YouTube of the Pythons singing that song, but one will be A Good Person and refrain, despite now having an earworm. Nice little chain saw, seems to be a very useful size.

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