A little bit of magic came my way again yesterday.

I was visiting dad’s grave in the local cemetery and saw that the arboriculturists were in cutting back the tree line to the south. Most of the branches were being noisily fed into the chipping machine but the larger ones, those over 3 inches/75mm diameter were too big for the machine and instead were cut into short lengths and stacked along the hedge bank. I strolled over to one of the guys and asked what they were planning to do with the logs. ‘Nothing’, was the response, they stayed and it seems were slowly taken away for burning by various people.

I of course asked if I could have 1 or 2 of them because I have bought a wood lathe and needed large lumps of wood to turn things out of.
“Yes,” said the foreman, “come tomorrow morning with your car boot empty and we will sort you out.”

It seems my dear dad is still doing me favours by guiding good fortune my way.

Today I went along to see the guy again and good to his word he let me have a boot full. I have promised to turn him some thing out of one, probably a giant chess piece like the king.

A boot full of billets

oooooooooooooooo

Also yesterday my second-to-come along granddaughter, Lauren, informs us that she has to make a castle for geography homework and it has to be in in a week. It then trickled out that half of her friends are well into theirs or even finished. Seemingly it was given out as a project three weeks ago.
She is becoming very sporty is Lauren. She plays for the football team, netball team, and hockey team and it does seem that it has taken over most of her spare time.

After a bit of harsh talk from her dad and us as to why she has left it this long to do anything and tell us, she engaged in the classic,
“No one would help me and I don’t know where to start. She (the teacher) said we could bake a castle cake or make a cardboard or wooden model or whatever form we chose. My friends have worked with their dads/mums/siblings etc.”
It’s a non-sequiter of course; an excuse to shift the blame for forgetting about it onto some one else.

I am now in full castle building mode while Lauren stands about waiting to be told what to cut or hold or glue or mostly,
“What do you think, it’s your project?”

The answer is “Dunno really, what you said.” and then, “my hockey stick is too short, teacher says it should reach my hip and all of the school ones are too little for me. There’s a sale on at Sports Direct granddad.”

“Groan”

Moat and castle foundations dug