Janathon Day 23: On being a bit more useful

Janathon Day 23: Walk - 7.25km, Time - 1hr 25min, Weather - overcast and grey but a little more mild.

It took me some time to work out what this was all about. Initially I was attracted by the sculptural quality of the twisted silver metal, wrapped like tinsel around the black fence and liked the idea of making the functional look dramatic. I just couldn't see what the function was. But it is actually blindingly obvious and I am sure many of you will, metaphorically, be patting me on the head and say 'there, there, you can't help it if you are a bit slow'. 

All I can say is: that might well be the case but in the end I did realise it is to stop people walking along the ledge. 

Sometimes seeing what's in front of your nose is not straightforward.

Anyway  today's exercise was not really the walk, even though that is my official entry. No today I cut down a tree. 

It was a weeping birch and so not enormously tall  but it nevertheless was a bit of a challenge as I am not the lumberjack type and do not have access to all the proper equipment. So this was a job done with a basic wood saw, cutting at odd angles as I took off the main branches before tackling the trunk.

As I was doing it I thought of my father, who was always doing this kind of thing, either rebuilding parts of the house or reordering the garden. He was an immensely practical man, constantly active but also purposeful. By contrast I spend my time on running, walking and cycling - far less useful. 

So in the light of that thought I class today's major effort as tree surgery.