January 2003

Newsletter, January 2003.

Just before Xmas I had an experience that has nothing much to do with kites (apart from having wind as a cause in common.) but is such a good story that I'm going to share it with you anyway:

In a nor'west gale, part of a huge old willow tree crashed over our boundary fence onto the back end of a building, cutting off an access track.

Immediately grasping this opportunity to play with the toys in my sand pit, I fired up the tractor, borrowed the brother in law's chainsaw and dived into the carnage; cutting off branches and dragging them off to the tip. 

The chainsaw was not big enough to cut the largest fallen limb at the fence line so I attacked it a metre or so on our side, fortunately as it turned out. 

The cutting was suspiciously easy , rotten centre I thought, and sure enough when the limb fell it was perfectly hollow.

A possum had made his home in it- and was still there, huddled up in the end of the hollow on the stump side, clear of the chainsaw cut by mm's.

Err, well not quite.

On closer inspection a little pile of fluff that fell to the ground as the trunk parted turned out not to be bedding material but the last, curly, 100mm's of his tail.

Seriously pissed off, .he stayed in the remains of his house for another hour or so.

Eventually I found him an apple and said sorry after which he left. 

Not a perfect day for the poss; first of all his house fell over then some bastard attacks him with a chain saw.  Did score an apple though.

Not perfect for me either.  I'm having to forgo the enjoyment of contemplative walks under the trees to avoid a grumpy possum with a new found propensity for falling out of them.

At least I acquired a timely and auspicious good luck charm that I will share by wishing a Happy and Prosperous New Year to everyone.

Peter Lynn,

Ashburton

1 Jan 2003

PS Lots of kite stuff going on- tell you next month