A Wider View

Did a lot of nothing today and was pretty successful. I guess just like the British Brexit delegation in Brussels today. German TV this afternoon did mention that the talks had stalled but didn't have a report from their correspondent there nor any footage of the press conference. They simply brought a report on the potential problems of Brexit for the British Overseas Territory island of Anquilla. You can't do more than shake your head.

Not storm damage which Anguilla recently suffered, today's Blip is taken from the forest looking towards our house barely visible at the very bottom of the photo. The State Forestry boys have turned up just as they do every year at this time when it the ground is soaking wet and ideal for the forwarders that move in to make crater tracks, destroy all the, probably centuries old drainage ditches and leave the forest looking a mess. I cannot understand the logic at all.

I guess we ought to be pleased the trees are being felled by hand rather than by a harvester. Hand meaning chainsaw or what the locals call a "Fichtenmoped" or "Spruce Moped"! After they finished for the day, Angie and I walked up to see what they had accomplished. They had told her earlier in the day they would be here for two days.

You won't be able to spot them but there are in the photo, two very good double handed axes, full 10 litre petrol and 5 litre chainsaw oil tanks left out for the night. If they had left a chainsaw I might just have been tempted.

Just confirmed to me how little I must know about forestry. I cannot for the life of me fathom out what they are trying to achieve. Being a tax payer, I should perhaps ask questions.

PS Photo taken from a hunter's high chair. The hunter responsible for this area is also the head State forester for our area. Perhaps you can make out on the far left and just to the right of the centre, the two clear "corridors" for a clean shoot.