The chain saw stopped sawing. There was no apparent struggle against going into that dark night, it just stopped making a noise, let its chain turn powerlessly for a couple of rotations and entered eternal rest.The giving up of its mechanical ghost provided me with an ambivalent sensation of frustration and relief. Frustration at the fact that I could no longer complain about cutting wood in the cold, seasoned with relief that I didn’t have to continue role playing as a lumberjack, for which role I am ill suited. I went through the “man” ritual of dismantling it followed by a thorough mantling, but to no avail, its teeth had been pulled . The wandering spirit of this machine would not be rattling its chain. Its chain rattling days had reached their appointed number. I wrapped the corpse in an oily shroud and said my “goodbyes” after which my eyes settled on the garden around me and, sure enough, there was life in the midst of death. Grey as the day may have been, the garden is full of green. It is evergreen as this mourning wreath of beautiful fresh herbs confirms. Grief, as ever, is short-lived as I notice that my fingers have started typing a search for “chain…..
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Food, Photography & France 
So sorry to hear ……
It happens……I don’t like it when it happens:)
Lovely bouquet. How lucky you are to have such fresh, green herbs! As for the chain saw, http://tronconneuse.diplotop.fr/meilleur-produit/CRAFTSMAN
Thanks for the chain saw link (ho ho):)
Is it a Norwegian Blue chainsaw?……Then it’s not a dead chainsaw, merely resting. Try waking it up by shouting Testing Testin Testing… It may be pining for the forests or its total lack of movement is probably due to it bein’ tired and shagged out following prolonged sawing.
It has shuffled off this mortal coil, it is an ex chain saw, it’s run down the curtain and joined the bleedin’ choir invisible. It’s f..ckin’ snuffed it:)
Ah well.. hope you dug a deep hole so that marauding axe handles, and musical saws can’t go grave robbing. Though I am a little mystified as to how the lack of a chainsaw means you don’t need firewood anymore. Do you have spring there goddammit? Is this what you are trying to say without hurting my frozen feelings? Is that what all the greenery waving is about!? c
Unfortunately,no.Luckily I’ve stored quite a bit of cut wood, and now I’m counting my pennies to buy another chain saw. Meanwhile I shall proceed with an axe and just stuff longer logs into the wood burner, some how:)
I HATE it when i carry in a load of wood and the last one is too long, I try bashing them in, they set fire, then I have to give up, pull them back out .. then i am running through the house carrying mini olympic torches! Well let us hope for an early spring for you.. Did I tell you that my first husband famously told someone, in my hearing, that he would never lend out his chainsaw or his wife.. in that order! I know that has nothing to do with anything but it still makes me laugh!! Well what can you say.. c
I can see that you are au fait with the trials of the chain saw! I’ve been spending a few days in London which is why my comments on friends blogs have been few and far between. Apologies for that – I have to get at a computer when I can:)
Don’t worry about that at all.. I am the worst at irregular visits, now mind those London bar stools they have a tendency to tip the unsuspecting. c
Sorry for you loss!
When the going gets tough…..I just breakdown, like a chainsaw:)
That’s a beautiful bouquet!
If it’s a Texas chainsaw you might have to feed it some boudin noir 😉
I should have thought of the blood sausage:)
It’s no good feeding wood to a chainsaw 🙂
How right you are. It just makes them feel tougher than they really are.
It’s probably just pining for the fjords….
If there was one nearby, I’d chuck it in:)
A fitting tribute. Hope you can find a replacement before next winter.
I’m going to have to find another before the end of this winter:)
Un bouquet garni! Fantastic shot, sorry about your chain saw… 😉
Wonderfully fresh colours after all the rain we’ve been having.
Valete, chainsaw! Salvete new one? Like your thyme . . . hope it’s the lemony kind 🙂 !
Well spotted:)
I love the water droplets that you captured. Impressive.
Thanks for that. The rain helped:)
As ever, your writing is so good, but your photos are looking sensational. This one of the herbs and greens – a case in point. Thanks for the inspiration!
Very kind, Marina. Thanks for that:-)
What a beautiful bouquet garni and bugger the chain saw!
The chain saw is truly buggered, so I’ll rest on the laurels of the bouquet garni:)
Science fiction writers create stories and movie makers create films on the day machines take over the World. Until the day when chainsaws cut wood and furnaces heat homes, both dependably, their tales and screenplays will remain within the realms of fiction.
Stupid, stupid machines.
I did find that cookbook yesterday. Unfortunately, the events of last evening have resulted in a temporary hold on frivolous purchases, like cookbooks, food to cook using said cookbooks, and, ironically, fuel to run the newly repaired furnace.
I see you’re beset by the failure of the machine as well. At least I can use an axe to cut the wood. Glad you found the book, I think you’ll like it. Anna del Conte is a wonderful writer and an amazing person.
I’m impressed you could mantle.. I’m adept at the “dis” and abominable at the re-mantling of things. Temperamental old thing, give me a good axe any day..
I’m not great at mantling, but needs must. The trusty axe has been brought out of mothballs:)
I hope the mourning period will be short and that you will be celebrating the arrival of a new chainsaw shortly.
Who knows when the stork will fly in with a brand new one!
I feel your pain – sawing up wood is a horrible task. You´ll have to hone those negotiating skills next year and do a trade for some chopped wood!
You can negotiate until you’re blue in the face in this part of the world and you still get big logs:)
What a pain. Good words and photo, though.
Many thanks for that:)
RIP chainsaw. Steve covets a new one, but is currently without.
Gotta have one – can’t live without it in the winter. Staying in London at the moment, in a CENTRALLY HEATED house:)
MTM owns a never-used Stihl, a monster of orange horsepower. I wish I could send it to you, Roger, because it sounds like you would use it. 🙂
The Stihl is the guy I want:)
Such hard work, that! May the next incarnation be like a lifelong trusty friend. And I’m so crazy about the garni that I’d love to see it framed on my kitchen wall above my sink!
High praise indeed, Antoinette. Many thnks.
I think the “like” button on your blog should say “love” I love this! Exquisite photo (as always) and you crack me up! (I too have a chain saw… you can borrow it any time! ’nuff said)
Nice offer – thnks:)
Fabulous photo. Makes me want to give up trying to learn how to use my new camera. Will I ever get there???
Good your chainsaw died; you’re better off doing photography.
Being warm when I take pictures is dependant on a chainsaw. The chainsaw is dead, long live the chainsaw:)