January 2, 2006
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Un homme dans un arbre et une femme …
A man on a tree and a woman ……
English version below the pictures
A la fin de Décembre dernier , j ' élaguais un arbre ( un Sophora ) . Ses branches devenaient trop grandes et le feuillage faisait trop d ' ombre pour les buissons et fleurs de la pelouse . Je grimpais donc dans l ' arbre avec une échelle à coulisse et je sciais toutes les branches . Gros travail mais on est si bien en altitude ! Mais vinrent les deux dernières branches qui surplombaient l ' aabri de jardin pour l ' une et le jardin du voisin pour l ' autre . Je dus lier une très longue corde à la branche ( photo 1) et ma femme restée au sol tenait l ' autre bout . Quand la branche fut presque complètement sciée ( photo 2), janine tira si adroitement que la branche tomba dans un mouvement tournant juste au pied de l ' arbre en évitant l ' abri de jardin . J ' étais émerveillé par l ' habileté de ma femme . Mais les femmes ne sont- elles pas étonnantes ?
Ce récit relate sans doute un petit fait mais qui en dit long .
J ' attache la corde I tie up the rope Photo Janine Fauquet
Je scie I am sawing Photo J. Fauquet
At the end of last December , I was prunning a tree (( a Sophora ) . Its branches became too tall and the foliage sent too much shadow to the bushes and flowers in the lawn . So I climbed the tree with an extending ladder and I sawed all the branches . Big work but it was so good in altitude ! But came the two last branches that were overhanging our garden shed for one of them and the neighbour ' s garden for the other . I had to tie up a very long rope at the branch ( photo 1 ) and my wife Janine stayed on the ground held the other end . When the branch was almost completely sawn ( photo 2 ) , Janine pulled so cleverly than the branch fell in a curved movement just at the foot of the tree avoiding the shed . I was amazed by the cleverness of my wife . But are not the women amazing ?
.
This relates a really small event but that says much
Comments (144)
Yes, we are! And how blessed she is to be with someone who realizes it.
Happy New Year!
You and Janine are TRES MAGNIFIQUE!!!
Nous sommes étonnantes!
Bonne année et mes salutations les plus sincères.
Gwen
The two of you do very well together. You are a great man to appreciate how much she does and how amazing she is.
Happy New Year to you both. (((hugs))) and smiles ~char
yes, we are quite amazing! but men, such as YOU, are quite amazing, as well! Happy New Year to you and your amazing wife!
Yes, it tells how you two work so well together. You are a BEAUTIFUL couple. I could only wish to have something as special as what you two both have. How is the weather? I saw a program on the history channel last night where Amiens was mentioned as having a holy relic of John the Baptist.
Amiens is mentioned on many history channel programs. There must be a lot of great things about your city!! You are so lucky to live there!
I wish you a lovely 2006 and hope you and Janine have a fun year!
Love,
Livia, Solon, Bunzilla! and Rommie
I remembered you on my vacation. There was crops of lettuce and other veggies and I thought of how you describe planting them.
Be well, My friend
You both complement one another.
Happy New Year in 2006 for you both.
I am impressed with the both of you getting that feat accomplished. You Go.
thumbs up and all that sort of stuff. 
I can't make up my mind who is the bravest - you or Janine
I have decided - Janine !!! I have some over big trees so any time you are looking for something exciting to do feel free to come here and cut them down. You will have to bring Janine as I am not in the least brave. 
Marie
what wonderful team work!
bonne année, michel !
Your wife is clever, but so are you! I'm not sure I could do that.
Happy New Year!
Women do continue to amaze...
Happy New Year to you. Was Janine worried about you up that tree on the ladder??? That tree has some lovely twisted old branches.
Ouf! Tu m'énerves perché si haut! J'ai horreur des hauteurs.. Tu me fais rire car tu parais si bien habillé pour un tel travail..toujour élégant, Michel.. Bonne et heureuse année.
That's so sweet of you to compliment your wife that way.
Some women would have pulled out the ladder and collected your life insurance. : )
C'est génial!
This is the first that I've heard of a sophora tree. Some beautiful branches.
You both work well together. Men and women...we do compliment one another. John is watching football and I'm enjoying reading Xanga...
On your profile, your metro is given as Picardy. I'm sure you remember the song, "Roses are blooming in Picardy"
Comment dit on, "God Bless you" au francaise?
Fran
God Bless (en anglais)
Michel,
My pastor had a near heart attack this morning. He was taking down Christmas lights and had terrible lung pain. He was "near" a heart attack, but did not have one.
THree cheers! Hoorah Hoorah! Hoorah!!!!!!!!!!
happy new years!
i would have been afraid that the branch would hit me.
<3ashera
Bonne Annee!
Happy new year to you and your wife!
Well, This was a dangerous job and you were very brave to do this! and janine was a great helper... if you would fall she could call the hospital too!
Those are amazing branches on that tree. A work of art, truely.
Happy New Year, Bonne Annee Michel and Janine
Happy New Year May it be blessed for you and your wife. I just subscribed come and see me. Judi
Happy New Year to you and your wonderful wife!
Happy New Year
This was a massive job, Michel! I love the pictures and your outline against the tree.
Yes Janine was very clever to avoid hitting the shed. We women can be smart sometimes! 
Glenn trimmed our big palm tree's branches recently, as they were spreading to the neighbour's yard.
All my best wishes for you and Janine for 2006, Michel.
I think that the both of you are brave to be doing such hard work. I am glad that it did turn out alright and no one was hurt in removing all those branches from that tree. Michel it is remarkable that you can do that type of work and that Janine is able to help you do it. It would be hard to find another couple such as you two.
Have a Happy New Year!
Love
Edie Rose
happy new year. this is one of your most wonderful blogs. you doing, you are so good at doing, your wife at your side keeping danger at bay. you and she are a formidable duo! i love your web log. you and your wife are the best. thanks for sharing your life with us here.
These made for really neat-looking pictures. DON'T FALL!
Happy New Year my friend!
Michele
Happy New Year Michael to you and your family. Hoping for you that it is lovely, enjoyable and prosperous.
I think many women are much more cleaver than most men give them credit for. You are very lucky to have such a lovely and clever wife.
Happy New Year,
nice story
happy new year and wishes for many more joint projects like this to Janine in 2006!
Of course we women are clever Michel
. Well done to you both for doing such a thing in the middle of winter . Happy New year to you both
You look like a bird on that tree. I bet the birds were looking worried about loosing theyr territory.
Women are amazing in their abilities and they don't talk to much about it et Jeanin must be very smart indeed.Well.....she is with you and that helps too to become smart..or is the other way round?
Well done --could use your wife in our garden Ron
Ooooo, Simon said for you not to climb so high. He has more legs than you.
Michel, moi et mon mari on n'est plus des gamins, mais toi aussi... tu va encore grimper sur les arbres à l'age de la pension!!! Regarde un peu ce que mon mari aussi a du faire l'hiver dernier, lorsque une forte neigée a brisé la rame du grand "Cedro deodara" qui ombrage mon jardin de campagne: http://www.pix8.net/pro/pic.php?u=15700Z89aT&i=752259
Voir l'image de toi grimpé sur la Sophora m'a rappéle cet épisode et m'a comblée de tendresse!
Encore Bonne année à toi et à toute ta famille, et à tout le monde qui passe par ici.
It is wonderful that a man admits women are amazing, Michel... we have always known that we are amazing, ..... but just love to have a man say it.
RITA.
That was certainly a big job. You took some risk climbing up in the tree that way. I am glad that it all worked out. Last fall I had an arborest trim my maple trees. However, yesterday we had a severe thunder and rainstorm and the maple tree behind the house lost some small branches. Today I will go out and clean things up.
I live in New Albany, Indiana. It is on the Ohio River. Directly across the river is Louisville, KY, which is the nearest large city. New Albany has 39,000 people, but much of it is suburbs to Louisville. New Albany is one of the oldest towns in Indiana, but it is very young by European standards. The neighboring town of Clarksville is where Louis and Clark left on their expedition to explore North America during the administration of Thomas Jefferson as president of the USA.
Many good wishes for 2006.
Carol Suzanne
Dear Michel, Do you know that you have 142 comments in your previous bloggie? That is a lot and you are loved
Well, you mentioned that you made typos in my blog. That is okay. I did know what you were typing
I hope your eyes get better. Perhaps you could get a bigger screen for your computer, would that help?
I hope you have a wonderful day today. Here it is not like winter. We had thunder storms last night and now it is wet and not so cold out.
that sounds very complicated. how lovely to have a tree!! wish u the best with ur carrots and turnips and flowers etcetc~
Janine MUST BE AMAZING!!
Women become amazing when men see the amazing in them....AND YOU DO!!!
AMAZING!!!!!!
AGAIN, I love the scene you painted with your words....
THANK YOU MICHEL!!!
Thank you Janine!!
A hug to you both,
Lucy
Hi Michel, thank you for your comment.
I am finishing my undergraduate majoring in Biology and Psychology. I will enter medical school in fall, God willing.
Sheryl
Yes, we do amaze and keep you in suspense as to what we will do next. It is called allure!!!! I hope you have that word in French, but surely you do, being a romantic nation!!!
I laughed to see you dressed as you are in the picture. Here in the States, a man would have on old clothes and a billed cap of some sort, but something old and ragged!!! You have much maniére!!!
aww.. i would love to climb trees! haha.. but not here in singapore. it's not allowed and the police can arrest you! haha.. how's your new year? hope it's good.
Hi Michel. Those are some good pictures of you prunning the trees. That's how it looks over here right now too...drab and barren. I'm already looking forward to the loveliness of spring. Have a great day.
Paula
Thank you Michel, we too married in June , the 26th 1965. June is the month of weddings.
RITA
Thanks for coming by and commenting I appreciate new friends on Xanga, Judi
Bien sur! Les femmes sont toujours étonnantes!
RYC: GWTW est Gone With The Wind, Autant en emporte le vent. C'est mon film favorite.
Tous mes bons voeux pour toi, aussi!
~Jenny
happy new year!!! and yeah!! women are AMAZING!!
you always look so classy with your hat! hehe... happy new year!
We sure are amazing!
I think Janine is one of the best!
Goodness. At first I thought you were part of the tree -- as in -- the tree. Then I looked harder and figured it out. Silly me. That first picture is really excellent.
I am glad that you, Janine and the tree all came through this procedure safely! I have just had the dead redwood tree in my back yard taken down, just before the big storm with such high winds! I could not do this myself, and so I hired a professional. Much less risk to the heart!
Thank you for your kind birthday wishes. And the very best of the new year to you and your lovely family!
You are a treasure.
ur so dam gay u little chinse fag
My husband and I have done the very thing on more than one occasion... him in the tree with the saw and me on the ground with a rope. It works well, doesn't it?
clementine is the name of the girl in the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
i highly recommend it, i think you would enjoy it.
<3ashera
You have a very intelligent wife.
Happy New Year to you and your lovely wife. What a sweet and smart man you are for realizeing the good virtues of the woman you married! You asked about my parents... they moved here to North Carolina about three years ago and live about 30 minutes away from me. It is such a blessing to myself as well as to my children to have them here. Take care my friend!
Love
Debbie
Sounds like a team effort to me:)
Being at altitude probably reminded you of climbing trees as a child. Most wives are clever and I have decided I want one. hehheee
Hi Michel! I just read your comment. You are so funny !
We were playing with poket chips...but we don't use money. So I won all the chips with no money behind them...and my husband got new clothes...so I guess he really won.
Have a great day!
Paula
I just spent some time perusing through some of your past entries. The pictures are absolutely remarkable. I've always wanted to visit France and now I have an even more intense desire to do so.!
Bonne Annee! Je suis heureuse tu aimé la carte que je te envoyé.
Like Jeff and me, you and Janine make a great team. It is good to have a "helpmate" when one encounters challenging projects.
Never underestimate the talents of the female
We manage to do many things through instinct 
Love from Nanny & Knight 
Hello again! LOL -- yes, you look like part of the tree.
And my little Emily is 7 1/2. 
RYC: Ming est mon chien. Regardez çelui et çelui.
J'ai trouvais une fille sur Xanga que habite à Reims! Elle est américaine, et enseigne l'anglais là. Peut-être vous voudriez dire salut ?
I sell replacement china, art work, gently used clothing, tools on Ebay. Thanks for asking. That is quite a picture of you in the tree. Good post, Judi
I am always amazed by your perspective on simple things. It is truly a gift to be so thankful for every thing. Hope your New Year was wonderful.
Hello my friend !! Long time to see. This looks like a lot work to me. Glad that you are outtta that tree and back to the ground.... Hugs to you.. Rosie
Remarkable.
Michel,
just came by to give you a smile and a hug...
((((HUG))))
Lucy
You and Janine are both clever and amazing! :O) May 2006 be filled with health, love and joy for you and your family!
Aimee
Awww! Happy New Year! Wishing you nothing but the best!
~*Sazzy*~
Fait attention, cher Michel! (En l'arbre!) Oui, Ullrich, interessant...peut-etre un peu trop vielle et fatigue! Il faut le regarder en Juillet! C'est la que le fait interessant, oui? Basso aussi bien-sur. Et les autres.
Yes, amazing indeed
Happy New Year to the both you!
Eclats de rires ici
)))
Mais agile aussi notre ami Michel !!!
Amtiés
Michel,
Even when trimming branches you look like a fine gentlemen in your coat and hat!
xoxo Cat
You and Janine are good partners!
the cut the trees to make way for buildings!
ooh.. i got really fab presents! what about you?
Ce n'est pas elle.
I am afraid for my husband to climb on roof or trees as he is no longer very steady. But he did put up my Christmas wreaths on the upper level windows while I held the ladder. Now we have tried the rope trick before with a tree branch that needed cutting. When I pulled on the rope, the tree branch almost hit me in the head. So I think Janine was taking the most risk or probably her skills are much better than mine. Now the big question.....who will retrieve the Christmas wreaths?
RYC: Oh my goodness! ROFL. Coffee does do that too. Yes indeed. And you're welcome on Emily's age.
It's good to "chat" with you across teh comments pages.
Happy New Year, Michel! May you and Janine have a wonderful year. I'm glad your tree project went well. When I pruned mine, the blade fell off my saw and my husband had to fix the saw and finish the job. Come to think of it, that worked pretty well too
Thanks for your kind words.
We do have Hens in Simonville. Maurice de rooster and he will not like dogs.
Amitié
Carlo
Go Here
http://www.fotolog.com/bb_am/?pid=12750305
But of corase Michel all women are amazing...that's why you have such a happy marriage you are a very wise man
you know she is an amazing woman! Don't forget I am in "Protected Mode" for now anyway. I am off to bed it's 1:30 AM and I am tired. 
Shirley
Oh, I just find quotations that I like and put them there. I find some that relate to me. I'm scared for the future Michel. I want to get into this University, and I'm scared they will not accept me.
~*Sazzy*~
Women are indeed very clever! I'm glad you got through the sawing task without too much anguish.
Wishing you all the best for 2006! And have a great day, Michel!
Bonjour encore, cher Michel! Les filmes "Home Alone..." Non, il sont les -- et maintenant en Anglais -- feature length movies, regular "theatrical releases." They were quite popular, quite successful movies in the theaters. If you like movies -- comedies -- you should find them at your local video rental. If you have not seen them, maybe try the regular "Home Alone" first.
It's about a boy who is mistakenly left behind when his family goes on a Christmas vacation to Paris. How that could happen: uncle, aunt, and counsins are also going along, there is a power outage which turns off the alarm clocks, they oversleep and awaken in a panic to get to the airport in time. Great confusion. They do not realize he is missing until long into their flight to Paris.
So, he is "home alone." Then, two burglars have been "casing" the neighborhood. The boy sets all sorts of booby traps to defend his home against the burglars. It is all very ingenious and funny.
In Home Alone Two, it's a year later and his family is going to Florida for Christmas vacation, but the same boy gets on a flight to New York by mistake, at the airport. The same two burglars from the year before have escaped from prison and, by chance, he encounters them again, in New York, and the same "competition," between them and him, ensues.
Home Alone Three, different boy, and international criminals are trying to locate a top secret device that has by a set of circumstances, come to rest in his neighborhood. No one believes him when he tells them these people are breaking into houses, so he does what he can, by himself, to ruin their plans.
These movies, literally, had me "laughing out loud!"
At least you let Jannie hold a rope and pull so it will fall the right way. My husb says No No..I can cut it from the bottom and it will fall where I want it....so I got in the house. Once I was in a truck and he "fell" a tree on the truck.
Yes, women are amazing. It's wonderful you have someone so special in your life.
that they are!
CIAO Michel,CIAO Janine!!!
A hug,
Lucy
I am just thankful you did not fall from that tree!! We older people have to be so much more careful of falling!!! Those pictures scare me just looking at them!
Hope the beginning of the New Year has been wonderful for you and Janine!!
Be very careful up there, please. Are you trimming trees in a suit and hat??? What a gentleman you are! I hope the New Year is wonderful for your family, and I hope you continue to share them with us.
ryc: yep, i think red lights are important in life. it gives one time to reflect. hope you're having a wonderful weekend!!
Thank you Michel..
The artwork is by an artist very dear to me..
He is a friend of mine...His name is Giovanni Cavazzon..he has a webpage you can click on.
A hug,
Lucy
You're right...
I too am fascinated and admire how wonderfully some express thoughts...
Have a Blessed day Michel...
May you always be in God's Hands,
lucy
I am so sorry to hear about your car accident. I am glad you two are ok. I am also sorry to hear about your daughter's surgery. All of you are in my prayers and thoughts. Yes, I can understand your comments; it has just been too long since I used the French language so c'est tres difficile pour moi d'ecriver en francais. I wish you many much better days than yesterday, my friend. Judy
you and janine make a good team!
You're a smart man for seeing/appreciating how clever your wife is!
Happy new year and all the best to you n' your family Michel!
i'm happpy CheleD recommended you to my xanga...thanks for coming by.
it seems that we live in the same part of france - so hello neighbor!
bonne année!
Hello michel,
I'm back from vacation last Dec. 30 and it feels great there.. I want to travel again and again hehe.. I wanted to see France specially Paris.. oh happy new year to you and your family!
Au Revoir!
haha.. michel, il divo is an operatic singing group! and i LOVE them soo much! haha.. i reckon you listen to their songs. it's really calming. helps me get through bad days!
oh, don't worry about me. i'll bounce right back up!
I'm not as clever as your wife. Years ago my husband wanted me to pull the rope towards him, I pulled it away from him. The branch landed on the clotheslines.
ryc: You asked how many cats we have, only two. One is blind following a reaction to anethesia when he had teeth pulled. He does fine. Think he sees shadows. (also the vinegar/salt potato chips, we buy them that way, are the worst thing for me)
OUI MONSIEUR!
AJ goes to France est un film.
It was produced/directed by a friend of mine who graduated from High School Last year. A very talented young man.
Cassie
I think you both work very well together and have great luck as well as true love. There has to be that element in a relationship for it to be lasting. I have a ladder like that too. I need to do some painting inside and will have to use it for the vaulted ceiling (ugh) I'm scared of heights so maybe I'll get someone in to do it ha. It's like March(very windy) in Tennessee today and tomorrow it will be freezing again. This weather is nuts. Hope yours is much better.
Love to you and yours, Brenda
Bonne année à vous aussi !!
Chapeau pour ces travaux de haut vol .
Oui c'est une coincidence d'etre a peu pres a la meme epoque de l'autre cote de l'atlantique .Nous nous avons eu tres peur d'etre coinces au Canada a cause des evenements du 11 sept et nous avons quand meme regagne Fort Worth mais à la douane (la + proche de Montreal ) toutes les voitures et sacs etaient fouillees excepte une la notre car cela aurait pris certainement plusieurs heures vu le chargement que nous avions ( bagages pour 6 personnes ) .
Meilleurs voeux a toute votre famille.
Happy new year to you! I have seen you here at Xanga before, and always enjoy the post and pictures. I am learning to read you in French. Peace and blessings!
Il prend un homme étonnant pour comprendre à quel point les femmes étonnantes sont! I apologize for my horrendous French (I am blushing and hanging my head in shame!) The twisty branches of the Sophora tree are just beautiful and remind me of an old oak tree I used to climb as a child - I remember spending many hours hiding high in its branches, just watching the world go by. Love and best wishes to you and Janine for a happy and healthy new year!
Nancy
I tagged you in my jan 7th post.
I am glad that all went well with the tree trimming. I would have had a hard time watching. I get very anxious about the the ladder, the tree, the saws, etc...
I wish all of your family the best of new years! - Rachel
The tree--the ladder--the man--all picturesque! And I am proud of Jeanine for upholding the cleverness of women! If the branch had dropped wrong, she would still have been clever! And you would still have been brave and, I hope, gallant, though perhaps chagrined!
ryc--I am impressed with your grandson's courage in the face of the geese. They look and sound so much like snakes, I don't think I could have been as brave as he.
Happy New Year!
Joy
c'est l'amour
Wonderful of you to say so. I am glad too hear how amazing you think your wife is That is so sweet.
We need to do the same thing to our tree in the front yard... Trimmed it some last year but not near enough..we let it get too large before we started.
Your wife is so lucky that you compliment her for us all to see how you care for her.
Diane from USA Texas
But are not the women amazing?
Michel, this should be included in a book of quotes in both english and french! However the work that you accomplished while standing high on that ladder! Now THAT'S amazine! I would be to frightened to do such a thing.
But are not the women amazing?
Michel, this should be included in a book of quotes in both english and french! However the work that you accomplished while standing high on that ladder! Now THAT'S amazing! I would be to frightened to do such a thing.
Ooops...I don't know how that became a double comment.
The thing for "my education" is a college ring. It shows the school insignia, my year of graduation, my major of study, etc.
Don't they have such things in France?
This is the company that made the ring: http://artcarved.com/
wow! that looks dangerous...glad you got all the pruning done and lived to tell about it. yes, italy is coming soon and i can't wait. we're in the middle of planning where we're staying and what we're gonna go see. it will be fabulous! hope you have a good day.
Bonsoir, Michel!
Allison
Et à vous, monsieur, je fais des excuses que mon Français n'est pas bon. I know that was terrible. Mon oncle was, in reality, my brother's uncle. I was adopted at birth, and I will share that story in a few days. Thank you for the pictures. I see that you share the same gray sky that has haunted Yorkshire for months.
i've not heard of that kind of tree before
you, as a team, did a grand job!
happy new year to you both
http://www.mamselle.ca/hny2005to6.html
Ciao Michel..
Pray all is well..
A hug to you and Janine,
Lucy
Blessings to you and yours my friend
THANK YOU!
Yikes you are brave going in that tree .. and your wife is brave for allowing you to go in that tree !!
Happy New Year to you too .. and here where I live the wallet almost never agrees with the price of a home - but we do what we have to do ...we have are too many for the house we are in LOL !! take care and thanks for your visit xooxooxoxoxoxo
hello there, you subscribed to my 2nd site.. well, was it confused of you that i brought two xangas because i do not have premium to add people to see my protected post so i decided to get new one to have free trial to see my pictures er... im so sad.. i need a money er..
Non, je n'ai fait pas le pad thai hier soir heh
I go to school in cleveland tennessee. Lee university.
how adorable! i hope to be able to grow old and enjoy the small loving moments with my spouse one day like you and your wife.... but please becareful of climbing so high in the tree!
the pictures are from my grandfathers garden/house in vietnam=)
ryc: A vous aussi, Michel!
Your wife is quite clever. Brava!
I read your comment for Mystical. Mauricette is not dead, she lives in Simonville with Maurice the rooster. They announce the sunrise everyday.
ryc: Vraiment!
One of my friends is coming to Paris in March and Father Scanlon told me today he is going to Rome 12 February so it makes me want November to come very quickly. That is when I am coming over. It does allow me to dream of it. So all is not lost!
How are you, dear friend. How are your eyes?
Your courage and your wife's wisdom make you a perfect team in achieving the goal! Brovo!
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