How'd it go today?

[brendonv]

Done for the day already. Pruned a Hemlock hedge, forsythia, and some others shrub for this wonderful old lady. Gave a bid in the morning, and headed out to give another in a few.

Hot and Humid today, happy to be done.

 

[Newfie]

Wow OM, that eighth grader writes very well for his age...impressive. Sounds like some cool new buds you've made there!

But he spelled Derwood wrong.

 

[Jonseredbred]

2 days of EHAP then today we got back at it.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Well I screwed up.. Got to to someone earlier than I had them scheduled and forgot to take them off the list. They are a monthly so I did not even notice.. DOHHHHHHH comes to mind.!!!!
So we took a vote and took the day off sort of. We never have time here to do for ourselves. Got a lot of ducks in a row for the vacation rental. I did not realize how much they have regulated this facet of the tourist industry.. OMFG!
CA is just nuts! Nuttin we can't handle. But jeeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzz the money you have to fork out ..... I felt like I needed to stop for KY on the way home, and I don't mean for my porty! We'll get it all handled. But we are not going to be on the grid with it for longer than we expected. Sux being we could have already been booking stuff for Sept.

 

[Fiddler]

A fine day....climbed this morning and did a trim and removal, both leaning badly over power lines. changed to bucket about 10am, trimmed five maples, a honey locust, and a cherry, then did a big dead "danger tree" removal the boss figured on useing the 70 foot bucket on (mine is 55'). I asked him if he had seen the big dead removal and he said not to worry about it....Loved the look on his face when I told him it was done.

 

[SkwerI]

I had a fine day as well. I worked a half day this morning on some trimming, no big deal.

Then as I was leaving that job my phone rang, another guy was chickening out on a removal and asked me to "come knock off four limbs for me, I'll give you $100".

I got there and it was another big, nasty laurel oak with minimal landing zone and partially over the house. I took off the first limb over the house and asked him "Exactly which 4 limbs did you want me to cut off?" He then offered $200 for me to just put all the brush on the ground, so I stripped it down to a 30' spar in about 45 minutes and left with my $200.

Have I mentioned lately just how much I love my truck?

This afternoon I prepped a couple saws for tomorrow's big job, found a nice little '96 Ford Exploder for my buddy for $2K, returned a few phone calls and sold a couple more jobs.

I really don't want to sell jobs for myself but if it's straightforward and the customer isn't all wishy washy about what they want, I'll throw out a bid and work it with one of my regular tree guys. I don't advertise or solicit work in any way, and only give out a card if asked. It's all repeat or referral clients. Got a call yesterday from a guy who I worked for 12 years ago. I looked at the job and sold it over the phone even though I was $100 higher than his other bid.

 

[Mr. Sir]

I'd stay away from those Ford Exploders if I were you.

 

[sawinredneck]

I'm not a big fan of the Exploders either, some are AWESOME, most are junk! It's a crap shoot.

I should have grown up to be a weather man, these guys are morons! Wasn't supposed to rain yesterday, it rained in the am. Was supposed to rain all day today, then be clear the rest of the week into the weekend. No rain today, but storms are moving in tonight then again tomorrow afternoon and evening.
I was supposed to start a fence job tomorrow, and still need to get the Silver Maple TD done somehow. I can't schedule it with the weather like this, and the HO is in and out all the time. I'm sure they are getting frustrated with me as well.

 

[sotc]

Today was a training day, I had to walk away and let the guys think for themselves as my main climber was off. As a result we didn't make it to the 3rd job but I came back and talked the guy in the bucket through the second removal and he was suprised at how fast it went. Someday i'll have him all trained up...... so he can go work elswhere:roll:
I'm also waiting on well over 10k to come in, the sooner the better

 

[Old Monkey]

I fell today and I wasn't even climbing. Jim was out on a branch pole pruning the tips and had tied off his lowering line to a large branch. I asked him I could use the other end of the line to swing onto the neighbor's roof. He said it was solid so I climbed up onto the fence and tried to get enough of a swing to get up on the neighbor's roof. My feet got on but my center of gravity wasn't there. I swung back to the tree and kicked off for another try. My feet got on the roof and I felt like I was golden when I heard a crack. I fell backwards and sideways onto a gravel walkway. The wind was partially knocked out of me. My only thought is that the rigging spar is coming down right here and I have to move. I moved as quickly as I could without any air in my lungs. Fortunately, there was a half hitch in the line and the branch was suspended in the air above me.

I still climbed the rest of the day but I am feeling it in my neck, ribs and posterior. I have to go out and do bids now but want to just sit.

 

[Old Monkey]

Someday i'll have him all trained up...... so he can go work elswhere:roll:

Ha!

 

[sotc]

I keep telling you that your not supposed to break out the rigging point! Hope it isn't any worse than 2 days of stiff!

 

[SkwerI]

Sorry to hear about your fall, Darin. Vitamin I, ice and rest it when you can. Hope you feel better tomorrow.

 

[MasterBlaster]

My buddy's crippled from a bad roof maneuver.

 

[NeTree]

Darin... hope you feel better soon, dude.

 

[squisher]

Dang Darin, rest up.

Did a bunch of fun rigging today. Zero drop zone on one of my cemetery removals so ziplining out all the trunk wood/limbs. Used a neighboring tree as a spar and lifted then zipped out everything right down to the stump. I got a few pics but I'll have to wait to have them developed. Seriously developed, my uncles camera.

 

[Fiddler]

Darin....Sorry about your fall. heal fast.

Brian....I use that same technique on smaller diameter stuff w/out the rigging. works nice if its vertical & balanced

Sounds fun Squisher.

 

[rangerdanger]

Man, Darin, sorry to hear about the fall.

Took the day off again today. Could have started late, but dad had so much stuff to do he chose to take off again.

Hopefully doing the Ash tree removal tomorrow. Really want to get back in the saddle!!

 

[Che]

If your feet were up on the roof, that's a pretty long ways to fall flat.

Sounds like a good night for a long, hot bubble bath....and your vitamin I, of course. Hope you're better in the morning, Darin.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Jeeeez Darin... I hope you heal up quick. That could have been real bad dude!

 

[Old Monkey]

If your feet were up on the roof, that's a pretty long ways to fall flat.

Sounds like a good night for a long, hot bubble bath....and your vitamin I, of course. Hope you're better in the morning, Darin.

Judging by what hurts, I fell right shoulder first then posterior. My feet were above me. I wish I had video of it, then I could get a laugh out of my pain. I think I am really lucky so far as nothing seems more than just bruised and painful.

 

[Old Monkey]

I went to take a look at a large willow tree for one of my homeowner's associations after it lost a large branch in last nights thunder storm. It lost a quarter of the tree. I climbed up the broken branch/spar into the main crotch to inspect the branches that remain. While I was sitting there two neighbor kids that I had met earlier working for their mom climbed up too(it was safe so I did not object). The eldest is in the 8th grade and his brother is a couple years younger. I chatted with the kids about trees for 20 minutes or so. They were very bright kids. Well later after my bid to remove the tree was OKed, I got this email from the older brother:

"Dear Daren,



We were wondering as to the possibility of saving Our Lakewood willow tree by the pond. Because of our conversation in the tree and conflicting 2nd hand information from the Mahacheks, we have a few questions to ask you about the possibility of safely keeping the tree alive. We had some ideas of how to extend the life of the tree. First of all, we were wondering if we could build a structure over the trunk in order to protect the trunk from the elements and thus slow or stop the rotting process. Also, we wonder if we could possibly shorten/ balance the branches and thus minimize the amount of outward stress put on the trunk.



Carl"

I called him back and explained all my reasoning for giving the thumbs down on this tree. He was thoughtful, polite and asked good questions.

Well, the kid or his family called another arborist to look at the tree. The other arborist recommended removal but held out pollarding as an option. We live in a hot and dry climate here in Boise. I am skeptical of the success to be had from topping/pollarding this mature tree that has just lost a quarter of its foliage in one snap. Keeping in mind that the tree may not survive radical weight reduction/topping/pollarding, the kid and his friends have gone door to door and have raised money to pay for the possible extra cost associated with removing the tree in stages. If it survives, the kid saved the tree. If it dies, I will be back. So tomorrow I will whack the top off/ radically reduce/ top/ pollard, the tree.

 

[squisher]

It's pretty dry here and you can't kill the weeping willows no matter how hard you top/pollard them. I have one on my property that I've hacked every two years.

Pacific willows don't take to it nearly as well. And corkscrew willows are a waste of time around here imo.

 

[Old Monkey]

I haven't topped any here, so do I don't have any experience with their success rate. We'll see.

 

[squisher]

I've re-topped a few. It's a common 'management' plan here. Weeping willows as I know them left to their own will just grow huge and eventually have large failures. Not the best recipe for a urban tree. They grow all over in the wild here and that's how they exist naturally, trying to grow faster then they die. Choked with tons of deadwood and large limb failures.