But I'm not dead yet ... Age and climbing

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It’s a shame you couldn’t get a few more years out of it but there you go.

A lad in his early thirties on AT had to knock it on the head because of persistant joint pain.

I’ve been lucky so far, lots of niggles but nothing that’s stopped me.

I know I wouldn’t be doing it still if I had to handball all the wood, the back just wouldn’t have stood for it.

The bigger chipper helps as well, less shoving and twisting.
 
The funny thing is what I'm doing now is a blast. I love going to work every day and that alone surprises the shit out of me.

There were scorching days and freezing days that I had to deal with doing treework that really bummed me out.

That doesn't happen anymore!
 
forestkeepers said:
I'm 42, already with some rough joint issues after stepping in a gopher hole 15 years ago and tearing a ligament in my ankle. Also, my left elbow is pulp after repetitive stress injuries from computer work 10 years ago with a non-ergonomic set up. And rotator cuff sensitivity as a result... BUT I find ways to cope, doing daily Egoscue Pain Free exercises and other bodyweight exercises that enhance flexibility and joint strength. We're about to buy a bucket truck and mini skid steer (Vermeer or Ditch Witch), so I should find even more usefulness on the crew as an equipment operator on those new acquisitions. I don't plan on quitting any time soon or going to the office zone full time. I'd probably go stir crazy if I didn't have time out in the sunshine & great outdoors every day!
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I did Egoscue for a lot of years to keep my muscles in working shape. And I will probably go back and do some of his stuff to accomplish some specific improvements with my body.

Now I do Somatics by Thomas Hanna. Time invested down from one to one and a half hours per day to the current 10 to 15 minutes of easy going movements.
 
Sorry for not being around here much for quite some time, but I am still at it, though I'm doing more goofing off or photography than tree work these days. This is my 43rd year in the trees, however, and I can still bring it, apparently....

Here's a couple shots by an innovative co-worker on a job of Patrick's (Westside Tree Care) He framed me and the tree with the hollow center of an old snag that we had dropped. The spikes that can be seen are the fibers of the branches, which get grown over as the tree puts on new wood. Derek4478.jpg Derek4481.jpg

This image is of me from yesterday. It was as high as I could get in 10 seconds after pressing the shutter (on 10 second delay) The tree is one of several venerable big leaf maples at Fairholm, on the far west end of Lake Crescent in the Olympics. I'll post more later. We had just seen the world's largest grand fir. Here's its specs, as last measured by Robert Van Pelt in 2013 (allegedly) Grand Fir Abies grandis 1994 260" circumference 227' tall 47' crown spread 499 AFA points Robert Van Pelt Clallum 2013 Olympic NP, Barnes Crk at US 101, Barnes Creek Survivor 2,370 cu ft Canon EOS 5D Mark IV - 0C4A0194 rog in maple R.jpg
 
MasterBlaster said:
Nice logs there, Roger! Are you selling the wood?
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Butch, we had removed four firs on two different jobs. (The jobs were in early March. We grossed 4600 board feet, less than I thought, but were dinged for nails on the three largest logs. Lost $1100, but still got $1906 after trucking, as Douglas-fir is paying better than it has for years. Peak price was $880 per mbf.

I knew there might be problems with two logs, should have cut two feet off, which might have eliminated the metal... I didn't see the stain on the third log. Second log was already on the truck when I saw the stain. At least they paid $380 for the almost 2000 board feet as firewood, but it would have been $1500 or so otherwise.

Even so, Patrick had bid the jobs well. We each made good $....

My right wrist is bothersome, dunno if anything can be done (stem cell therapy?) and I have a big toe that hurts a bit. but my knees, hips and back are in dang good shape for an old feller.... I could still be climbing every day, but don't need or want to. I'll be 70 in 14 months and will then take my full SS bennies, which will be more than I need to live on per month. Might keep the business going, or have a young fella I have in mind take the main reins....
 
Merle Nelson said:
I did Egoscue for a lot of years to keep my muscles in working shape. And I will probably go back and do some of his stuff to accomplish some specific improvements with my body. Now I do Somatics by Thomas Hanna. Time invested down from one to one and a half hours per day to the current 10 to 15 minutes of easy going movements.
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Indeed, there is quite a time investment in those types of Egoscue static stretches. When I've started the day with those, I've tried to limit it to 30-45 min, tops; full routines can easily be over an hour beyond his basic maintenance routines. But I've come more into dynamic stretching (Matt Furey, Ross Enamait). I find the movements attainable and the stretches effective, increasing flexibility and range of motion, joint fluidity, and bone density improvements. They're a lot quicker warm up for the day to get all the joints primed & ready for the day's work.

But I do joke with the guys on the crew about doing Treegoscue: Branch Out and Stay Limber!
 
pantheraba said:
Doin' it for sure! Good pictures.
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Thanks, Gary. Here's some video... Mostly of Patrick aloft, some clips of the geezer....As usual, watch in HD, on youtube, in full screen.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BtBLaVxvbCI" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
I just love to see guys older than me still rocking it.
Gives me hope.:)

Been a long while since you posted some of your f....... excellent bird pictures.
I've missed those.
 
Looks good for 91! I'll be happy to be able to walk on my own at that age.

Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk
 
SeanKroll said:
Keep posting, Roger! Wondered if we lost you to FB.
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To some degree, that's true. First, I'm not doing much tree work these days.

Second, by not being a regular here, the few times I have posted a vid or something, people barely notice.

And I am posting scads on FB... I'm a member of a boatload of groups--a few are tree rat boards, but I'm not very active there the way I am on photo related boards. It's cool when a photo garners over 500 likes......most from females, even occasionally a hottie....

I shot almost 400 images yesterday, mostly of birds..woke up early...have yet to start editing them. I'm off today to Catrina's to use her good washer/dryer to properly clean my grungy down bag... in Marysville, and then may continue north to again shoot at the Tulip Festival, and hike to Oyster Dome to catch the sunset over Anacortes, the San Juans and Olympics... Then, a new photo friend has invited me along to kayak both directions through Deception Pass --with the current each way. I've never kayaked. I get to use his pedal powered boat.. which would be great for photographing wildlife... but I won't dare bring any cameras, besides a knock-off GoPro.....I do want a boat like that, as I'm sure I could work up to the level of being comfortable bringing a camera with a big birding lens----

everyone who does it says it's not hard to get close to wildlife when in a kayak.....

Folks who want to view my images, go to FB and search for Roger Barnett Seattle, or here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rbtree/sets/. I haven't had time to post all the good new stuff to flickr, as FB is first....

Here's a teaser. Shot from Mt. Erie an hour before sunrise, overlooking the area south and east of Anacortes

https://flic.kr/p/22L7bXd
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