How'd it go today?

[SouthSoundTree-]

Back to the work of a tree man today. Dahlia is going with the nanny today, back to mama tonight. I'll do a run of work over then next many days. Going to prune a tall apple tree, and a spruce hedge to reveal Mount Rainier. Luckily, its meant to be decreasing clouds, then sun. Easier to prune for a view when you can see the view. A lot of Mount Rainier and Olympic Mountain views from Olympia.

If it weren't for a stand of darn trees, I'd see the Olympics from home.

I met the new neighbor. He's into climbing his trees to see if we can see the Olympics from 100' up his doug-firs. The wife a little less stoked. The kid, probably a little small at 3 y.o..

We agreed to trade some services for some goods. A neglected orchard, a stand of trees ready for trails to be cut. Get a snag down from their wetland crossing, and build them a log bridge (very low, just long). They have a wetland area between their house on one acre, and their remaining 5 acres in the back where they have lots of tall doug-firs on a small rise, out of the wet.

Might have to try some deer hunting there sometime, if I can get someone to take me. Just tried 100% venison from a friend. Good stuff. Previously, only blended deer sausage.

Filling the freezer would be nice.

 

[Tucker943]

It's not for everyone, but like anything, give the sport a try.

 

[treebilly]

ROW work for the cable company today. Boring but pays the bills. At least they went to all to property owners and let them know we were coming and got permission to reach beyond the ROW to make better cuts (no stubs). Will finish that in the morning and off to cut a tree in half for one of our less experienced crews. I was told to make it so they can finish and drop the log safely. Gotta love it.
Also found out the boss is working with ACRT to get a training week in. I hope that happens as I'm not a good teacher and maybe I can get some srt coaching first hand. It also never hurts to do a refresher course

 

[timbertramp]

Well I hope the last few weeks is the last of the Chevy truck nightmares. No more than got the flatbed truck all done and plowing and the other broke down, wiring all turned into a fuse, nothing like trying to figure out someone else's mess. Then when the temp dropped to 20 below a friend's truck needed an emergent brake job, followed by a neighbor needing a fuel pump and full brake job on his new truck. I absolutely can not wait for tree work to start moving again. I'm about to climb my power pole for practice lol.

 

[rskybiz]

Found me a whole lot of yellow jackets, doing fence line clearing. Man they swell me up

All things heavenly rarify to air. Trèès pŕoduce that heavenly air. Breathe air and take care.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Lordy!!!

Yea Rich, it's nice when you can make proper cuts clearing ROW's!

 

[Cobleskill]

Yellow jackets seem to more wallop than any other of the stinging suckers.

 

[stig]

Keep some antihistamines in your first aid kit.
That really helps a lot.
Just make sure to pick a type where you can operate power equipment after taking them.

 

[Steve Mack]

Hope you're ok Joel, I was real lucky when I cut into that nest a few weeks ago.

Not sure what got me on monday but talk about itch, not much sleep that night. Both arms, elbow to wrist and still driving me nuts. Just posting about it made it flare up again. Bit worse than the pic.

 

[rskybiz]

Keep Benadryl in both trucks as my wife has numerous allergic reactions. The itch is far worse than swelling or the stings. Won't be climbing today for sure!
Had thoughts of competition for Geezers may have to just watch if the swelling don't go down by tomorrow
Be a good meet and greet if nothing else.
My hand where tagged twice.

All things heavenly rarify to air. Trèès pŕoduce that heavenly air. Breathe air and take care.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Oh man..

 

[FireFighterZero]

Jaysus that looks bad.

 

[Cobleskill]

I jumped off a roof on to a straw bale when I was a kid. The bale was full of yellow jackets. I ran up the driveway, no shirt on, and got nailed 14 times in the back. OOOWWWWEEEEEEE.

 

[mastermind7864]

I just loaded a couple of round bales for a kid that's raising some goats......then put a couple in the pasture for my cattle.

It's been a great year so far........they still have enough grass that they ain't really interested in hay.

 

[MasterBlaster]

At least the bales were wasp free!!!

 

[Mick!]

The wife has just returned from work, all happy and bouncy! This is a bit suspicious as she is alcohol free during January and normally rolls through the door like a wolverine with toothache, especially why she sees me with a glass of chilled muscadet in one hand and a bowl of chips on the table. Turns out she got a considerable pay rise at work today.

Champagne all round!!!!!!!

 

[MasterBlaster]

Congratulations!!!

 

[pantheraba]

Happy wife, happy everybody!!

 

[stig]

Congratulations.
So did mine, in a way.
She has a nice sum of money that she will be bringing with her.
I just heard on the news 10 minutes ago that Schweiz has let the Schweizerfranc run up. They have been trying to keep it on par with the Euro to helf their export, but finally decided to let it go.
Today it went from 1 SHF being equal to 6,19 Danish Kroner to 7,23.
Holy cow!
That means when she exchanges her money, she'll get about 25000$ more for it.
Tax free.
Can't wait to Skype with her tonight, she probably isn't even aware of it yet.

So I'll have a happy wife, too.

 

[pantheraba]

Wow!! Great surprise....the voodoo of international monetary exchanges. Don't let the opportunity get away from you.

 

[stig]

I think it'll stabilize somewhere near where it is now. The Swiss economy is very strong.
They have been keeping the Franc low on purpose but have bought up enough of them that they feel they can let it go up now, without too much risk.

You guys will start feeling that the dollar has risen a lot lately, because your export will be hurt.( I won't be buying at Bailey's, for example).
A strong currency is a double edged sword.

But since we don't need to buy anything in Schweiz, only bring money out of there, it is great for us.

 

[FireFighterZero]

Good to hear Mick and Stig. Youse guys might think your anniversary has arrived early.

A strong dollar is no good for me.

 

[FireFighterZero]

Well, it is almost time. I have been looking over my materials all day.

The state has hired me to help teach a basic wildland fire class. I will only be teaching a couple of lessons on my own, Fire Weather and fire shelters, but the lessons on fire suppression will be all of the instructors. One of which was a Forest Service guy before switching to the BLM, he ended up as the FMO in Lewistown MT. The other is a Forest Service turned BLM who is a supervisor for a field station in Zortman MT. He is a C faller (certifier). Even if and when I "f" up, the students wont be cheated!

I have helped teach in the past on some small stuff. I helped teach the safety refresher last year. But this is my first real for hire teaching gig. It was going to be at the next town over, and I was happy with that. Now it is going to be at my dept. and I am a bit more nervous about being thrown to the wolves.

The state is going to send me to a instructors class called M-410 to improve and expand my teaching ability.

I am excited and nervous. We have students traveling 150 miles for this class. If I do okay I will be asked to help out more. Possibly traveling all over the Northeastern Land Office, which my county is a part of. The headquarters is Lewistown DNRC, which is right in the middle of the Northern Rockies GACC.

After I get through this weekend we are taking the final practical tests and State written test for our Emergency Medical Responder class we have been in since October. It was a great class. I suggest that anyone that has the time should take the class. It is the new and more in depth replacement for First Responder. And about 100 hours less than the new EMT course.

 

[Bermy]

Good Luck Jim!

A good lesson plan is vital for a good class, helps keep you on time and on track.
For me going into teaching this was the most useful thing I learned at first, as I was constantly getting side-tracked by extra discussion, and not covering the core of the material, or having to rush towards the end because I was running out of time, having spent too much time on certain areas.

Good feedback and support from the experienced teachers is important as well. They can flag up areas where things didn't go too smoothly etc., I always highly valued feedback from classroom observers, and from the students themselves, you know, those forms you have to fill in at the end.

When I started teaching I was green off the street, I knew my trade but within a very short time I realized I didn't know how to teach! Thank goodness for in-service teacher training programme...saved my bacon!

 

[rskybiz]

Thankfully my swelling went down considerably so..... Signed myself up for the geezers tree climbing competition today, a first for me. Never tried being the fastest just efficient and safe. Hanging out with a good few climber's and friends made for a good day! Pictures and results to follow.
Teaser of the work climb tree.