How'd it go today?

[Dave Shepard]

Brand new 90 ton out of service for this part. Pin inside an electrical connection.

 

[treebilly]

Why is it always some lame little part like an o-ring that makes drama?.

I know. It’s almost annoying. I guess that’s better than a major part like the boom or rotator bearing.

 

[Dave Shepard]

Working on the helipad today. Going to try and build a ghetto roof over the boiler.

 

[flushcut]

Just make it ghetto fabulous!

 

[lxskllr]

Had to layout pile on a bridge today. Those guys got them all jacked up. I get to about where the next pile should be based on what's in, and the boss gives me weird directions. I'm thinking "I have no idea where I am". They were kinda cattywampus anyway due to the way they have to be drilled, and missing existing pile, but everything was just weird.

I have no idea what happened, but I suspect they were sloppy extending my old pile layout, and maybe didn't account for the batter when starting the pile. It's nothing too terrible. It'll just take a little more concrete to cover everything up, but it cost a bunch of time trying to get everything figured out. Had to work late, but since I wasn't doing anything earlier, I didn't get paid late :^/

 

[stikine]

Some of your jobs sound a bit exasperating John.

 

[SeanKroll]

Nobody magically maintained my stable of chainsaws. I am putting fresh wires on one of my trailers, did a site visit for one of the 20 jobs in progress (2), sold, consult, or repeat customer's work that I presume I'll get. Split some kindling, hauled in a bit of wood. Watered the fire from burning a whole lotta brush that was going to be grapple-trucked away, but ended up that someone stacked large piles of lumber in the way...that one guy. Made some adjustments to my hoop house in progress project (plastic is over the hoops, but need to put in purlins and some diagonal bracing, 14'x 28'. Clearing out a sawmill spot closer to my house than I was planning to be closer to electricity, and leave more parking spot in my field. Odds and ends.

 

[Treeaddict]

One of my customers I met today is certified in “tree bathing”, a practice started in Japan. They, as a couple, take folks into the forests to relieve stress and heal mentally and emotionally.
They had leaves, bark, live edge, pine cones, sticks, and fungi all throughout the home.

They recommended the book “The hidden life of trees”

They may come over to do a climb. They are older but interested.

Went to sister in laws for her birthday party and had a good ping pong tournament. My brother in law and I were the reigning champions. Most of that was his doing though.

 

[treebilly]

Did a pretty nice crane removal today. Had to bring in a sub crane since this was one of my “side jobs” and we were at a 93’ radius to the log. Me and another climber took turns since it was the first “cold” day. After 3 brush picks my hands were completely gone. I had to have someone unhook me from my line as I couldn’t work the carabiner. 25* with 18 mph sustained winds isn’t that cold but it sure kicked my ass today. I quit tobacco almost two months ago but my circulation hasn’t gotten better yet. Still ‘twas a great day. Now time to shower, eat, and then ice cream and movies with the kids.

 

[Treeaddict]

Good job with the tobacco, Treebilly. I was bad in the cold when I smoked. It mostly affected my hands. I haven’t smoked for 10 years and it’s much better. I’ll chew nicotine gum but that doesn’t have a negative impact.

 

[cory]

Yeah good job quitting, and yeah, it was stupid cold today even though the actual numbers weren't real scary. I was wondering if its cuz I just wasn't used to it yet.

 

[flushcut]

Did a pretty nice crane removal today. Had to bring in a sub crane since this was one of my “side jobs” and we were at a 93’ radius to the log. Me and another climber took turns since it was the first “cold” day. After 3 brush picks my hands were completely gone. I had to have someone unhook me from my line as I couldn’t work the carabiner. 25* with 18 mph sustained winds isn’t that cold but it sure kicked my ass today. I quit tobacco almost two months ago but my circulation hasn’t gotten better yet. Still ‘twas a great day. Now time to shower, eat, and then ice cream and movies with the kids.
View attachment 124915

Add another layer to your core and possibly a neck gaiter. I have found a neck gaiter to be absolutely key for cold weather and I smoke. I like several thin layers and a good wind breaking layer. Wool, polyester, silk, fleece not necessarily in that order but you get the idea. Oh and beware of the static charge with a few of those combinations in really dry-cold weather as you can light up New York City with one spark.

 

[Dave Shepard]

First cold weather always sucks. I think it's much damper this time of year.

 

[treebilly]

I know that come January/February a day like today will feel like a heatwave. I think I needed something to block the wind better. I don’t know. Hopefully it was just the shock of it and now my body switches to winter mode

 

[Burnham]

I can pretty much take the cold as well as I ever could, given the right layers of the right fabrics...but not my hands. Between several cases of frost nip over the years, and now the arthritis...the hands give me real trouble when it's cold. No matter what sort of gloves, I still have a hard time keeping decent tactile sense and strength. Handwarmers help but are really awkward to work with.

 

[cory]

I have found a neck gaiter to be absolutely key for cold weather

Imo a neck gaiter, or specifically a fleece neck warmer, is an astonishingly effective piece of cold weather gear. So key.

 

[pigwot]

I agree with Dave - I feel like the early cold days are quite biting due to the moistness of the air. I don’t know how much each contributes:
1. The air seems to get drier through the winter, with static charges building. The winter winds along with plants/trees shut down and not transpiring desiccate the atmosphere.
2. And we aren’t acclimated to the cold yet.

 

[lxskllr]

My hands bother me most. They just quit working. If I keep my core temp up, my hands seem to do ok though.

Just had two cats fighting on my back patio, Blackie, and some other cat I see once in awhile that comes to steal food. Blackie won! \o/. He's not a friendly cat, but he's been coming for a few years now, and I'm used to seeing him. I used to see him and Spot constantly together, but they went their own ways. They're still friendly though.

 

[Cobleskill]

Fired up the second wood stove for the first time. I have an old timer automatic draft big clunker central in this drafty old farm house. Wonder Wood.
Old timey circulator. I had one a neighbor gave me. He had pulled out the fire bricks and made a stainless replacement for the brick retainers. He had never got it done and quit heating with wood. I bought new bricks for it and was ready to rebuild it. Buddy found a Wonder Wood in good shape out to the road and called me. I told him stay right there, I'll be there in 5 minutes. Not pretty but it works well. Takes a big chunk and regulates burn automatically. Couldn't beat the price. I have used the neighbors for parts already. Win win.
Of course the stainless double wall did cost me $1200 and quite a bit of work. This is the 3rd heating season so I guess it's paid off.

Newer stove is a Avalon. Pretty and more efficient. Takes more tending and smaller wood. Craiglist find for I think $2 or $250. 4th heating season for it.

Got the oil furnace fired up for the first time also. Boiler pipes freeze if it isn't running in the low 20's Winter is a lot of fun. Tending 2 wood stoves is a chore.

 

[treebilly]

Got my fire stoked up and started the propane heater in the garage. I’m going to spend the day working on my honey-do list that keeps growing. I’ve got a book shelf that apparently doesn’t like being full of books that needs attention first. At some point today I should go outside and stack the logs I hauled home from yesterdays job. Since the Choo-choo derailed there seems to be a lot of rail road ties laying around. Think I’ll stack logs on them to keep them out of them mud. We shall see how motivated I get

 

[SeanKroll]

Congratulations on the clean living.

I've started taking hot broth.

I think the moisture freezes (Sublimation is the change of state from a solid to a gas, without passing through the liquid state. Deposition is the change of state from a gas to a solid.) right out of the air, drying it.

 

[Cobleskill]

I read that a humidifier in the house in the winter will make it feel warmer. I know how cold damp air feels in the winter living next to and downwind from another Great Lake. I spent a couple years out by Albany. I noticed colder air temps but it felt less cold because it was less damp.

 

[SeanKroll]

Warm most air makes you feel warmer; cold moist/ damp air makes you colder.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

.Finished the pondo removal job and moving on. Tad sore. No impact means the climber gets some when they cant run. Knee is sore. Time to rest. back at it on Monday. Mostly ground work though and then a lift on Tuesday. Then two off. Guess at 62 or close to it, I need to slow'er down a bit. Still have kids to feed though.
Diesel seems to be holding on the repairs. pulled about 7000# of logs home yesterday. Sure did miss this truck.
Pump is back again for the Dingo. See if that holds this time. Been a run of it.

 

[Fiddler]

Finally actually could lay down and get more than an hours of sleep last night.

Arm still woke me up, but it's nice to feel 1/2 rested at least.
Still can't come close to bending enough to eat with it, but can type with both hands now for a little bit.

Did manage to move a couple feet of snow from the drives with the snow thrower yesterday so at least we can get in & out.