How'd it go today?

I learned to use more of a Humbolt notch to get the butt on the ground quicker. Or even just a snipe on the stump so the log could slide down off the stump sooner. Would have prevented that.
yeah, I should have

did an really open face in hope the butt would stay attached to the stump, if it did what I wanted then it would have been perfect but nope, hinge ripped out and pop goes the driveway
 
More storm cleanup jobs after work. A tangles mass of vines and locust overhanging a backyard garden with a large waterfall and lighting. There was an adored Japanese maple directly under the canopies. It was a bundle of 5 locust from 3” to 14” dbh. The largest one snapped 1/2 way up and fell into all the ones in front of it. I corralled all the near horizontal canopies in a rope. We pulled the rope over and tied it to a tree to get the canopies away from the Japanese maple. Wide open face cut on the “lynchpin” tree and laid the whole mess down gently avoiding the prized specimens. This job scared me as I’ve taken some branches off Japanese maples twice before.

I just love the creativity and engineering skills that tree work requires. Every scenario is different and there are consequences for errors. Butt puckering fun.
 
Got off work a little early and trimmed a couple trees on that job I previously mentioned.

Before...

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After...

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Went ok for the most part, but kind of kicked my ass. I dropped a limb, and the stopper knot on my lanyard got caught in a fork. I had to drop down to undo it. Ruined my plan to go back and get a couple limbs I left. Re threw to set another line. Got home and realized I left my throwline bag there and had to drive back. I had dropped a limb on it, and didn't notice when I was picking my stuff up :^S

On a positive note, I think I found a good hitch to go with my 11mm rope+hitchhiker. After screwing around with different hitches over the last few months, I tried a plain old French prusik, and it seems to work pretty well. I don't think a hitch could be simplified any further. In the dogbone, 6 wraps up, then down to the other dogbone side. Grabs reliably, and doesn't seem to lockup. I'll need more time to know for sure, but it appears to be a winner.

edit:
Forgot. I found a bunch of pawpaw trees on my real job. Fruit's nowhere close to ready, but I brought a couple home for the seeds. Probably too young to be viable, but I was there, so why not?

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Got off work a little early and trimmed a couple trees on that job I previously mentioned.

Before...

View attachment 131496

After...

View attachment 131497

Went ok for the most part, but kind of kicked my ass. I dropped a limb, and the stopper knot on my lanyard got caught in a fork. I had to drop down to undo it. Ruined my plan to go back and get a couple limbs I left. Re threw to set another line. Got home and realized I left my throwline bag there and had to drive back. I had dropped a limb on it, and didn't notice when I was picking my stuff up :^S

On a positive note, I think I found a good hitch to go with my 11mm rope+hitchhiker. After screwing around with different hitches over the last few months, I tried a plain old French prusik, and it seems to work pretty well. I don't think a hitch could be simplified any further. In the dogbone, 6 wraps up, then down to the other dogbone side. Grabs reliably, and doesn't seem to lockup. I'll need more time to know for sure, but it appears to be a winner.

edit:
Forgot. I found a bunch of pawpaw trees on my real job. Fruit's nowhere close to ready, but I brought a couple home for the seeds. Probably too young to be viable, but I was there, so why not?

View attachment 131498
So you brought home an uncertain attempt at starting a 7 year project.

I have a few pawpaws I planted. I don't really expect to ever eat from them.
 
Yup. I have one already that bought. It used to be two, but one died during the cicada year. I didn't do a postmortem, but I think the cicadas girdled enough of the tree to kill it. A week or two ago, I found a snus can full of persimmon seeds(I think). I need to get some of those in dirt, and see if anything happens. No idea how old they are.
 
got a call from a buddy to go help out on a job, he rented a 300 hour T62 bobcat
neighbor came over asking us to move some logs, since he rented the machine for a day and only used it till 3pm he said I could go do the other job with it, so I got to run a full size skid for the first time ever, took some getting used to

oh and I got into a yellow jacket nest with it, second time this week!

its amazing what this (mid size) machine can move compared to my boxer, one grab with it is 10 of my grabs, plus this machine tips at 6K, which is close to 5x what mine does, had a 80ft poplar dropped and cleaned up in 2 hours roughly
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oh and no mirror or backup camera, dirty back window and sun in my eyes caused me to maybe possibly theoretically back into/over a few trees...
all this machine had to get the root balls out from some 6-8" maples
 
Started my Invisalign treatment today. Still feels kind of weird but I suppose I'll get used to it. In seven months, I'll have straight teeth for the first time since I stopped wearing that stupid retainer at 13 years old. Another unexpected bonus is I'll probably drop a few pounds; since I have to pull these things off and brush my teeth every time I eat or drink anything, my snacking habits will diminish significantly.
Tomorrow, I'm taking the online TRAQ Renewal Exam.
 
Finished one phase of a storm cleanup job. Tree work every evening after work this week. My legs were sore on a 30* incline we’ve been working on and shoulders/arm were hurting from the pole saw and swinging the 50cc saw. I’m out of protein powder until tomorrow 😔.
 
They indeed hurt, and it doesn't take all that much to draw blood. Fingers are bad place for it. Plenty of reminders til it heals.
 
Started my Invisalign treatment today. Still feels kind of weird but I suppose I'll get used to it. In seven months, I'll have straight teeth for the first time since I stopped wearing that stupid retainer at 13 years old. Another unexpected bonus is I'll probably drop a few pounds; since I have to pull these things off and brush my teeth every time I eat or drink anything, my snacking habits will diminish significantly.
Tomorrow, I'm taking the online TRAQ Renewal Exam.
I hated braces as a kid. I’d never wear the retainer either. Once or twice I’d take my dads needle nose pliers and rip the tensioner wire off because it hurt so bad. My poor parents (mostly mom). The orthodontist finally gave up (and insurance money ran out) without a complete treatment but it’s better than it was.

Do you feel pain/pressure from the Invisalign?
 
I went and looked at a Historic Horse chestnut in inner Copenhagen, that I have been monitoring for some years.
Some a-hole with a backhoe from the city went right through the major roots on one side 10 years ago, and it has been in decline since.
The 70 families that own it has been paying me $ 500 a year to keep an eye on it.

Because of the drought ( Worst ever recorded) the upper half was basically leaf less, a shocking change from last year, when I gave it 5 more years.
So I pulled the plug on it.
SEVERE crown reduction, like 50%.
Then I think the rest can live on for 10 years, lower part of the tree is quite vigorous.

Yep, I'm not just a dumb logger, but also one of maybe 30 certified arbs in the country.

What I also am, is old.
So I told them, I wouldn't be doing the work.
Not because it is particularly challenging, but it is in inner city.
Have to block a street, get rid of maybe 50 parked cars, 'bout half will have to be towed, because the owners won't respect " no parking" signs.
Add to that hundred city assholes yelling at us " How am I supposed to get to work, when you block the street" and " Why are you felling the tree?"

No way. Too old for that shit.

It is a 15 grand job and I happily passed it on to a young guy.
Who, I could tell, was proud that I would call on him, because I know the quality of his work.

I'll try to set up a way for the owners to sue the city for friggin' up their tree.


Just to make a looong post even longer:
I am for the first time in a position where I can just turn down jobs.

When my former apprentice, who went on to study another 3½ years for the foresters exam and then took over leadership of Jægerspris Forest, he brought us in.
Way more work than we can handle. Had I been 20 years younger, I would have hired 2 guys/gals and bought another truck.
I had a talk with the forester last month and asked him if I should simply quit my other clients and only work for him.
He said, I should certainly quit the ones that are no fun to work for.

That was the end of one forester, we have been logging for the last 5 years.
Guy has pissed me off, every year, so I told him 2 weeks ago to frig off and find some other hand fallers ( Which he can't in that part of the country, that is the beauty of it).

So from now on till retirement, I only do the work that appeals to me.
Not the worst way of ending one's career :D
 
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just missed a call, maybe a customer, IDK

call back 10 minutes later, no answer, yay lol


edit: was for the quote this evening, she canceled because she got someone else, I havent even been out to give a price
people these days
 
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Well. My day project went to shit. Again.
Told Katy this is why I want a three day block to work on the truck. Because, by the gods, if it can go wrong, it certainly will!
Dig into my new clutch stuff today.
Thought it was all there. Nope.
Cant find the throw out forks. Then the box it should have been in with the new slave cylinder, a master cyl?🤔
Get on phone and place that order local.
Unwrap the throw out bearing. Edges are broken that the fork rides on. Meaning, no bueno. Cant get one till Tuesday.
Go to just go ahead and at least mount new fly wheel and align the clutch plates etc. Mount so I can seal it up once the bearing arrives. Someone used my unopened blue lock tite. Someone named Ida Know or Wazzint Me. Not sure.
So borrowing my buddies truck again. Jeebus. Could have been buttoned up tomorrow. 20230812_172510.jpg
 
I always assume the worst and try to leave time for it. Many times it means I have spare time left over that could have been used for /something/, but it makes my head happier having a buffer.
 
Started my Invisalign treatment today. Still feels kind of weird but I suppose I'll get used to it. In seven months, I'll have straight teeth for the first time since I stopped wearing that stupid retainer at 13 years old. Another unexpected bonus is I'll probably drop a few pounds; since I have to pull these things off and brush my teeth every time I eat or drink anything, my snacking habits will diminish significantly.
Tomorrow, I'm taking the online TRAQ Renewal Exam.
You do know the reason you are doing the Invisalign now is because you didn’t wear the retainer as a kid.
 
Just a follow up on my last post.
Today I got an email from a State forester, that we have worked for for years.

He has 35 grand for a thinning job that needs to be done before new year.
Can I do it.

Nope.
I called the two companies that sub for me and passed it on to them.

When Putin did his little stunt, energy prices doubled here.
So the birch tree that casts shade on the porch could maybe wait to be felled, since heating the house was more important.
So the arb companies went into total decline.
In the woods, things were the opposite.
Chips and firewood prices went through the roof.
Larch sells for 900 kr/cubic meter, which is only slightly below Beech, because the import from Sibiria was banned.

My one sub guy was taking a truck driver license this spring and shutting down his company, when I called and laid so much work on him, that he now has hired an extra guy.

We have 140000 ( Yes: one hundred forty thousand ) trees to plant this fall.
Then we have spray herbicide, and kill Pine weevils around them for 3 years...............................busy.....busy....busy!

This is just so much fun!
I'll never have to look for work again till I retire.
 
Took my 10 year old to remove a storm damaged 20’ front yard purple plumb. He uses the loppers to make things small and loads the truck. He earned a little from me and the homeowner gave him a $5 tip.

He was taught how to urinate in a water bottle shrouded by the front and back trunk doors.
 
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