davidwyby
Desert Beaver
Find a way to support yourself and help others, at the same time or not. 😉
How'd it go today?
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Knotorious
That Guy With The Face
When I say desirable workforce, I mean people who work jobs that aren't minimum wage, who have degrees and who have greater potential with higher levels of education. While I am far from an imbecile, I currently do not meet those criterion.
davidwyby
Desert Beaver
I have no higher education, neither did anyone who came before me at the machine shop, besides a couple specific classes. I have employees skilled from a little training and a lot of experience that make at least double minimum wage. I make good money doing tree work on paying jobs. A lot of mine are for friends or pro bono. Like 2-3k a weekend.
My point is that the world has changed. Higher education is no longer required to succeed, previously “blue collar” skills pay well.
The desert is full of campers and toys on the weekends owned by lineman, electricians, heavy equipment operators…and tree guys!
My point is that the world has changed. Higher education is no longer required to succeed, previously “blue collar” skills pay well.
The desert is full of campers and toys on the weekends owned by lineman, electricians, heavy equipment operators…and tree guys!
Knotorious
That Guy With The Face
I some how forgot how little college means these days. Thanks for elucidating and reminding me.
Kaveman
Treehouser
All I've got is a GED, I don't have a single piece of paper that says I'm qualified for the work I do.
Credentialism is something ive mentioned before, along with my general disdain for such things.
Learning to drive at 35 may prove...interesting. Have you ever had a license? Do you know how to operate a vehicle, and simply don't have the legals? If needs be, I can come down the hill and teach you. That said, everything I own that's on the road, is a stick. Just put a new clutch in the car, so we'll be fine. I'd rather do such a thing up on the mountain, where we wouldn't fight near so much traffic. I'd also have access to my work truck as well, which would refine what the car teaches. Also also, it could allow for the possibility of snow/ice practice, something you'll need in Massachusetts.
Kaveman can drive anything with wheels on. Many folks have I taught the black magic of three pedals, including both my wives.
Knotorious
That Guy With The Face
I really appreciate the kind and thoughtful offer. I actually do know how to drive an automatic vehicle. I had a license for several years, but one day when I was 19, I mysteriously passed out behind the wheel and careened into the one wooded area on a four mile road, mere minutes away from my house. As a result, I was given an Operating to Endanger charge and my license was terminated indefinitely. Thankfully, I had all kinds of medical testing done which proved that I wasn't a danger behind the wheel and so all I need to do is retake the written and driving tests and I can get my license back.
Burnham
Woods walker
I'm curious @Knotorious ...if you have the medical clearance to do so, why not get a driver's license in the 24 years since? Voluntarily giving up that degree of freedom of movement is not something I can understand. Plus, it forced you to live in places where public transportation or bicycle range allowed what movement you had to have to live. Again, not something I could ever see myself choosing.
Not a judgement, just wondering how you came to that decision.
Not a judgement, just wondering how you came to that decision.
Nothing exciting today. Grocery shopping, which I always enjoy. Yard's a swampy disaster, so I can't do much around the house. I noticed Spot has a spot(heh) on top of the hill. There's a big piece of bark sloughing off my fallen oak, and she's tucked in there, where she can get some sun but still be protected from the wind. I think I'm gonna make her a new shelter on the hill that'll replicate that experience, but won't leave her covered in crap. She still uses the one next to the house when the sun goes down.
Burnham
Woods walker
Spot has a good deal with you, John 
.
.
Knotorious
That Guy With The Face
Well, following the loss of my license, I had been living very close to the city of Boston and there is an abundance of public transportation available. Quite literally there was nowhere that I needed to go which I couldn't access via public transportation and it became very convenient to travel around to work and appointments and to friend's/family's houses/apartments this way.
It wasn't until three years ago, after moving to Arizona, that the absence of a license began to actually affect me. Arizona has horrible public transportation and I've often had to resort to taking Lyfts and Ubers everywhere, which can sometimes get expensive. Nevertheless, despite then being in a situation where I would definitly benefit from having a license and a car, there was no chance in hell that I was going to be able to afford even a used car until I had saved up significantly over the course of a few years.
Fast forward to today, and I'm definitely going to pursue getting a license after I return to MA and I am financially closer to being able to buy a used vehicle of some type, even though I'll be back to where the public transportation is premiere.
So not having a license/car began as a life choice for many, many years, and I didn't feel limited whatsoever in where I could go. But now it no longer is a choice and I plan on taking action to get both a license and a car very soon.
Kaveman
Treehouser
My offer to teach you how to drive a manual still stands bud. It's a valuable skill that's fading away along with the technology itself. Hell, semi trucks have been using automatics for years. Driving a stick is on the list of things all men should know.
The step after that is backing a trailer, another thing this trucker's son knows well, and the very next item on the list of things all men should know.
Those two skills can make you incredibly valuable to a tree service, sometimes more so than climbing!
I've seen the more recent oregon being quite soft, chrome chips, wont hold edge, change in factory/ bad run ?
Older stuff was really good, but softer than the stihl chain.
what sharpening jig you using on it, Ive had good results using the husky blue roller guide on them.
edited to add
using 5.5mm file.
Last edited:
Neighbors are clearing an unkept paddock next door, and have disturbed/ unhoused a heap of rodents in the process, lots of birds of prey about the place, saw a 6ft wedgie the other day thermalling 800ft up.
Its been a bad year for rats as well generally, from our early summer rains, and have baited accordingly, frustratingly the other evening, a chorus of cries from my girls when the internet stopped working.
checked phone, yep, no signal.
next morning was spent with many hrs up in the ceiling replacing the completely severed line, last few times its been chewed, I would use the old line to draw new line thru, not this time.
Had to drop down string with nut on the end, thru a rats nest of ceiling insulation in the lath wall cavity for wifey to use a hooked wire to draw it back out a 1/2" hole for the power.
Got a bit cooked, but was able to get things working again that day.
Before getting up in the ceiling space, and making my way thru the double layers of insulation and ducting, I was able to put the new cable inside some new garden hose for some protection. Hope it works.
Normal conduit would not bend in the space between wall cavity and top of roof etc, tho I could slowly glue sections together and make it insitu if required in the future.
In more positive news.
Ground up some flour from friends recently harvested wheat, and it makes lovely loaves, and the spuds are growing well too.
Normally by this time in summer, everything is brown and dry, but the paddock looks like early spring instead.
Its been a bad year for rats as well generally, from our early summer rains, and have baited accordingly, frustratingly the other evening, a chorus of cries from my girls when the internet stopped working.
checked phone, yep, no signal.
next morning was spent with many hrs up in the ceiling replacing the completely severed line, last few times its been chewed, I would use the old line to draw new line thru, not this time.
Had to drop down string with nut on the end, thru a rats nest of ceiling insulation in the lath wall cavity for wifey to use a hooked wire to draw it back out a 1/2" hole for the power.
Got a bit cooked, but was able to get things working again that day.
Before getting up in the ceiling space, and making my way thru the double layers of insulation and ducting, I was able to put the new cable inside some new garden hose for some protection. Hope it works.
Normal conduit would not bend in the space between wall cavity and top of roof etc, tho I could slowly glue sections together and make it insitu if required in the future.
In more positive news.
Ground up some flour from friends recently harvested wheat, and it makes lovely loaves, and the spuds are growing well too.
Normally by this time in summer, everything is brown and dry, but the paddock looks like early spring instead.
Dave Shepard
Square peg, round world.
Not a lot of excitement in general lately. Did score a couple of truck batteries that were being sent in for cores. 9/22, and still tested fine. I have a weak and a dead battery to send for core exchange. Now I won't have to jump start my Kubota.
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
View from a consult today, between rain and fog.
davidwyby
Desert Beaver
I have been using my grinder. Can’t remember if I’ve tried that one, I will.
Mellow
BCMA
@Knotorious . I would make it a priority to get your driver's license, even if you can't get a car right away. Many potential employers, especially in the tree business, will see the lack of a DL as a big red flag.
Knotorious
That Guy With The Face
It's brisk this evening. Went into a woodstove coma earlier, and lost motivation to move. I cut a candle in case I got motivated, and after moving firewood around, I was feeling pretty good. Snow's gone, but it's shaping up to being a bright crisp night. It would be too windy for candle if we hadn't recently gotten all the earth's rain to make things wet. Mike might recognize this one. It left the job a few hours ago...
Treeaddict
Treehouser
stikine
Treehouser
John have you ever tried a different candle style? I haven't messed with them too much but here's a couple pics of one method I tried. A bit more saw work involved and you need a couple of wires to hold it together. It does draw nicely when you stuff the bottom opening.
stikine
Treehouser
That's probably true on the boring, as long as you can keep it stable when boring.
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