How'd it go today?

Had an interview for a city arborist position this morning. I'll hear back tomorrow, or later today. 4 candidates interviewed, including the acting city emergency-hire temporary arborist. I know him, and he's got good credentials. I might have more hazard tree removal experience. He's TRACE certified. Both of us CAs. If I get it I'll be stoked. If he gets it, I'll be happy for him. He's got a wife and daughter, and it a good guy that helped me when I was getting started in business, even having lent me a tree saddle for a while, before I had any money to buy my own saddle, on top of all the other gear and saws.

I think that I have a better shot at another municipal job that is also open.

Beyond those two, I have been really busy all winter, without storm work.

Time will tell. Three good options.
 
I finally got to start the chipper. After the past few weeks I wondered if it would ever happen again. Only chipped a small oak half down from a storm, but it beats sittin on the couch with a bad paw lookin after the little ones. They are fun though!
 
Well i have been toying with the idea to go back to work the the tree company i worked for in the summer of 2009. So I called one of the guys who works there, is a young guy, around 24ish, hes really nice, someone who i would love for them to work for me. When i was on the phone with him he was telling me that there has been some changes with the company (last time i talked with him was in fall of 2010, he did some work for me then).

Let me give you a little history of the company. Pretty small company, around 3-4 guys working there, the owner is inclueded in that number. The owners wife has been geting more involved with the company when i started in spring 2009. She has created a web site and really pushed getting there name out there. The company has been growing pretty quick, before i started in spring 2009, they bought a new F-550, New dump trailer, New ditch witch skid steer, and a new stump grinder. The were pretty busy, even in the winter when things were slow for everyone else they were still busy 4-5 days out of the week.

Well when i was talking to him on the phone he was saying that they (the owners of the company) got divorcied and the owners wife took everything because everything is in her name. Now she is not the nicest person, she makes things seam all sweet and perfect but i would not trust her. She started to do some of the bids and billing, she was bidding jobs pretty cheap (at least what i gathered, from over hearing a few things) and the owner (the husband), who ran the tree business (aka the crew, would go out with the crew durring the day, etc.), was getting pissed off becasue she was under bidding a few big jobs and would just come out on top. So he revoked her biding privileges. And i guess over the winter they started to get into more fights and he (the husband) basically just left and lived at the shop. I think a divorce is coming very soon...

I honestly feel bad for the husband because he really started the company, and over all, he is a really nice guy, has high standards and is a little different, but over all a nice guy. The only thing he is "allowed" to take is the older dump truck because it is in his name, it is a 1995 for F-superduty.

So now the groundy, is running the whole company, giving bids, doing the work, etc.. It went from about to 4 employees to him and a climber that they recently hired (fall of 2010). I have been wanting to work part time this summer so I can get in some more climbing time. I heard that the climber that they have working for them is pretty good, so i think this summer i might try working for them part time.

Sorry for the long post!
 
Met the electrician at the house, he got his materials list so I an get an idea of what it'll cost. Trimmed/refiled some wedges that were cut accidentally at one point or another. :lol:

Stripped the motocross bike so I can give it a good power wash, then start working on it for the up coming season. Gotta grease all the linkage, steering, new tire combo, some brake lines, lubed all the cables, and check the clutch. First race is May 27-29 so it'll be here faster than you know it.
 
so far so good, cohosted/taught a seminar for a few hours this morning till lunch, came home and had some grub now off to visit my pops for a bit. Coming home to make a pizza for supper then hunker down and see what the weather brings. I am scheduled to take my level 1 first aid renewal course tomorrow, if its miserable out take a wild guess at who will need to reschedule? :)
 
Got my two pine trees down. They weren't super tall, but they were wolfy with lots of limbs and both right next to the building. I had the landscaper guy running the ropes, which meant going slow and taking little pieces. Luckily I was able to talk him through the basics without too much difficulty. 3 hours and both trees were on the ground with all the big wood cut in 6' pieces. The gaffs were hurting my shins and the saddle is a lot less comfortable than I remember, but it's done.

Justin, glad to hear you're busy and TCOB. I suspect you'll be doing a lot of that with your big new mortgage payment, but I'm sure it's worth every dime. :thumbup:

Sean, best of luck with the job app. My city job was at the bottom of the totem pole, but if you can get on in a supervisory position then you're pretty much set for life. Just the insurance coverage is worth a lot.

Bud, glad you're back at it. What happened to your paw? :?

Nick, I hate to say it but that situation sounds like trouble. I would recommend against putting yourself in a position where you could get caught up in the middle of their divorce. The main reason to work for others is stability and that doesn't sound very stable right now. Think about why all the other guys left. Don't put yourself in a position where they can mess you up with their problems.

Brendon, I couldn't find my jug of Simple Green yesterday so I bought another jug. When I got home the old jug was right there in the carport in front of my truck. I thought of you and figured I'd use it all up eventually. ;)

Paul, send your pops some Treehouse mojo on my behalf when you see him again. Hope he's doing better. And that pizza sounds good, I just might have to treat myself tonight after all that climbing. I can splurge once every 10 days or so.
 
Hey, I can soak in my new tub as well! :D
Everything is almost buttoned up. I still have to touch up some drywall and paint, and hang the medicine cabinet. The tile and grout touch ups were finished today, grout should be just about dry.
 
RJS thanks, I showed up today but didnt get in to visit, turned around and took the bus right back home, maybe tomorrow, more likely Friday afternoon.
 
Thanks my brothers. Was sweating a bit over it. The inspector was super nice and even apologized for making me wait so long for a verdict. Complimented us on our work.... Told me to keep up the good work.
I was thanking him up and down for calling me and letting me know. Tried to reassure him we would be even more careful. A lot of respect went back and forth over that phone... Was pretty cool to hear from CDF how much they appreciate our efforts reducing ladder fuels in the county :)
I made sure he knew how much we appreciated CDF and their efforts in keeping us safe :)
 
I trimmed a couple of trees for a couson of mine in Modesto today. She is a nurse and her hubby is a retired city cop.
 
Dead wood from the ground today with moving and cleanup. no frills steady plugging away. Got startled by first snake of the year Black racer but first one I've seen that was "rattling" quite sure it was just the dead dry leaves but this was all before I had a visual. I can laugh now but for the moment:O
 
Today went well but I'm whipped. The helper called in sick so I slew a wolfy Spruce alone. 3/4 truck full of chips then hauled the wood and ground the stump after lunch.
 
As I sit here looking out on new fallen snow a startling revelation struck me .It seems here of late I'm acting much like the squirrels who reside in the oak trees hither and yon .They seem content to kind of semi hybernate when the weather is nasty .Not a bad plan from my perspective .:D
 
How often you see them rattle the tail? I see them frequently enough but a first on the rattle?
Those big constitors don't cause any harm other than to scare the chit out of you if you don't see them .

Around these parts of you have something like livestock feed in due time you get rats .With rats you get snakes .Cold climate ,snake hybernates .Come spring they slither out on an asphualt road to warm up .

Along comes a car and flattens the snake .Soon there after comes a turkey buzzard or a couple of crows who kind of recycle it so to speak .So goes the cycle of livestock feed to vulture vittles .
 
Went well today. grabbed a few new toys including a Buck Traverse saddle and a 200t. I got the 200t for 570 bucks. It was sure cheaper than our other Stihl dealers around here.
 
So far I got the stove changed over for propane... Kit is all installed and the regulator is set. Now about that gas connection.:|:
I thought I had installed a 5/8ths line and it is 3/4 :|:
Me and my over kill.. :roll: :lol: I re-piped the gas under the house for more fixtures when we were setting the foundation, just in case. That way I have more options... 1 1/4" where I only needed 1" and really could have gotten away with 3/4. Anyway. The nipple I bought is the wrong size for the stove gas line. I will now spend more in fuel going to exchange it than it cost :lol:
 
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