How'd it go today?

Nice Brendon! I have shown this guy 100 times in two months. He is very smart but always tired as he bar tends at night. Some day the perfect helper will grace us all.
 
I was at the chiropractor today and he couldn't really adjust me. Too much swelling. He hooked me up to the muscle stimulator which made it better. Tonight I am on anti_inflamitories and lots of ice. I am going back tomorrow for another adjustment attempt.
 
After loads of morons and assholes, my groundman tim is a godsend. Every single morning I am happy to see him. Mechanically inclined, learning to climb, runs the lowering lines like a artist, gets his rocks off on brutal manual labor, always sober, on time, and very honest. The day he moves on, ill feel it in the wallet. I don't bring in a 3rd guy because Tim and I work so well together and so efficiently, that I don't want to jeopardize it.
 
I agree with Burnham! My last guy had all those skills as he had been climbing for another co for ten or more yrs., two divorces three kids and a serious drug and alcohol problem put him back on the ground. He would still work harder than most I've met. Unfortunately his habits started to really show this past winter and I let him go. Occasionally we do a job or two together. I wish he could pull himself together as he is one of the best I've worked with.
 
Worked a 1/2 day with Kat today on a valley oak dead wood and reduction prune. SHe had never worked with me on the taller ones I Wraptor up. She was working on some brush below the tree to eliminate the competition and clear my DZ. I did better than 1/2 the tree, was getting hungry, saw she was a tad behind on cleaning up our messes. I rappeled out of the tree and helped her clean up and got a sandwich. As I am decending, she hollers... "you're coming out of the tree??!!" IN a surprised tone. :lol: I said "sure baby, I'll help you and go right back up" (80 foot to the TIP). Gotta love it. 4 hours she brushed out 1/16th of an acre and dragged most by her self. I had the tree all pretty and was cleaning up with her. Loaded the truck, invoiced and got a check and a sheduled date to dead wood all the pondos between the house and where we were working. Nice day.
 
Worked for the Man today. Tried out our new Stein RC2000 lowering device. Hell bent for stout, as they say. We got it for its high WLL for tying off our friend the 1/2" amsteel, short, without knotting it. Today it was just for a right angle retainer line. Supervisor has come to be a fan of the retainer once I convinced him that it will not swing the tree, provided its 90 degrees. Works wonders to keep long dead trees from crushing a pump station.

Looks like we might be getting a spool of SRT rope and Wraptor soon. Fingers crossed. It would mean much more old-growth climbing, as compared to the once or twice a year, as it is now.
 
Its really a good gig. I was apprehensive at first, but overall, quite good.

While I can't use any of my own gear, Everything is paid for, and I can request what I would like, and see where it goes. Getting some Wesco's soon, hopefully a Wraptor, just got a Stein RC2000, and have 2-200ts, lil husky, 441, 460, 066, 660, and an 088, Silvey jacks, 6 year old bucket truck, a great chipper I don't have to use hardly ever, as in- professional mess maker, a part you like too, Butch. Old skidder. Lots of tractors. The office is nice, 60 or so State Parks with huge trees. Windshield time. Retirement and other benefits. Not so much effort that I can't do my own thing on weekends, as I like.

Am I recruiting? Perhaps for when my boss retires, or if somehow we get another slot on our crew. He'll be done in 2-5 years, unless going out on disability.
 
The state of Washington is going to buy you a pair of Wescos? Thats awesome.

I read New York city has some 2.5 million trees of which 70,000 get serviced each year. The budget for tree work was cut to $1,400,000. Thats $20 a tree to cover all the costs from the pens and secretaries to the saw oil and dumping fees.

I will see if I can find the article.
 
Took today off. I've been going mach 3 lately and wanted to let off the gas end give myself and Tim a family day. He is taking his kids to the crayola crayon factory for a tour and I'm still deciding what to do. I ran my German shorthair this morning in the grouse woods to start tuning her up before fall.

I'm on day 3 of getting off the smokes. My cardio endurance is great for a smoker, but I've had enough of the habit. Too much money and health risk. Plus, Bud and I are deciding on maybe elk hunting in September and I wouldn't be willing to do that hunt as a smoker. No way. Too much scent and altitude to worry about. Also, I've been diagnosed with Barretts Esophagus. My esophagus has been altered by my stomach acid problem I live with. It's no longer esoohagus tissue, its been converted to pre cancerous intestinal tissue from the constant acid exposure. This happens a little bit in men over 60. I'm 28, and that isn't good. This means I have a LONG time to combat this disease and fight off the esophagus turning cancerous. Statistically, barretts esophagus doesn't kill many people. But statistically, it affects men late in life that die of something else first. This means I have a long road ahead. No caffeine, tobacco, acidic foods, no eating after dinner time, sleeping elevated, and medications. So here I sit, with a patch on. Smoked one wtogey this morning, and ill have one later today. Tomorrow, one stogey. Thursday none. I'll cut the patch in half on Friday, use it like that for 3 days, then cut in 1/3 and use that for 2 more. Done.
 
You shouldn't be quit so quick to wean yourself off the patch. And trust me, you're gonna notice when you cut it in half... I'd recommend only a third or even a quarter removal. You're gonna love being free from tobacco.

Bummer about the Barretts Esophagus thing... good luck with that!
 
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