How'd it go today?

When I'm out of work or close to it, I tend to go a little nuts as well. Part is the bread, and part is just years of thinking ahead to what is coming up. A void seems very unhealthy strange. Someone once told me that self employment is not for the weak of heart. He was talking about artists in particular, but I believe that there is a lot to that statement in general, especially if it's a one person family income.
 
Chris, diversity is a good plan. As you know, tree work is not all we do here. Tree work makes up about 60% of our business now. But it won't keep us busy full time yet. Best to have a hand in that logging you are talking about for the season you need it. Good plan my friend.
 
Diversity is key. Plenty of guys on here prove that. We do some landscaping in the spring and fall, leaf pick up and removal, mulching, firewood, those sorts of things. Doesn't always make for good money, but it keeps the cash flowing non the less. Back about 6 years ago, we'd always have a big planting contact to keep us through the winter. Normally a few hundred 2-5" trees on one property, every winter. Till one year a so called friend of dads stabbed us in the back on one job after getting him, a landscape architect, in on the planning, 2 weeks before we were to start he says he won't sell the client the plants or plans unless his guys do the install. frigged us over for the winter, big time. We were about ready to kill the shithead. After that the contracts kind of fell off for one reason or another, so winters have been a little tougher than normal.
 
Chris, that is pretty much the way we roll, except the other way round.
We supplement our logging with treework.
Branching out and doing a lot of diverse work is the best way to stay busy IMO.

If my Swiss adventure falls flat, I'll come fall trees for you:)
 
When I first came out here (France) I was told to diversify into some maintenance, forestry, landscaping etc, I decided to specialise.
Just trees now, helps keeps the prices high. Not saying others are wrong at all but it worked for me.
 
I climbed a small euc yesterday, just a bit of height out of the top and deadwood, just about all handsaw work, but boyoboy my hitchhiker made the job a breeze, that was one tree where it really paid.
Going up and down short bits is much easier now too, just use the pantin and clip my chest loop on and sit/stand...so easy now!

Eggs...just about everyone around us has chooks, no need for us to get any, the eggs are such a deep orange, never saw anything like it till we got here. We're going to get some Peking ducks for the eggs, bigger and more tasty. Eggs, whole milk, cheese ice cream...cholesterol 160 and almost half is the good kind...thank goodness for tree climbing :)
 
A duck egg is pretty tastey
.Feed the hens high protein chicken laying mash .Don't let them build a clutch because then they try to incubate them .It's not unusual for a hen peking to incubate a dozen ,15 maybe 20 eggs .They'll start out with maybe 20 or more eggs .
 
Chris, what are you looking to spend on a skidder?

The guy i log for in winter has a 440 jd, really doesn't use it. Last we used it he just pulled around a chipper on a residential property. Hasnt pulled a hitch in a while, i know he just redid the rims on it. Looks clean.
 
Got ready to walk out door and Boss called work off.

Had another job set up in case and that crew couldn't get it together this am so no go.

Called Garage to see if part for truck was in yet and got no call back.

Spent the whole day figuring out how to download music tracks from a website I use that changed their site. ended up using some googlecloud thing I'm not sure what it is but it works so far I guess. Hope I don't have as much trouble figuring out ho to upload my tracks I record for this present project.
 
Not all indoor jobs are bad if you want to diversify to get through the lean winter months. Indoor, like in keeping warm.
 
Rupert Dog went to the vet. He's still hurting some from a run in with a slowish moving SUV in October. He saw a rabbit the other day and ran full bore after the rabbit. He's not used to seeing them, and it ran. He was gimpy after that. Some anti-inflammatories for a week to ten days and light duty, which he had been on somewhat overall.

The problem is that our front yard is large enough that he can easily sprint up to speed and get into a full run from a dead stop, laying on the cold ground before reaching the fence to tell the coyotes to F-off and go away. I might have to fence a smaller area and move his doghouse. Problem is, his dog house is big enough for me to get in, and invite him in. The neurotic dog that he is, I have to show him its okay to go in tight places, like the extended cab's upper shelf (storage below), before he'll believe it. Its best that I am in, then he comes in. On top of that, our old roommate made an addition to the doghouse with a full ceiling skylight (piece of plexi), turning it into a duplex. I will need some help to move it, and with the sore hip, I doubt Rupert will help.
 
I spent the night last night at a local resort. It was pretty awesome. Mega saunas and steam rooms, pools,whirlpool, you name it it was a lot of fun. I swam in a outdoor infinity pool last night at -15c out that you don't even have to go outside to get in. Lol. I couldn't imagine what it takes to run a place like that. Crystal Hill, crazy crystal action everywhere. A full wellness resort. We went for a deal they give to locals in the slow time. I could never afford anything like that at full pop. Or atleast wouldn't.
 
True. We were talking about it there. It's been years since I've spent even a single night away from home. It felt really good.
 
Sounds nice Squisher. Also sounds like you were due!

My folks are at the Adobe resort tonight in Yachats Oregon. From what they said I might have to take a trip to Oregon myself.

At -27 below and a 15 MPH wind at around -50 wind chill, i wish is was on the Oregon coast drinking Jack and water.
 
Booked tickets today for 2 weeks in Hawaii end of March. Light at the end of the tunnel? It's been a lot of years since I have flown anywhere, actually years since a vacation. (other than a working one)

Daughter is there with hubby in the service. There will probably be some work involved on this one but that's cool with me. Something to look forward to.
 
Great, Tom. I haven't been on a plane in over ten years, when I see pictures of the inside now they look real different. The same with taxis for that matter.
 
Booked tickets today for 2 weeks in Hawaii end of March. Light at the end of the tunnel? It's been a lot of years since I have flown anywhere, actually years since a vacation. (other than a working one)

Daughter is there with hubby in the service. There will probably be some work involved on this one but that's cool with me. Something to look forward to.

Which island will you be on? If you're going to Oahu be sure to check out Lyon Arboretum!
 
Jackpot being stationed in Hawaii! I heard the whole island smells like flowers! It's hard to get me out of here but we did go to st Lucia a little over a year ago for our honeymoon and that was an experience! I travelled so much with the military I think I'm ok just being home for now.
 
At -27 below and a 15 MPH wind at around -50 wind chill, i wish is was on the Oregon coast drinking Jack and water.
Jim, we got about the same weather here too. Coldest winter in 120 years. We haven't seen -40 without the wind yet but just a steady cold for so many months now it's really starting to get sickening. Constant low wind just enough for a -35 windchill.

Oregon's coast sounds really nice right now, if the kids weren't in school at the moment I'd be tempted to take a little trip.
 
I saw a program on the tube last night on what they said was the coldest village, in the world? It's in Russia and some girls went there to check it out. The place is in some kind of depression which makes the temps really drop. It got down to -52C while they were visiting, and the record is -78. The people seem to be proud that they live in such a cold place. The first graders don't have to go to school when it is below minus 50, and the fourth graders have to bear it until minus 56. Pretty extreme.
 
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