My FIL has some pics on his camera, and I've been waiting to get them before posting, but with my memory I'll forget what I did before I get a chance to post them, so I'll tell you what happened and post the one or two pics that I did get.
It was about a week ago, so it's starting to fade already.
Started off by finishing cleaning out a large oak tree. Fair amount of dead stuff in there, and enjoyed climbing around.
Then went to my FIL's house, where I took out a small pine - about 20 feet tall. That took less than 1/2 hour to drop, buck, and get everything in the trailer and useable wood in the truck.
Then I attacked the Persimmon. Probably 50 feet tall, pretty thin with few branches. I climbed up, removing limbs as I went, and then topped it. I should have gone a little higher up, for I was concerned about a nearby phone line, but there was a beautiful crotch that I thought was high enough, so I cut it there. I just tagged the phone line, but no damage done. And I learned a little lesson as well - when topping at a crotch, take the bigger branch first. I didn't have a proper ground man, so I tied the branch to the tree so I could lower it myself from where I was. That meant the tree would sway around a lot when the branch was cut, and sway it did, but I managed to keep my trousers clean - barely.
Chunked it out on the way down, and finished it up. This was where my son helped - see this thread for more of that: http://www.arboristsite.com/firewood-heating-wood-burning-equipment/211744.htm
Then I cleaned up two smaller oak trees in that same area, and removed a 10' stump of some unknown tree. Had lots of suckers and some spiky, waxy leaves.
So, technicall that was 6 trees, but one of the smaller oak trees only needed one limb removed, so I won't really count that, but that one was probably the most dangerous thing I did that day. Climbed up a ladder about 20 feet, no safety line (hey, it was just a quickie), and dropped a mid-sized branch. It came down in a way I didn't expect, and could have hit the bottom of the ladder if it hadn't of hit the trunk. I didn't kick myself at the time, for I was counting my lucky stars and still at the top of a ladder, so I had to settle for a self-tongue lashing as I climbed back down. :bang: I should know better than that. Idiot.
Now here's where it starts to get good.
So I have a truck load of persimmon, and as my yard is stuffed full of oak and mulberry, I decided to try and give it away to one of my neighbors. I've got two retired neighbors, both are conservatives (like me) but one is a 'nice' convervative, and the other is a 'mean' conservative. His old truck had a bumper sticker on it which read "Annoy a Liberal". I can't help but like him, but he is a crusty old curmudgeon.
I tried Mr. A (the nice guy) first. He was in his shop cleaning a catfish, and comes out when he sees me pull up. He also has a driveway full of wood, and he wasn't too interested in persimmon. As I was talking to him, Mr. B comes out of his house. I tell him that I've got a present for him. He asks "what's the catch?" I tell him that I don't have the catch, I have wood - it's Mr. A here who has the 'catch.' (Mr. A was holding a partly cleaned out catfish he caught that afternoon). Mr. A then talks about his fishing that day and goes on for a couple hours - I guess he wasn't feeling as talkative as he usually is. :chatter:
Since A and B have adjoining properties, there is a little bit of friction between them about whose stuff goes on whose side of the line, but they are good friends nonetheless.
Mr. B asks me what kind of wood it is. I tell him it's "California Mulberry." Mr. A chuckles.
Mr. B takes a closer look and asks what it really is. I then say "Urban Oak." Mr. A chuckles and tells him it's Persimmon.
Mr. B says, "well, it burns anyway. Go ahead and put it next to my driveway there in that grassy patch."
The grassy patch is owned by Mr. A, who doesn't chuckle this time.
Mr. B's wife comes out and asks if she should get in the car or the truck. Obviously they're heading out - probably to the casino, where they actually come out ahead most of the time.
Mr. A asks if he's going to be gone for more than an hour.
Mr. B says, "Now don't you be stealing my firewood! Set it on my driveway," and off they go.
So I try and get Mr. A to help with the unloading, but he's got a dead fish in his hands, and he's not getting the wood anyway, so he goes back to his fish cleaning, leaving me to unload all by my lonesome.
So that's the only pic I currently have of that day. Maybe my FIL will get me the others before this thread fades into obscurity. It was a great day.:msp_thumbup:
View attachment 258561
It was about a week ago, so it's starting to fade already.
Started off by finishing cleaning out a large oak tree. Fair amount of dead stuff in there, and enjoyed climbing around.
Then went to my FIL's house, where I took out a small pine - about 20 feet tall. That took less than 1/2 hour to drop, buck, and get everything in the trailer and useable wood in the truck.
Then I attacked the Persimmon. Probably 50 feet tall, pretty thin with few branches. I climbed up, removing limbs as I went, and then topped it. I should have gone a little higher up, for I was concerned about a nearby phone line, but there was a beautiful crotch that I thought was high enough, so I cut it there. I just tagged the phone line, but no damage done. And I learned a little lesson as well - when topping at a crotch, take the bigger branch first. I didn't have a proper ground man, so I tied the branch to the tree so I could lower it myself from where I was. That meant the tree would sway around a lot when the branch was cut, and sway it did, but I managed to keep my trousers clean - barely.
Chunked it out on the way down, and finished it up. This was where my son helped - see this thread for more of that: http://www.arboristsite.com/firewood-heating-wood-burning-equipment/211744.htm
Then I cleaned up two smaller oak trees in that same area, and removed a 10' stump of some unknown tree. Had lots of suckers and some spiky, waxy leaves.
So, technicall that was 6 trees, but one of the smaller oak trees only needed one limb removed, so I won't really count that, but that one was probably the most dangerous thing I did that day. Climbed up a ladder about 20 feet, no safety line (hey, it was just a quickie), and dropped a mid-sized branch. It came down in a way I didn't expect, and could have hit the bottom of the ladder if it hadn't of hit the trunk. I didn't kick myself at the time, for I was counting my lucky stars and still at the top of a ladder, so I had to settle for a self-tongue lashing as I climbed back down. :bang: I should know better than that. Idiot.
Now here's where it starts to get good.
So I have a truck load of persimmon, and as my yard is stuffed full of oak and mulberry, I decided to try and give it away to one of my neighbors. I've got two retired neighbors, both are conservatives (like me) but one is a 'nice' convervative, and the other is a 'mean' conservative. His old truck had a bumper sticker on it which read "Annoy a Liberal". I can't help but like him, but he is a crusty old curmudgeon.
I tried Mr. A (the nice guy) first. He was in his shop cleaning a catfish, and comes out when he sees me pull up. He also has a driveway full of wood, and he wasn't too interested in persimmon. As I was talking to him, Mr. B comes out of his house. I tell him that I've got a present for him. He asks "what's the catch?" I tell him that I don't have the catch, I have wood - it's Mr. A here who has the 'catch.' (Mr. A was holding a partly cleaned out catfish he caught that afternoon). Mr. A then talks about his fishing that day and goes on for a couple hours - I guess he wasn't feeling as talkative as he usually is. :chatter:
Since A and B have adjoining properties, there is a little bit of friction between them about whose stuff goes on whose side of the line, but they are good friends nonetheless.
Mr. B asks me what kind of wood it is. I tell him it's "California Mulberry." Mr. A chuckles.
Mr. B takes a closer look and asks what it really is. I then say "Urban Oak." Mr. A chuckles and tells him it's Persimmon.
Mr. B says, "well, it burns anyway. Go ahead and put it next to my driveway there in that grassy patch."
The grassy patch is owned by Mr. A, who doesn't chuckle this time.
Mr. B's wife comes out and asks if she should get in the car or the truck. Obviously they're heading out - probably to the casino, where they actually come out ahead most of the time.
Mr. A asks if he's going to be gone for more than an hour.
Mr. B says, "Now don't you be stealing my firewood! Set it on my driveway," and off they go.
So I try and get Mr. A to help with the unloading, but he's got a dead fish in his hands, and he's not getting the wood anyway, so he goes back to his fish cleaning, leaving me to unload all by my lonesome.
So that's the only pic I currently have of that day. Maybe my FIL will get me the others before this thread fades into obscurity. It was a great day.:msp_thumbup:
View attachment 258561
