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Just got a phone call from the son of a close friend. I trained him about 25 years ago. He's one of my best friends. We worked on countless tough jobs together. He's basically retired from tree work but still does all of our stump grinding for us. He still does some farming and he called me yesterday to ask me if I could take care of the cows/farm if he went out of town this weekend for a ride with some other friends. He is a very experienced motorcycle rider but he had an accident. We don't know if he hit a deer or laid his bike down to miss a deer but I know he had a high speed accident, he was "life flighted", his skull is fractured, his brain is swollen, he has a bunch of broken bones and bruised and damaged organs....not to mention road rash.

I don't even know why I'm yelling you guys this except for that I don't know who else to tell. I don't want to tell our guys until I can tell them in person. He's the kind of guy who we all wish we had 10 of working for us every day and just 1 of him hanging out with you on the weekend. He's the guy who laughs at all of his own jokes before he gets done telling them. I can say so much about him.

I don't know if you guys believe in prayer and I don't know if I do either.....but if you do....this guy is worth keeping around. I'm having a really hard time with this.
 
REALLY sorry to hear Mike. I do absolutely 100% believe in the power of prayer. I will say a prayer for him. Sounds like a great guy.

I had a bad one, my 3rd motorcycle accident, a couple of years ago and the helmet saved my life, besides getting busted up many other places and a concussion and dizzy spells every time I bent over for months. So much fun..but so dangerous. Helmet hit on pavement on both sides, the back, the top and front, face shield broke and knocked out 3 teeth. The helmet strap cut a gash in my neck that took a dozen stitches..but it stayed on. Almost bit my tongue in half and had my left quad detach from my knee, bad road rash as him and I tumbled down the road with our bikes flipping over and over as well. Got rear ended by a guy I was riding with that worked for me.

I still ride but alone, not at night (I hit a deer years ago) and a bit more carefully.
DSCF3805.JPGDSCF3800.JPGDSCF3801.JPG
 
bck said:
$18000 / year
Click to expand...

This year I've pretty much thrown the old numbers out the window and am bidding more from experience and what I feel the job is worth. But also aiming for higher numbers in the back of my head at the same time. So far it seems to be working. Of course these are extraordinary times and what works now might not work as well when things settle back down to normal. I guess we'll cross that bridge when it comes, as the saying goes.

One thing is for sure, the older I get and the more I see, the more I think tree work (real tree work) should be as expensive as possible. Our time and commitment to one of the most dangerous (not to mention expensive) jobs is worth it. It's become a very technical thing, this tree working.
 
If you are getting or have too much work on the books BAM!!!! Price hike time! If you gouge em on a huge bid and when you leave they are smiling and promise they will recommend you and call you back...you did good. 49206639_10157009884009310_1606411497775300608_n.jpg
 
tree MDS said:
This year I've pretty much thrown the old numbers out the window and am bidding more from experience and what I feel the job is worth. But also aiming for higher numbers in the back of my head at the same time. So far it seems to be working. Of course these are extraordinary times and what works now might not work as well when things settle back down to normal. I guess we'll cross that bridge when it comes, as the saying goes.

One thing is for sure, the older I get and the more I see, the more I think tree work (real tree work) should be as expensive as possible. Our time and commitment to one of the most dangerous (not to mention expensive) jobs is worth it. It's become a very technical thing, this tree working.
Click to expand...
You would think tree work would get top dollar. Just way too much overhead to show up for a days pay. Doesn’t work like that though. Way too many guys doing it and if people get multiple bids, forget about it.
Side note also, a new diesel Morbark 1821is $94,000. Add sales tax and finance, the chipper is well north of $100k. Wtf . Something has to give
 
mike515 said:
Just got a phone call from the son of a close friend. I trained him about 25 years ago. He's one of my best friends. We worked on countless tough jobs together. He's basically retired from tree work but still does all of our stump grinding for us. He still does some farming and he called me yesterday to ask me if I could take care of the cows/farm if he went out of town this weekend for a ride with some other friends. He is a very experienced motorcycle rider but he had an accident. We don't know if he hit a deer or laid his bike down to miss a deer but I know he had a high speed accident, he was "life flighted", his skull is fractured, his brain is swollen, he has a bunch of broken bones and bruised and damaged organs....not to mention road rash.

I don't even know why I'm yelling you guys this except for that I don't know who else to tell. I don't want to tell our guys until I can tell them in person. He's the kind of guy who we all wish we had 10 of working for us every day and just 1 of him hanging out with you on the weekend. He's the guy who laughs at all of his own jokes before he gets done telling them. I can say so much about him.

I don't know if you guys believe in prayer and I don't know if I do either.....but if you do....this guy is worth keeping around. I'm having a really hard time with this.
Click to expand...
Happened around here a couple of weeks ago to a good friend too, similar situation. Guy pulled out on front of him, over the hood he goes, tumbling down the road and the helmet flew off. He ended up with broken facial bones, swollen brain, broken limbs, internal damage, road rash everywhere and also airlifted. If it's any help, this guy has been getting better every day and looks like a pretty good recovery.

Here's hoping your friend pulls through too. :cheers:
 
mike515 said:
Just got a phone call from the son of a close friend. I trained him about 25 years ago. He's one of my best friends. We worked on countless tough jobs together. He's basically retired from tree work but still does all of our stump grinding for us. He still does some farming and he called me yesterday to ask me if I could take care of the cows/farm if he went out of town this weekend for a ride with some other friends. He is a very experienced motorcycle rider but he had an accident. We don't know if he hit a deer or laid his bike down to miss a deer but I know he had a high speed accident, he was "life flighted", his skull is fractured, his brain is swollen, he has a bunch of broken bones and bruised and damaged organs....not to mention road rash.

I don't even know why I'm yelling you guys this except for that I don't know who else to tell. I don't want to tell our guys until I can tell them in person. He's the kind of guy who we all wish we had 10 of working for us every day and just 1 of him hanging out with you on the weekend. He's the guy who laughs at all of his own jokes before he gets done telling them. I can say so much about him.

I don't know if you guys believe in prayer and I don't know if I do either.....but if you do....this guy is worth keeping around. I'm having a really hard time with this.
Click to expand...

Praying for you and your friend, Mike. I'm sorry to hear. Sounds really rough.

Thanks for sharing on the forum. A big part of the shock/grieving process is just being able to share it with others. Glad to listen. Please keep us updated.
 
I know I have been a handful in the past. I got booted from AS for life I thought when I told Darrin he was MB's ***** while fighting with MB (RIP) and apologies to Darrin (and to you all). I was having some bad difficulties with PTSD from Viet Nam then and the VA just threw big bottles of anxiety pills at me. Turns out one is worse off WITH the pills when they wear off (which is multiple times daily) than without them. Went cold turkey on them about 3 plus years or more ago. Been sober from drinking etc. for about 30 years now but slipped up on them. Hey they were prescribed as meds :-(

So bottom line...I am not that guy anymore and I feel really bad for Mike and want to get to know you all better so we can support each other like we should Mike when he looks to us for support in times like this. Nuff said.
 
mike515 said:
Just got a phone call from the son of a close friend. I trained him about 25 years ago. He's one of my best friends. We worked on countless tough jobs together. He's basically retired from tree work but still does all of our stump grinding for us. He still does some farming and he called me yesterday to ask me if I could take care of the cows/farm if he went out of town this weekend for a ride with some other friends. He is a very experienced motorcycle rider but he had an accident. We don't know if he hit a deer or laid his bike down to miss a deer but I know he had a high speed accident, he was "life flighted", his skull is fractured, his brain is swollen, he has a bunch of broken bones and bruised and damaged organs....not to mention road rash.

I don't even know why I'm yelling you guys this except for that I don't know who else to tell. I don't want to tell our guys until I can tell them in person. He's the kind of guy who we all wish we had 10 of working for us every day and just 1 of him hanging out with you on the weekend. He's the guy who laughs at all of his own jokes before he gets done telling them. I can say so much about him.

I don't know if you guys believe in prayer and I don't know if I do either.....but if you do....this guy is worth keeping around. I'm having a really hard time with this.
Click to expand...
Hang in there Mike; I hope your friend finds the strength to pull through and I wish him a speedy recovery.

Life can really throw some curveballs and challenges in front of you. I lost one of my childhood friends at 25. That was a tough one to process and was such a surreal moment being a pallbearer for someone my own age.
 
Thanks for the kind thoughts, words and prayers. He's hanging in there right now. He's in a medically induced coma. He had surgery yesterday to reduce the swelling on his brain. I told some of our guys about it today. We will keep the farm going and I will cover whatever payments need to be paid so he won't default on any loans. I don't know if life gets harder as you get older but it changes. I know that he was one of us and we have good people. I am happy that our people and family are willing to step up. For myself....I'm going to be a farmer for a while.
 
I lost my brother and my best friend in an alcohol related car accident 28 years ago. My friend was driving. He was 20 at the time and my brother had just turned 25 a few days earlier. I was 20 or 21. I got through it all somehow but it wasn’t easy. Time really does heal... or at least compartmentalize.
 
I was just out looking at a good sized tree job. The lady says “all these Brown Ash have to go... this brown ash over here, blah, blah, blah”. I told her there was no such thing as a brown ash and she says “why is everybody calling them brown ash?”. I said I don’t know but they’re white ash. lol. She went around and kept calling them brown ash, which bothered me every time, but whatever.

I looked it up and apparently we have black ash (Fraxinus nigra) (as well as the most common white and the occasional green, which I do see once in a while) that people have called brown if you’re in Maine or whatever (according to the internet). We’re not in Maine and as far as the MDS is concerned there’s no such thing as a brown ash. I would like to be able to identify a black ash before they’re all gone however.

Anybody have anything called a brown ash in their neck of the woods? Lol
 

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