Do you see guys who do this ?

[pigwot]

More inane antics

I was up in a mature Linden, had finished fuss-pruning it and was about finished installing cable bracing, when I noticed a fellow walking into the suburban lot, rolling one of those measuring wheels. He was the insurance assessor, busily measuring the lot, so I advised he stay out from under the three trees we were currently working. He stopped to talk, and related that when he was doing insurance adjustments he was called out to a site: some inner-city youth had offered to take down a 60' dead oak for the neighbor, with an old Homelite saw for $50US. Problem was, the row houses were 15' wide. They felled the tree, three fences and the power, telephone and cableTV lines to four houses...and took off running, leaving the still running saw behind.

 

[sawn_penn]

I was up in a mature Linden, had finished fuss-pruning it and was about finished installing cable bracing, when I noticed a fellow walking into the suburban lot, rolling one of those measuring wheels. He was the insurance assessor, busily measuring the lot, so I advised he stay out from under the three trees we were currently working. He stopped to talk, and related that when he was doing insurance adjustments he was called out to a site: some inner-city youth had offered to take down a 60' dead oak for the neighbor, with an old Homelite saw for $50US. Problem was, the row houses were 15' wide. They felled the tree, three fences and the power, telephone and cableTV lines to four houses...and took off running, leaving the still running saw behind.

What a great idea for getting experience dropping dangerous trees. Just bring some junker saw along and then RUN!

For an extra laugh, hand out a competitor's business cards when quoting the job....

 

[pigwot]

Of course the funniest was the woman who called and asked if we could come right over as she was afraid her husband was going to hurt himself or drop a tree on the house. Two houses about five meters apart, with a dead, dry elm directly between them. This home arborist had taken a 3/4 axe and whittled the 20" diameter trunk beaver-style until it was approximately 8" diameter, and there swayed the tree. The hounded hubby was screaming back at the seriously-scared spouse that he knew just what he was doing... doubtful! When we asked how he was going to direct the fall (and we also pointed out that it would likely take out the neighbor's roof and not his) he quieted down and looked pretty sober. He asked how we would climb it and I told him about our trained squirrel that would carry the rope in his teeth and tie a perfect knot high in the crown... he didn't believe that so we brought out the hunting bow and arrow with a hole in the nock to which we tie a 50 lb test monofilament fishing line. Taking aim we sent the arrow hrough the uppermost, strong crotch, and then tied on a 200' length of starter cord, pulling that up and through, and lastly, gingerly pulled up the bull rope, set the running bowline (the squirrel) and sent it scurrying up. Once tension was placed on the rope the tree luckily followed the suggestion and landed neatly in the back yard. No one even considered a felling cut or hinge style, as we had been within the strike zone way too long as it was.