Done for the season, winter setting in.

[HolmenTree]

The trees are dormant now as is my business phone line. I have my feet up for a little bit and now contemplating 2009 tree season. Fuel prices just dropped to lowest prices in years almost over night and wonder if they will still be that way in 4 months, when our business cycle starts over again. I feel optimistic for next season but feel I may just have to tighten my belt quite a bit. All this talk today of leading a "substainable way of life" to get by in tough times makes me think of my parents who ran the family farm during the depression era 1930s. I remember my dad talking to his close friend how they had no money back then but had no choice but to get by,and they did for almost 20 long years after 1929................ How are you guys doing far and wide?

 

[epicklein22]

The tree company I worked for over the summer will be done right around X-mas. They have been in business for over 25 years, so they have a well established customer base to give them some business up till then. Will be starting back up in March I believe.

 

[gr8scott72]

Stop for winter? Whhaaa? It's chilly here today and the thermometer says 52 degrees. lol

The leaves are just now changing and falling.

 

[TDunk]

Another week or two i'll be done for the year, i think.

 

[HolmenTree]

Stop for winter? Whhaaa? It's chilly here today and the thermometer says 52 degrees. lol

The leaves are just now changing and falling.

Must be nice , we don't have that luxury but we do have 20 hours of sun light during our summers [our trees have to catch up somehow for living in our long winter climate]. We put in long days somedays. I have a cushion of 2 weeks of work booked for next spring, don't want to bother doing it now with our now short days and raking up debris in the snow.

 

[highasatree]

I've got 2-3 weeks left of work. A good ice storm will change all that. good luck...

 

[Grace Tree]

The guy that climbs with me had surgery Nov. 4 so we quit for the year then. We normally stop taking any more work in Nov. and get all the odd jobs cleaned up in December. It felt good to quit and get everything cleaned, repaired and put away but I'll be getting "itchy" in February.
Phil

 

[John464]

Calls are definitely slowing for residential work. Commercial contracts will keep us working all through winter. This is the slowest 4th quarter that Im having in a long while. Down to one crew. 5 days a week. This time last year 3 crews 5-6 days a week. Thanks Obama and you also want to raise capital gains tax for us small business owners.

 

[DKdeOhio]

?

John - Not sure Obama has anything to do with your business prospects unless he is running a competitve tree company in your area...unless, of course, he is a lowballer?? Anyway, dude is not even in office yet.
Best of luck to all, stay warm, and hope some 'milk runs' fall into your lap before the freeze.

 

[squad143]

One more job in the city (if there is no snow there next week when I get back) and some pruning of some dead limbs as a favor for a friend's parents and then that's it till next spring.

 

[HolmenTree]

One more job in the city (if there is no snow there next week when I get back) and some pruning of some dead limbs as a favor for a friend's parents and then that's it till next spring.

squad be carefull with that last job,real careful. From experience and also being told through the grapevine if your going get injured its always those freebie jobs for friends and multiplied x10 if its the last one of the year. Work safe and take care.

 

[southsoundtree]

phones have been dead. Looking to the winter storms to start for some business.

Been slow last few weeks.

 

[TimberMcPherson]

Its getting pretty warm here, its an average of 20c (68f) but winter is only 6c (43f) so its not a big difference like alot of you guys. Xmas for us is beach weather, bbq and chainsaw pants soaked in sweat. Phone is busy, but it needs to be as a new chipper is in my near future.

After xmas tends to be a big quiet as people are on holiday, will be interesting to see how 2009 goes.

 

[toddstreeservic]

We have a week or 2 of residential stuff left and now we are looking for somewhere to log for the winter.

 

[HolmenTree]

We have a week or 2 of residential stuff left and now we are looking for somewhere to log for the winter.

A while back I had plans to fall for a local logging contractor for the winter, but now decided to stay home ,take a little break and get my equipment back up into shape. 2009 season will come soon enough.

 

[Groundman One]

We're down to two days a week pretty much. But that's enough to pay the bills. Even one good day a week covers my share. Two days is gravy and lets me stay ahead.

At 8 AM when we did an estimate, it was "I want to go home" cold. An hour later at a job it was a bit better but my climber's hands were getting pretty cold up in the maple. (You have to keep the spurs sharp for frozen sugar maple.) An hour later we didn't notice.

See how things are tomorrow.

 

[Blakesmaster]

Down to a day or two a week here.

Been that way for the past 3 mos for my biz but now my sub-work has dropped off too. Can't complain, didn't make much pocket money this year but we just about doubled our amount of equipment while covering all our new insurance, maintenance and advertising costs. Don't have a lot in the bank but it'll get me through the cold. I too, am excited for next season. As long as the bottom doesn't fall out of our economy we should do quite well.

 

[deevo]

Thats what I thought to

But we got a shilliacking of heavy wet snow Saturday and Sunday. Trees down everywhere in our county, power out for some for over 50 hours, they had to bring Ontario /hydro crews in from all over the province. I'm also on the fire dept and we ran almost 20 calls in 24hrs (which is a lot for us) mvc's tons of hydro wires down calls causing fires. Good news is I have a contract with the phone company for removing trees off their lines. Guess what we've been going steady all week long, and still have a whole lot to get to. Great thing is all we have to do is remove them from the lines, no clean up (unless its blocking the road) if the homeowners want it cleaned up/chipped/whatever they are on the hook as our contract states remove from lines only! Heres a few pics

 

[deevo]

Forgot to point out if you look at the 3rd and 4th pics how much the lines can hold and how they went right back to their normal position after the tree was removed! I'll try and get some more pics tomorrow, was just to busy to take them the last 2 days! :greenchainsaw:

 

[booboo]

We're starting to get pretty slow, which isn't too bad since it's starting to get pretty cold. 18F this AM and the ponds are skimming over. Economy is taking it's toll though, not many calls for bids coming in, though we've got a bunch of bids out. Normally we get probably 75% or so of jobs we bid on, right now it's more like 25%. Seems like a lot of folks are getting prices and then just not having the work done, it's not like we're getting beat out by other outfits, the work is just not being done. Not liking the long term outlook...