I feel like such a sissy

[Tree Pig]

Had a smaller tree (black birch 18 DBH) to drop this afternoon, the last of three for this customer. Geared up climbed about 30' to the first limb pulled the saw up to start cutting and CRAAACKKKK goes the lightning. Not near me but considering I was standing in a tree with metal gaffs and wire core flip line I got a little nervous. Needles to say I then tied in a climb line and bailed from the tree leaving it in the same shape as it was before I got in it, with the addition of the new spike holes. No big deal I will go finish it in the morning but, just the fact that I only had to make a few cuts to drop what I need to up top then rope down and flop the rest of the tree, I now feel like such a sissy for having bailed from the tree... But I dont like lightning.

So here is the question what would you have done? Honest answers please. Remember this lightning wasnt right near me but it wasnt all that far away either.

 

[dafunk]

I would have done the same as you man, never take chances with mother natures forces. I don't think being cautious makes you a sissy and if anyone says you are who cares.

 

[outdoorlivin247]

All the sissy are taking about bees and snakes...Lightening just flat scares the #### out of me if I am out in it...If I am inside I like watching it, but outside I am the first to run for shelter...

 

[Tree Pig]

Yeah very true just hate having bailed with 10 minutes of cutting left to do in the tree and then drop it, but that lightning was just too close and like you said Dont mess with mother nature is a good moto.

 

[Tree Pig]

All the sissy are taking about bees and snakes...Lightening just flat scares the #### out of me if I am out in it...If I am inside I like watching it, but outside I am the first to run for shelter...

be out in it doesnt bother me as much as being 30' feet up in a tree with the metal spikes and wire flip line did today. I think that was the first time I have ever been caught in a tree when it started to lightning

Here is a picture of me in the tree just before I bailed

 

[outdoorlivin247]

I have been sitting in my tree stand and had lightning strike a tree in the woods about 75 yards away...I could not get down fast enough...When I say being out in it, I mean see the flash, hear the bang lightning...Not for me...

 

[Tree Pig]

Lightning has never really scared me before not like this I have been doing all kinds of things when it started to lightning before. Most of the time I stopped what I was doing but it really didnt bother me. this time it did.

 

[tree md]

Yeah, I'm definitely out of there if it starts lightening. I have continued to work if I am doing a big removal and I am almost there with it and didn't want to have to climb the thing again.

I used to build foundations and pour concrete before I did tree work. Some of the pours would be poured with a pump truck and boom. When your pouring concrete for a foundation, once you start pouring you have to keep going until it's finished or you will end up with a cold joint if you stop. If that happens the joint will be a weak spot and can allow water to enter the structure. We would try to plan for rain but in GA thunderstorms roll in so quickly they can catch you by surprise. On the end of the boom pump is a large rubber hose that whoever is pouring holds onto and pours the concrete down into the forms. When a storm rolls in and it starts lightening the boom builds up static electricity and you can barley touch the rubber hose on the boom because it stings so bad. It hurts like a biotch, not to mention being as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs over the lightening.

When I have done treework with an outfit with a crane we have always shut down the crane immediately if we saw lightening.

 

[tree md]

Lightning has never really scared me before not like this I have been doing all kinds of things when it started to lightning before. Most of the time I stopped what I was doing but it really didnt bother me. this time it did.

Your spidey senses where trying to tell you something. Got to listen to the spidey senses...

 

[Tree Pig]

Your spidey senses where trying to tell you something. Got to listen to the spidey senses...

lol yeah watch the home owner call me later and tell me the thing got hit by lightning, that would freak me out.

 

[treemandan]

yeah big sissy. what? Big tough treeman can't take a little jolt?

No, good call. Get out when you see that chit, that's protocal.

 

[Rickytree]

Nothing worse than a Cold Joint!!

Butt seriously! The reason Men get struck by lightning 5 times more than women is that We are Working in IT!!

 

[Tree Pig]

Nothing worse than a Cold Joint!!

Butt seriously! The reason Men get struck by lightning 5 times more than women is that We are Working in IT!!

pffft more likely that men just cant be that lucky... I mean how many times has the wife come out of the house yelling about something while your cutting the grass or whatever and you thought to yourself man I hope you get struck by lightning.

 

[treemandan]

Nothing worse than a Cold Joint!!

Butt seriously! The reason Men get struck by lightning 5 times more than women is that We are Working in IT!!

would you like me to warm that up for you?

Butt seriously! There is no argueing with your logic.

 

[mnsnow]

Play it safe - you only get one life.

I would have done the same thing - I can finish the job another day. I know with my luck if I was in or by a tree ZAPPP.

I don't take unnecessary risks - but that's me.

 

[Raymond]

Call me crazy buy my neck would of dropped down into my shoulders and I'd probably finished, the climbing part anyway.

Mom always wanted to get a GOOD life insurance policy out on me. She said it would be a good investment. :monkey:

 

[treemandan]

Call me crazy buy my neck would of dropped down into my shoulders and I'd probably finished, the climbing part anyway.

Mom always wanted to get a GOOD life insurance policy out on me. She said it would be a good investment. :monkey:

List tree climber as your occupation and see them run. You could chain smoke 6 packs a day but that wouldn't scare em as much.

The only reason I get up there is cause I am worth more dead than alive. I hate them sob's but wouldn't do this chit if I wasn't insured every which way possible.
Sometimes I call my insure-er's just to remind them of what it is I do. I say, " still here m and f'er and that is good for you"
I love insurance man meat stuck between my teeth. Wayne Moore, he is the guy handling the oil spill at my house. We got off to a hard start but now I call him and just say " Yo". To which he replies " Yes, Mr. Saville, what can I do for you?" The stammering he used to do has stopped alltogether.

 

[BarkBuster20]

well i wont even run a saw if there lightening on the ground or in a tree. good call.

 

[treemandan]

well i wont even run a saw if there lightening on the ground or in a tree. good call.

hell, I won't even leave the house. well maybe there was a time but the boat and everything else was plastic.

 

[mrowens33]

Statistics

Good call- you don't need to be one of the 73 people who die each year from lightning strikes. Not to mention being disabled(maybe worse than death). In my college physics class there was a girl who told a story from childhood. She and a freind were on a see-saw(from back when playground equipment was actually fun) while a thunderstorm was approaching. They laughed at eachother each time they would swing up, their hair would stand on end. The physics prof explained to her that that was the negative charge trying to equalize with the positive in the sky and they were very close to being struck by lightning. She was a little freaked out.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/05/0522_030522_lightning.html