avalancher
Arboristsite Raconteur
Last year a farmer had a large piece of land logged off, maybe in the 100 plus acre size, and of course the loggers left all the oak tops behind. I stopped and asked the farmer if he would mind if I cut some of it up, even offered to haul plenty to the house for him in exchange. He said nope, he had a ton of family that wanted the wood.I thought at the time he must have not only a million relatives, but some sturdy ones as well. The property is very steep in places, and the average joe is not going to want to lug the wood up the hills to the truck.
I happened to go by the place last night, and to my surprise the place looked exactly the same as last year. As far as I could see, not a stick had been touched.
I swung back around and stopped at the farmers house and saw him out at the barn. I introduced myself as the guy that had stopped last year to inquire about the wood. Then I asked him if he would be willing to reconsider my deal. I even said that I would deliver him to his house SPLIT wood in exchange for the privelage of cutting there. his reply was...
"I would rather let the wood rot on the ground than allow ANYONE to cut on my place."
I asked him if I had offended him in some ways, he replied that he was tired of lazy beggers asking for handouts.Lazy?Beggers?
On the way out I happened to catch his wife at the mailbox, I stopped and told her that I was sorry if I had offended her husband. She said that what he said was his standard reply to anyone that stopped and asked about the wood. To her knowledge nobody but the old man had cut any on the place.
What gives with people like this?I thought that I was doing him several favors. Hauling him some wood(they burn wood themselves, and he has to split by hand), clean up his woods for him, etc.
In the years of cutting wood, this was the weirdest reaction that I have ever had to me asking to cut wood. I have had polite "No", :censored: holes that wanted every stick for themselves, and a few that wanted me to pay by the load.Never been called either lazy or a beggar before.
I happened to go by the place last night, and to my surprise the place looked exactly the same as last year. As far as I could see, not a stick had been touched.
I swung back around and stopped at the farmers house and saw him out at the barn. I introduced myself as the guy that had stopped last year to inquire about the wood. Then I asked him if he would be willing to reconsider my deal. I even said that I would deliver him to his house SPLIT wood in exchange for the privelage of cutting there. his reply was...
"I would rather let the wood rot on the ground than allow ANYONE to cut on my place."
I asked him if I had offended him in some ways, he replied that he was tired of lazy beggers asking for handouts.Lazy?Beggers?
On the way out I happened to catch his wife at the mailbox, I stopped and told her that I was sorry if I had offended her husband. She said that what he said was his standard reply to anyone that stopped and asked about the wood. To her knowledge nobody but the old man had cut any on the place.
What gives with people like this?I thought that I was doing him several favors. Hauling him some wood(they burn wood themselves, and he has to split by hand), clean up his woods for him, etc.
In the years of cutting wood, this was the weirdest reaction that I have ever had to me asking to cut wood. I have had polite "No", :censored: holes that wanted every stick for themselves, and a few that wanted me to pay by the load.Never been called either lazy or a beggar before.
