1965 I started going to high school at night so I could work days in the construction biz, building scaffolds as condos were built by the beach of westcoast FL. I remember 2 that were 17 and 21 stories. I liked the thrill of freewalking on 2x10's high in the air while carrying metal scaffold sections. (I'm sure now they do it with the aid of machines.)
chased that thrill working w the circus in their winter home, filling in as the catcher for the flying gaonas trapeze act. pay was peanuts but the chance to socialize w international wimmin made it worthwhile. couldn't see living in a train, and wasn't good enuf anyway for the big time; couldn't do a double reliably. landing on your head is no fun even with a net.
Oh yeah, trees. When they were clearing land near the family motel they needed someone to climb up and set ropes, then help buckandbrush. I did that long enough to learn to hate removals. Construction pay was better anyway.
Wehn the scaffold biz slowed down I chose palm cleaning over other bldg work. Being up there with the roaches and the rats was ugly, but seeing a pretty and healthy palm when I wasdone made that worthwhile. I remember getting $10./palm, which took more than an hour incl cleanup. no chainsaw. also climbed to clean oaks etc., $6-8/hr. Learned to love polesaw so I could earn that, big money in the 60's.
Money's changed, and being high in the air is still fun but the thrill is gone. Still hate removals (without replacing), still love to see a tree grow better with care. Assimilating and forming new notions about care is now the new thrill, climbing's hohum. Ahhhhbut I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now. BD the MN man.
geez mb why so you start these things, I gotta get to work!
