Safety/Be observant: There are three imaginary radiating circles to this (to life really): self; other you know or near you; and the larger picture of all others. The first one: Using myself as an example, I mostly work alone. Which means if I (you) get hurt I might be seriously screwed. We use dangerous tools in ever changing circumstances. So control what you can in terms of safety. Obviously that includes PPE, serviced equipment, knowledge and common sense technique. The biggy though is taking the time to, as it were, to take the time. So while working, my thought is often if I get hurt doing this, how much will it really cost me, in down time, a strained back, or hospital costs, etc. That moments thought is often enough to to take a second look. It may mean walking back to the shed or truck to get a another strap or come-a-long. Or throwing away a very handy 80' bull rope that used to be 100', but broke twice. And, as Fred Wright suggests, pausing to clear away the brush, the stumbling blocks, before continuing. Every motion you make in the woods is probably transferring through your feet. When walking naturally the motion seems to be, the body moves first in some way, then the foot moves. In the woods when cutting, I set the chain break before repositioning. Then I move my feet first, and my body repositions over my feet. If you move naturally, the body movement first, and your foot is blocked or trapped, you are going down, with a running chain saw. Most of us have probably done this more than once, and it is an unsettling attention getter. Safety ignored catches up to you. Its a numbers game. I've learned to enjoy and use those transitions of work as rest breaks from the more noisy and dangerous stuff as well. And sometimes, I just sit on the quad running board, drink a Coke-a-Cola, scratch the dog under the chin, and enjoy the moment, the place where I'm at, and take time to be thankful.
