It was an interesting day. Finished up the road of blowdown this morning and cut part of a tree off that was being used to put glass bottles on for target practice. By shortening the perch, they'll be shooting in a safer direction.
This afternoon, I took "The Ancient Scale Stick Of Doom" off the wall and out to the woods. We added the doom part because OSHA says it needs to be tied to the wall instead of held up by sturdy hooks that make it hard to get down as it is. The thing is old growth size, goes to 5 foot diameter with a healthy spud on the end. I was heading out to do a fast dirty cruise of the hazard tree/falling/bucking/ testing area. Because it was a testing area, the trees are all jackstrawed.
Today was the first day of summer work for "the boys". They are just finished with their first year of college. They came to work expecting to spend the day indoors. Their supervisor sent them out with me. So, they were out in good clothes working in the brush. One is planning on taking up forestry and shows potential. The other one is just not interested and needs prodding but that was not what the Scale Stick of Doom was for. They looked with horror as I threw the winter accumulation of "stuff" out of the back seat while looking for the loggers tape, and then again looking for the yellow book to write stuff in. I found my 2 sweatshirts I was missing, a hat, a pair of blue suspenders and a pair of clean socks. Oh, and I found the tape and yellow book too.
So, I'm out teaching the one some tricks of scaling mixed with cruising. We're walking on the trees. He's jumping, I'm kind of lungeing. I like the 5 foot tall Scale Stick Of Doom as it is sturdy and can be used for balance. I explained the ancient use of the stick and then gave him the loggers tape. The other guy, who had on nice new white shoes, got the paint gun. I did the diameters. The young guys should be the ones to walk up and down on the logs to measure them, right? I also showed how to adjust the loggers tape so it would wind up better and how you could tune it up for tape racing, which sadly, they probably never will do as we don't have big timber crews anymore. I yelled at them to hurry up and run by a tree as it had a widow maker from the recent falling hung up and the wind was starting to blow. Hah! It was good to have young uns to yell at. The Scale Stick Of Doom was returned to the wall.
I had a good time, but they were kind of sweaty and tired looking.
Another sad note. The one said it is no longer forestry at the community college he goes to but Environmental Studies and the teachers go on about the evils of logging and how trees are under too much stress.
This afternoon, I took "The Ancient Scale Stick Of Doom" off the wall and out to the woods. We added the doom part because OSHA says it needs to be tied to the wall instead of held up by sturdy hooks that make it hard to get down as it is. The thing is old growth size, goes to 5 foot diameter with a healthy spud on the end. I was heading out to do a fast dirty cruise of the hazard tree/falling/bucking/ testing area. Because it was a testing area, the trees are all jackstrawed.
Today was the first day of summer work for "the boys". They are just finished with their first year of college. They came to work expecting to spend the day indoors. Their supervisor sent them out with me. So, they were out in good clothes working in the brush. One is planning on taking up forestry and shows potential. The other one is just not interested and needs prodding but that was not what the Scale Stick of Doom was for. They looked with horror as I threw the winter accumulation of "stuff" out of the back seat while looking for the loggers tape, and then again looking for the yellow book to write stuff in. I found my 2 sweatshirts I was missing, a hat, a pair of blue suspenders and a pair of clean socks. Oh, and I found the tape and yellow book too.
So, I'm out teaching the one some tricks of scaling mixed with cruising. We're walking on the trees. He's jumping, I'm kind of lungeing. I like the 5 foot tall Scale Stick Of Doom as it is sturdy and can be used for balance. I explained the ancient use of the stick and then gave him the loggers tape. The other guy, who had on nice new white shoes, got the paint gun. I did the diameters. The young guys should be the ones to walk up and down on the logs to measure them, right? I also showed how to adjust the loggers tape so it would wind up better and how you could tune it up for tape racing, which sadly, they probably never will do as we don't have big timber crews anymore. I yelled at them to hurry up and run by a tree as it had a widow maker from the recent falling hung up and the wind was starting to blow. Hah! It was good to have young uns to yell at. The Scale Stick Of Doom was returned to the wall.
I had a good time, but they were kind of sweaty and tired looking.
Another sad note. The one said it is no longer forestry at the community college he goes to but Environmental Studies and the teachers go on about the evils of logging and how trees are under too much stress.
