Monday, September 11, 2006

And

*Crraccck!!!*And it fell.

Saturday, September 09, 2006

Cascade

Most newbies didn't know how strong they could be.Until you've had the cascade of fear,injury or actually death flowing through your veins,you couldn't know....And there lie their weakness.

Friday, September 08, 2006

Crescendo

The chainsaw,as it cut through the wood,was building up to it's crescendo in both noise and power.I could feel the tree tilt.I pulled the rope tight-tight with tremendous strength.The rope was so taut,a tightrope walker could walk up it.Slack off,now,Nik.Slack off.

Thursday, September 07, 2006

Bower

So,you could say that Nikolas,basically became the rudder,while I,at the end of my rope,basically became the bower.But it was not just my weight that made me the anchor at the end of the ship's bow...it was how I was going to use it.

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Economy

I heard Nikolas re-starting the chainsaw as I walked towards the end of the pull rope.Gloves were a must.Helping the economy did not include me paying the hospital to patch up my fingers.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Magick

I quickly looked over the teeth of the saw.While not as sharp as I would have liked,the dullness would actually slow the cutting down enough that I would not have to worry about Nik hammering at it too hard.What some people called life experience,I called the magick of fucking up religiously.

Monday, September 04, 2006

Quixotic

I had no Quixotic aspirations.I didn't chase windmills...they chased me.I had no intentions on being the hero here.The secret was not in the cut-any idiot paying half attention could do it-it was in the pull,"This is your baby,Nik.Cut about a half inch above your bottom cut.And cut to the right:slowly.Leave the left alone.When you feel it start to go:stop cutting,and get the hell out of Dodge."

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Mourning

I never was one for mourning the death of trees.Death was a part of life.Trees were a renewable resource.And I had seen a bulldozer destroy an acre of trees in the time it took me to take down half of one.

Friday, September 01, 2006

Vacation

I covered my mouth with my hand and rubbed it around,"This ain't gonna be no vacation,Bub,"I said,channeling Jake.I was thinking,if it fell left it would wipe out a fence and a swimming pool.If it fell to the right(Most likely),it would wipe out a shed and maybe the side of the house.

Thursday, August 31, 2006

Tuesday

Nik turned off the chainsaw and threw his earmuffs down,"It was cutting like a raped ape,then suddenly it was dullar then a small town on a Tuesday night,"he said holding up the saw.I walked to the tree.The inside was hollow with a detritus of rocks,nuts and thick soil.The left side was thin and didn't look like it would hold.Shit!

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Disingenuous

Most trees were kind,passive beings,but every once in awhile you would cross a disingenuous soul so dark that you would actually believe that the tree was fighting you as you tried to cut it off from it's very literal root.As Nik finished his top cut,the wedge popped out too easily...Utt Ooh..trouble.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Twilight

Some people liked the early morning twilight,others preferred the twilight of the setting sun.It's the same thing,but different.Some people started their notch with a top cut,others from the bottom.I was a top notch guy myself,but it didn't bother me at all that Nikolas started his from the bottom.

Monday, August 28, 2006

Barnacle

Another reason to have a sharpened chainsaw was because I've seen too many things inside of a tree trunk that could make them go duller then a small town on a Tuesday night.Ice,nails,fence wire,golf balls,an old pirate ship,complete with a barnacle or two.Hell,'my own' chain had even caught squirrel tails,bird feathers and a colony of ants soo thick that it looked like water pouring out from the stump.

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Paisley

Nikolas lumbered to the tree.I motioned for him to take off his ear protection,"Hey,"I yelled,"Make sure it's a damn good cut,'cuz there ain't no mules in Paisley Park'(Damn,I loved Prince),and I ain't one either.My fat ass can only pull so much."

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Original

The reason why you always wanted to start notching a tree with a freshly sharpened blade is that sometimes after a re-sharping the saw could not follow the course of the original cut.(i.e.the dull blade had cut crooked).This could leave you in a very dangerous situation.

Friday, August 25, 2006

Scarf

In the time it took Nik to finish sharpening the saw,I openned the truck door,reached into my McDonald's bag,and finished the other half of my Big Mac.I just as quickly drank down the rest of my now luke-warm Coca~Cola.I offered Nik the rest of my fries.I didn't stay around to watch him scarf them down.I simply took the sledge and wedge,put them by the edge of the tree and grabbed the pull rope.

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Cloudy

As Nik started filing down the rakers,I looked up into the somewhat cloudy sky.I imagined I saw Ahab forever riding his white whale.I looked to Nik,and then back to Ahab.It seemed we all had our own leviathans to cling to.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Delivered

This was not the first anti-war soliloquy that Nik had delivered.I think his cousin's injury affected him more then he knew.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Cheesybread

"It's just cheesybread comments like that that make me think how bad war must really be,"Nik said,flipping the file around to the teeth on the other side of the blade.The file slipped and he took a slice out of his finger,"Ouch,"Nik said first shaking his finger then sucking on it ,"Seems like dumb shit to me."

Monday, August 21, 2006

Green

Nik parked the saw against the backwheel of the truck,and started laying the rat-tail file down on it's teeth,"It's funny,Dave listens to Green Day,Pearl Jam & Neil Young,thinks we're stupid for being over there,but still wants to go back."

Sunday, August 20, 2006

Pretibial

"How the hell you ever start drinking that pirate concoction anyway,Nik?" "My cousin,Dave,"he said,"Lost half his leg in Iraq.They gave him this fake leg.He calls it his 'Pretibial Peg Leg Ass Kicker'.We'd sit around his camp fire on his back patio and drink 'um.Dave says they ain't real flips unless you stick a hot poker in 'um just before you drink 'em."

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Grok

"Soooo,"I said,as we reached my pick up truck,"Are you going to be drinking any of your grok with Alice tonight?"Nik grabbed the files and turned to me,"First off,Drew,it's 'Grog',and it's a pussy's drink...just watered down rum.I drink 'Flips'...dark beer,rum and molasses.It's what real pirates drank.It's what I drink."A smile crept upon his face,"But yes,'WE' might be drinking some."

Friday, August 18, 2006

Vacuous

In tree work,you rise through the ranks by starting off as a 'ground man'(an empty headed vacuous lout).As you gain knowledge,you work your way through the alphabet from 'D'
man-all the way up to 'A'(a super duper tree man).On paper,an 'A' man should be able to do everything.But very few men ever reach every stage of 'A'-ness.In fact,you can be an 'A',in say,knot tying,but still a 'B' or 'C' in saw cutting.Few trimmers ever become an all out-flow blown 'A'man' in every aspect of their game.

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Beautiful


The beautiful thing about Nikolas sharpening the saw was that he was so much better at it then I was.Though,he was still only a 'C' man,he had the knack for pulling the round file back across the teeth,and pushing the flat file down against the rakers.Definately 'A' man work.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Docile

"All gassed and oiled,Chief,"Nikolas said handing me the big chainsaw."Whoa,my Padawan learner,how sharp is she?"I asked,knowing full well the answer."I didn't hit anything with it,"he replied.I handed it back to him,"Well,then you notch and flop it,I'll pull the rope.""Uhm,Maybe I should sharpen it first,"He said,walking back to the truck."I smiled,it didn't pay to let them get too docile on you in the tree business

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Stalwart

I reached for my pull rope,tied a running bow-line in it and yanked it to the top of the tree.The rope had been my stalwart companion;first,when it was new(it had been my first new climbing line),and now,that it had been my pull rope forever.

Monday, August 14, 2006

Detritus

I put the coiled rope between my legs,made a few quick wraps and finished by making a slip-knot and tightening it.I threw it by the large trunk that I had just fell.The center,while hallow,was not empty.It was filled with a detritus of rotting wood,dirt,and bugs.It crumbled in my gloved hand.Huh,it was like soil from twelve feet above ground.

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Mollycoddle

I noticed that Nik had stopped working while I was coiling up my rope...probably thinking about this Alice girl.I didn't want Nik to think I would 'mollycoddle' to him just because I liked him,"Yoh,homey,are you going to read haikus all day or are you gonna get back to work?"He stuffed his letter back into his pant's pocket.

Haiku

"So,does this girl have a name?"I asked rappelling down to the ground."Uh,"Nik said pulling out a crumbled up piece of paper from his pocket,"It says,'SBS haiku':

'Osquer sits under

her own faery tree wishing

upon shooting stars'

No,wait,"he flipped the paper over,"It says her name is ,Alice."

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Tofurky(Just for SBS)

"What?"I said,wiping the sweat from my brow,"Please,don't tell me that she eats tofurky,and voted for Dennis Kucinich?">"No,man,she's nothing like that.She likes Jethro Tull,and is into poetry.">"Dam tree huggers,"I said,smiling.

Vodka/Aquarius

The trunk came crashing to the ground harder then a Russian on too much vodka.It busted up a dead branch and sent a piece flying over Nikolas'head."Headache!"I yelled as it whizzed pass him."Hey!watch it,"He yelped,"I've got this blind date with this Aquarius tonight,and her horoscope says she's gonna get lucky."

Friday, August 11, 2006

Rainbow

Determinedly,I started to cut the rest of the bastard off with my speedsaw.The quick sliver movement of my blade made me think of the old 'Rainbow',tune,'The Man On The Sliver Mountain'.I half sang/half yelled it while I pounded my way through the rest of the massive log,<"I'm the day,I'm the day.I can show you the way.And look I'm right beside you.I'm the night,I'm the night.I'm the dark and the light.With eyes that see inside you.Come down with fire.Lift my spirit higher.Someone's screaming my name.Come and make me holy again.I'm the man on the sliver mountain">.***Crrrraaack***Bang!PoP! She busted free!And began her descent

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Wrinkle

I don't mind telling you that that put a new wrinkle into my plan.Cursing,I let the chainsaw hang down by the end of it's rope.*Shink!*Looked like I was gonna have to do this the old fashioned way.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Damage

Nik knew enough not to get under me while I was cutting.Any damage I would cause to the lawn was o-k'ed before hand by the owner,so that was not a problem.I was down to the last big piece of trunk.I quickly put my notch into the front;then I started my backcut.*SPRIIING*!Damn it!Two thirds through,my chain decided to pop off.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Lasagna

Tree slang could be vulgar,yet accurate.I didn't make up the terms,I just used them.I started up my saw.It was cutting like a raped ape.I went at that tree like Garfield on a pan of lasagna.

Monday, August 07, 2006

Meanwhile

Meanwhile,I had positioned myself perfectly in the tree to start hammering it.The shit was gonna fly,now.

Saturday, August 05, 2006

Hay

Nikolas wasn't one of those'farm 'boys who honed their work skills by throwing hay all day.He was a city boy.But you couldn't tell it.He took the twenty inch chainsaw and started hacking the branch up into manageable pieces.

Friday, August 04, 2006

Altered

I smiled.That the running bowline knot came free easily in no way altered the fact that I still considered the cloth hitch the better knot.

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Unicorn

To keep things fresh,we,as tree trimmers,sometimes used topical subjects and injected some of their humour into our own conversations."Hey,"yelled Nikolas,"This bowline came out real easily-and,hey...I just saw a unicorn.""What?"I shouted back,"The bowline came out real easily?"

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Flap

The resulting crash caused a brief rush of air strong enough to make Nikolas' hair to flap up in it's breeze."Yeeh Haa!"he shouted as he went to untie my knot.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Waived

Snapped free by the undercut,the bark waived it's right to hold on any side or rip or tear.Nikolas let it swing until it's apex,then let the rope go.The limb fell perfectly onto the desired open area.

Monday, July 31, 2006

pinned

Making an undercut served two purposes.Number one,it pretty much made sure that my speed saw would not get pinched or pinned in it's cut.But reason number two was the much better reason because-*snap*-it made the branch break off oh so much more nicely.

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Platinum

I loved my speed saw.It's curved blade had humped through many a limb for me(someday I should platinum plate it and hang it on my wall:-).I made my undercut...

Saturday, July 29, 2006

Favored

Some tree trimmers favored the 'speed' saw,others the chain saw.I used the appropriate tool for the appropriate situation.This limb called for the speed saw."Sh-ling!"-I pulled it from it's sheath.

Friday, July 28, 2006

Copy

The movement I made next was a carbon copy of every other time I tied a limb off using a bowline:pull the rope back to me with the pruner,untie the bowline and retie it into a running bowline,pull it tight;get ready to cut.

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Interest

I jiggled my pruner pole out to the end of the limb.I dropped the bowline right down were I wanted it.Most guys didn't bother bringing along the pruner,but I figured that the time and energy that it saved made it worth it's weight in gold,plus interest.

Retreat to Sanity

I don't know,maybe it was joy,maybe it was just to keep my sanity,but I loved to sing in the trees.I started in on 'The Boss',<"No retreat baby....No surrender.">

Monday, July 24, 2006

Unto A Captive Audience

But that was just caution talking unto my carefree nature.And my carefree nature was a captive audience.Just because I was in a groove did not mean I should be running on auto-pilot.Pay attention-I always say-do it right.

Saturday, July 22, 2006

Horizon

I smiled as I tied a small bowline and hooked it's knot over my pruner head.This was as close to the mythical Shangri-La-the perfect city from the novel,'Lost Horizon',as I would ever get{and it scared me-it felt just like the other shoe was going to drop}.

Friday, July 21, 2006

Sands

I chunked off a small branch,and tossed it.The proper thing to yell in such cases is,"Headache!",But I had just watched 'The Sands of Iwo Jima',starring John Wayne as Sgt.Stryker,so I copied him,and yelled,"Grenade!Hit the deck." Nik looked up,and scrambled to safety.

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Content

In a man's world ,we were both perfectly content to'look the other way'.In fact,over beers,later on we would probably both laugh at our mutual folly.

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Withheld

I withheld from Nik the fact that I stupidly left my pruner pole way up in the top of the tree....Just like he had withheld from me that he didn't bring back the big saw the start cutting the fallen log.I started climbing/spurring back up to save us both face.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Chess

By wiggled the rope,Nikolas signaling to me that it was free.Sometimes,tree work was like a good game of chess:move-counter move:plan 'A'turns into plan 'B'.Beware of the 'X'-factor.It was what made tree trimming dangerous,yet,fun.

Monday, July 17, 2006

Adapt

Nik untied my cloth hitch.Some trimmers ran the running bowline,but it got so tight it was hard to untie.I always told Nik that he could learn from everyone.Adapt what worked for him,and throw away the rest.

Sunday, July 16, 2006

Melt

The half-wrap is what saved the day.I've seen Chris Miller run some big pieces so fast that the nylon rope would be smoking as he ran it.Parts of the rope would actually melt!A cool trick except for the wear and tear and the shit he would rip up.

Saturday, July 15, 2006

Opaque

As Nik slowly started lowering the giant limb he hollered up to me,"If you'll excuse this opaque reference,'Holy shit,batman-Damn!'"

Friday, July 14, 2006

Relief

To Nik's relief,my first cut went according to plan(actually,to my relief as well).While the the tree was still shaking,I told him to start letting the monster piece down.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Grounds

...I pull my chain saw out and begin my back cut,"Hold it!" I yell as I hammer it.*PoP*!The large trunk snaps free!It swings!It falls!Falls!#Ss-th-ink#!It grounds to a halt!Moments from my feet!"Perfect!"I scream,"Perfect!"

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Fliter

When it comes to tree trimmers-the size of one's gonads is the best way to filter the the wheat from the shaft:the best from the rest.I don't consider myself one of the best,but I do use their bold moves.I start my undercut...

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Alarm

I told Nik to grab hold of the pull rope and take a half wrap around a smaller tree.He saw how high up I had tied off and looked at me with alarm.I repelled down to the bottom of the limb,and fired up my tree saw,"Don't worry,"I grinned,"She'll go.Just hold on to her."

Monday, July 10, 2006

Sage


I*sighed*.While I did not consider myself to be an old sage,I definitely thought of myself as an'old school' thinker.Within the past decade,tree equipment technology had advanced leaps and bounds.I had tried most of it,and,it was easier...yet,I just felt more comfortable and at home with my older stuff.

Sunday, July 09, 2006

Moonlight

Another song written by Nik on'The Cranberry Toes' playlist was a tune called ,'Wear wolf'.<"She only shopped by moonlight/in the hottness of the day/hunting for a bargin/keeping the hunger at bay/Aaah Ooooh she is the wear wolf/aaah Oooo look how much I saved/shopping like a corperate raider/forgetting the lay-a-way/bought the blouse at half price/look how little I paid/Aah Oooh aaaa aaah aaaH chew!">I was only half aware that I was tying a limb to be off roped.

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Astonish

I quickly learned how Nik could really astonish me with his wit and wisdom.He created a song about Vic Morrow called, 'Vic Doesn't Wear Hats Now' that just blew me away.It went,"Vic doesn't wear hats now/He just doesn't use 'em/Vic doesn't wear hats now/He just doesn't need 'em/Vic,[there's no to] Morrow/Vic[There's no to]Morrow!'.I loved it,and now found myself singing it up in the trees.

Friday, July 07, 2006

Frugal

Nik was both the(left handed) bassist for his band and the lead singer,but he was not the main writer for the group.He wanted to change that.I encouraged him to let his mind become more open to the poetry already contained within his brain.Very quickly Nikolas became less and less frugal with his lyrics and form,and was singing his new material to me all the time.

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Toes, Cranberry, Keys, Wedding, Smile, Letter Opener

I had to smile.Nikolas was in a punk rock group called,'The Cranberry Toes'.One time,while I was with Nik,I had used my keys as a letter opener on a wedding invitation.It was from one of our tree buddies named Oscar.Oscar had wanted Nik's band to play at his reception,but only if they knew some polkas.So,I taught him some.That was when he started singing out loud at work.

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

phantasmagoria

In answer to my song I heard Nikolas reply with his own>"Phantasmagoria-Ga-ga-Ga-Gloria-Seeing things-in the clouds/Reverting-vertigo-upside down/RonaldMcDonald'sClown/flyingSupermanThroughTown/Daa da da da daa/Daa da da da daa/Phantasmagoria-Ga-ga-Ga-Gloria.">Sometimes,I didn't know why I encouraged him.

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Beyond

I plopped the bowline down well beyond the crotch,and it fell almost directly to me.I hooked it with my speedsaw,and brought it into me to untie.">Ready to go, willin' to stay and pay U.S.A., U.S.A.So my sweet love can dance another free day U.S.A., U.S.A.<"I found myself happily singing my little ditty again.

Monday, July 03, 2006

Idea

I lopped the end of my rope with the bowline over the end of my pruner.The idea was to poke it up through the 'better' crotch above me,and handle all of my roping work from there.

Sunday, July 02, 2006

Golden

[As I made a quick bowline at the end of my rope.]I swear I am easy to entertain.I know that the silver maple is called a silver because of the sheen of the underside of it's leaves,but I couldn't help but chuckle at my own stupid thoughts,anyway.Was the silver maple called a silver because it was a second rate maple tree?If so,then why wasn't there a golden maple?There were red maples,norway maples,japanese,papermark,and of course sugar maples.They all either glowed orange or 'golden' in the autumn...Maple syrup was sometimes called golden...so why isn't there a golden maple tree?

Friday, June 30, 2006

Blast

But next to the weeping willow this silver maple was going to be a blast.Maple is the perfect cutting wood.I hung my pruner up on a sucker,snapped my saw onto a side ring,and with a quick release knot,attacked my pull line.Whoot-whoo! I was ready to go!

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Flexible

[Thanks to Osquer for this One Word]In some trees,like the weeping willow,you have to be more flexible then you have to be in other trees.A weeping willow can wrap you up in her lover's embrace and then suddenly before you know it,you are all tangled up in her spell.Without warning:*snap* you had better be able to bend to her will.

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Broke

To be a good tree trimmer,sometimes you have to take chances.You have to walk too far out on a limb.You have to cut off too much.You have to rope too close.It is what makes or breaks you.

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Pane

I loved Buster Keaton.I marveled at the risks he took for his art...like the falling house scene,where the whole side of the house falls down around him-only to miss him because he is standing directly under the spot of an empty window pane.That bit of genius inspired me to do as much for my art-tree trimming.

Monday, June 26, 2006

Sketch

He tugged twice on my rope to let me know that everything was tied on.I started yanking the bobbing heavy equipment up to me.It always felt like an old black and white 'Buster Keaton' comedy sketch to me somehow.'watch the clumsy guy almost drop the funny tools on the bumbling man's head.'

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Purple

Finally,Nikolas tied the pull rope onto my line.To distinguish between the two ropes,I had put green electrical tape on the end of my rope and Blue-now faded to purple-tape onto the other.

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Locked


Nikolas crossed his arms and grabbed my climbing line with both hands.Then,by uncrossing his arms,he created two loops.He put these loops around the head of my pruner and pulled the ends tight.He had literally locked my pruner in place with a cloth hitch.

Friday, June 23, 2006

Blonde

I watched as Nik quickly primed my saw,turned it off and then tied it onto my rope.Though Nikolas had black hair,ever since the incident,I came to sometimes calling him 'James Blonde agent 008'.He would always reply,"You are what you ate."

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Obscure

"It's funny,"Nik would comment later,"Once I knew it was there,it was all I could see.How could it have been so obscure?""Well,"I countered,"you only had it 'two years'!"

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Insult

In fact,until that moment,he did not know his name was contained within the tribal markings of the tattoo."Don't take it as an insult,"I remember drunkenly stating,"I never saw it either."

Flushed

Yet for all his youth,vigor,and handsome good looks,Nikolas could be simple and shy around people of certain moods.I laughed,and still laugh at how flushed his face became the time Kat gracefully touched his tattoo and explained how absolutely wonderful she thought it was to have his own name spelled out on his own arm.

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Tattoo

Nikolas ambled along at an easy gait carrying my tree saw,pole prunner and pull rope.He was 24, 6'2"tall,thin,but muscular with a dark golden tan.He wore a sleeveless,ripped to below his rib cage t-shirt.He had long black hair and a slightly
big,native American looking nose.He had a black tribal design tattoo wrapped
around his left forearm.And he was a happy lad.

Monday, June 19, 2006

Urgent

I heard someone else singing their own happy song,<"It's so gosh darn urgent,urgent,emergency,urgent,urgent,urgent,emergency.">It was Nikolas bringing me my equipment singing his own happy version of,"Hi-Ho."

Sunday, June 18, 2006

Lift

<"Ain't getting old,ain't getting younger thoughJust getting used to the lay of the land.I ain't tongue-tied,just don't got nothin' to sayI'm proud to be livin' in the U.S.A.">,It was the little ditty I always sang joyously after I tied in.It never failed to lift my spirits

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Punch

I tossed my rope over the main crotch and brought it through both of my 'D' rings.I tied two half hitches.I took the tail,and wrapped it around the other end of my climbing line twice under and then twice over.I only had to punch it through the hole,lean back and tighten it,and wallah-the taunt line hitch was tight and I was tied in.

Friday, June 16, 2006

Free

I still was not tied in,but the rope that had looped itself around the small branch had popped itself free.All the while,I marveled at the cloud face.It's right eye was a perfect circle.The left eye-winking brilliantly through the moving wisps of cloud vapor-was the sun.

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Faces

But still,I looked up.The clouds were making faces at me.One was the most amazing I have ever seen.The face was in a couple of clouds floating together.The top,two eyes.The bottom the happinest of smiles.But that wasn't the most amazing part..My jaw dropped..it appeared to be winking at me;-)

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Emptiness

The rest of the climb to the top of the sixty five foot silver maple was uneventful.I looked down.Yes,I was a long way up.But it did not bother me(anything over fifteen feet would probably kill me,anyway).It was the looking up at the vast emptiness of the endless sky that bothered me.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

pushed

After my breather I set my self back to the task at hand.I wrapped my buckstrap around the left trunk,set my gaff,and pushed myself onward and upward.

Monday, June 12, 2006

Area

I scampered up the crotch.I felt most comfortable in it.As I caught my breath,I looked around,and smiled.This was a beautiful area.I felt exuberant,and glad to be alive.

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Laugh

As I struggled up,my grasp began to give way.The bark ripped.I began to fall.Panic driven,I pushed myself higher with my muscular thigh.I had to laugh.I landed with my face directly in the crotch.

Saturday, June 10, 2006

Drove

I drove my right spur in up even higher.As to taunt me,the two parts of the 'V' sprouted out wider at their bases.There would be no 'top' until I cleared it-only under.I took my gloves off and stuffed them in my belt.I grabbed hold(clawed) into the bark and heaved.

Friday, June 09, 2006

Sign

I took a deep heavy sigh to gain my courage.Maybe the rope wrapping around that small limb was a sign.I wasted what,five,ten minutes trying to do this the safe way?I replanted my left gaff,and unhooked my buckstrap:'Death or Glory'[becomes just another story].

Thursday, June 08, 2006

Usual

It took the usual several throws for me to get the rope back through the crotch.But again,it looped around the small branch.This time,however,it wrapped around it so tightly that there was no getting it off.Damn it.I guess I was gonna have to free climb this bastard afterall!

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Gone

After three more throws,the ball fell through the crotch and proceeded to wrap itself around a new growth tiny little twig.I whipped some extra rope up to it,once,twice,and it loosened and fell.Now,if I yanked it just right,it would clear the limb,but not the crotch.'YANK!"Zoooom-it was off the limb and it was gone.

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Charged

Pussy!?!Guilty as charged.Here I was throwing my rope twenty feet in the air,just so I would be tied in(or,at least having 'something' wrapped around the tree,somewhere)even when I was wearing spurs!But who gave a shit.I know other guys would have just hiked themselves over this dangerous obstruction,but,damn it,I'm not falling for nobody.

Monday, June 05, 2006

Cross

The monkey ball hit off the left trunk and bounced away from the crotch.I watched it as it fell helplessly down past me."Damn,it,"I cursed in a cross tone.

Leg

I brought the rope between my legs,made a few small coils,and gave myself some slack.Positioning was everything.I would either make it on the first throw,or it would take forever.After three or four practice movements,I tossed it high-almost twenty feet-it sailed well over the crotch that I was aiming for.

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Supply


My climbing line had an amply supply of length to do more then one job.I untied it from my 'D' ring.I folded the end of it over three or four times,and then quickly took a couple of wraps.I made a loop at the end,and pulled the contraption tightly through the hole.Now,I had a monkey ball to throw.

Friday, June 02, 2006

Commando

One of the main reasons I enjoyed tree trimming was the noise.The clanking of my equipment always made me feel like an army commando,or navy seal.This imaginary imagery also made me begin to think like one.I already had a stealthy plan on how to attack this tree.

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Haste


The main trunk divided upwardly into two main sections,both almost as big as the first.Well,as I have always said,haste makes waste.Take the split second to do the job right.I sat back in my saddle and examined my options.