PCTREE
Treehouser
Ok so 2019 was a bad year for me all around. Started with the site I dump my wood where I had been operating out of for 15 years which is our local mulch place handed over the operation to their niece. Niece emails me in February and notifies me that my lease is up at the end of the month and we need to vacate by the end of the month. I had probably 100 tons of wood there as the year prior we had no snow so wasn't able to burn so I had 2 years worth of wood. Very stressful to say the least. come June my house got hit by lightening whilst I was out moving the crane for the next days job. Woody my son called me to tell me our house was on fire. I rushed home (had to ride my bicycle to where I knew my wife car was) then drove back. We had 2 kids 2 cats and 4 dogs at home alone . As I approached my house the cops had the road closed so I drove up the left lane honking my horn and flashing my lights to alert cops of my approach. I slowed down as I got to the cop and told him it was my house on fire and kept on driving past him. Luckily the kids had done great and had done like we had taught them and had got most the animals out and had gone to the neighbors. Cop decided as I had disobeyed his instructions to stop I warranted a reckless ticket which since I have a cdl would revoke my license. 2 months later we were leaving for work in the morning in all the trucks when my new neighbor comes out and starts filming us with his iPad ?? This guy is old, 75ish and I had always done a ton of free work for him. graded his entire back yard, removed trees on and on. Anyway that evening I go over and ask him whats up. He informs me that me running a business out of my property (which I had done for 15 years) was devaluing his house. He then tells me if I don't want the "authorities" involved I need to buy his house for $520K. He bought the place for $325K !! I told him the next day I would move all my gear elsewhere but I wouldn't be buying his house. The next day the cops show up and say they had received a call saying I assaulted my neighbor and knocked him down. Bear in mind the guys has no injuries or witnesses. He also called the DEQ the county and the EPA.
Anyways the next day we had a big dead oak to take down and it had been really hot all week and I knew my guys were tired so I decided I would climb as Im the fittest on the job. Half way through the job I was at 78' tied into the ball and set the chain for a pick and told the Op to cable up to tighten the chain. as he cabled up I pulled my hitch to stay at the same spot. As soon as I pulled my hitch I started falling. Funny thing is the first thought I had was "this isn't survivable" as I was near the boom head so figured about 90'. I wasn't scared just resigned. I remember feeling a big impact on my ass then I came round still in the tree. Luckily 28' below where I fell I straddled a limb with my legs and fell backwards onto it. I lost consciousness for about 5 mins the guys say. When I came round they were trying to set a line to rescue me. I sat up on the limb and looked in disbelief at my climbing system. My HH was fine but there was no stopper knot at the end of my rope. I have a steel ring on my bridge and I always feed the end of my rope though ring and tie a double overhand stopper knot. I informed the guys I would tie in and come down. I tied in but then discovered I couldn't lift my legs to get off of the branch . Shit. At that point the crane op decides to try lowering the ball, we have a Grabik chain system that has 2 chains on it that can be adjusted to any length. The chain I had set was adjusted to 2' long but luckily as he cabled down the adjuster came undone and with that 15' the other 15' chain just reached me. He then cabled up and took me to first chain which I was able to undo so he could cable me down.
OK gotta go to work so will finish later
Anyways the next day we had a big dead oak to take down and it had been really hot all week and I knew my guys were tired so I decided I would climb as Im the fittest on the job. Half way through the job I was at 78' tied into the ball and set the chain for a pick and told the Op to cable up to tighten the chain. as he cabled up I pulled my hitch to stay at the same spot. As soon as I pulled my hitch I started falling. Funny thing is the first thought I had was "this isn't survivable" as I was near the boom head so figured about 90'. I wasn't scared just resigned. I remember feeling a big impact on my ass then I came round still in the tree. Luckily 28' below where I fell I straddled a limb with my legs and fell backwards onto it. I lost consciousness for about 5 mins the guys say. When I came round they were trying to set a line to rescue me. I sat up on the limb and looked in disbelief at my climbing system. My HH was fine but there was no stopper knot at the end of my rope. I have a steel ring on my bridge and I always feed the end of my rope though ring and tie a double overhand stopper knot. I informed the guys I would tie in and come down. I tied in but then discovered I couldn't lift my legs to get off of the branch . Shit. At that point the crane op decides to try lowering the ball, we have a Grabik chain system that has 2 chains on it that can be adjusted to any length. The chain I had set was adjusted to 2' long but luckily as he cabled down the adjuster came undone and with that 15' the other 15' chain just reached me. He then cabled up and took me to first chain which I was able to undo so he could cable me down.
OK gotta go to work so will finish later
Finish later? Are you kidding, you cant leave us hanging like that
. (no pun intended)
