Taupotreeman

Couple more

A perfect winter morning.

Pics of the tree? I want pics of the injuries

Fell the bleedin thing, then it's real easy to get to the top

Never done any crane work before so sat with great interest through that. Awesome vid, excellent work.

Just take a harden up pill. Digging thorns out of various body parts is all part of the fun of being an arborist. Sit in the bath for half an hour after to soften the skin and then let the wife loose with a needle. Seriously though, just some good gloves will be fine. Your chainsaw trousers will give you leg protection and usually something like a none snag top or waterproof jacket often works well. Have a look at the thread tree climbing for masochists, now they're real thorns.

I think I have the carbon Geckos. Not sure but I found them OK but had to pull them up real tight around the boots. I'm not so fussed with them being a little loose around the top of the calves though. Better than my big ol steel clunkers.

Absolutely no problem with having women on the tools. I know, and have worked with some of the best and they have put many a guy to shame. Plus I can actually have a half decent conversation with them compared to the uggs and grunts I get from a lot of the guys.

Got talked in to a pair of carbon fibres by Drew. Boy, what a difference. used them for the first time this week on a Doug Fir dismantle. Like wearing slippers and you hardly know you have them on. Also decreases the weight of the gear you have on substantially. Those coupled with a tree motion and my climbing bag weighs half what it did.

I was always taught to carry one as a cheap and easy alternative to a large wound dressing. They seem to fit better in the chainsaw trouser pockets too. Never thought of one as a sweat stopper though.

Where ya going for the interview? Keep your certs, photos etc seperate from your CV. It'll depend on the interviewer as to if the photos and stuff will be required. Some like them some just want a quick in and out interview. Personally I liked to see them as an extra (but not with the CV) as it shows that you're interested in what you do and it's also photographic evidence that you can do what you say. Most importantly, first impressions last. Speak clearly, don't mumble and be confident but not cocky. You know what you can do and that you can do it well, they don't, so you need to sell yourself well without going on for hours. And like others have said; be honest. If there's something you can't do don't try and blag cos it could come back to haunt you. Oh, and good luck bro, I'm sure you'll nail it.

A scientific study recently found that some of us are born with a "switch" in the brain. When certain noises occur those people can flick the switch hence some people (like my missus) can sleep through the noise of a party or a stereo blaring etc. Personally I don't have the switch so things like a dripping tap, ticking clock, barking dog, stereo etc drive me nuts. After a while it is the only thing I can hear and it does drive me batty. The latest thing is crickets chirruping outside the window to the extent that I'm out there with the bug spray at night hunting them down. Meanwhile the wife would sleep through a bomb going off. Having said that; I have to live with the fact that parties etc here are rare so I have to learn to live with the odd one when there is one. Same same I think with the concrete cutter. If it was every week I'd be nigh on suicidal but once in a blue moon? I'd probably just head out for a drive or walk or stick my headphones on for a while. If I had the chance though I'd live in the middle of nowhere but nop doubt there would still be something out there to keep me awake.

Not sure about the spanner. It came in a pack with a left handed screwdriver and a skyhook so I'll check the instructions

Just had a quick browse. Brilliant, this'll save me searching through heaps of crap on the net and youtube just to find the one decent video on how to tie a specific knot. Cheers guys, give yourselves a pat on the back.

Not exactly a laptop. Am I hijacking with a PC? The socks keep me awake if anyone wondered why they were on the desk.

Mate, that's all I've been doin but I run out of work after an hour. I'm SOOOOO bored.

Don't you just love those jobs. If you got a photo of your cinch set up on your lanyard can you put it up for me? Shouldn't mind seeing how you have it set. Drew reckoned they should be left hand operated which is how mine is.

Early day Adam?

I seem to remember some warning not so long ago about some of the rope grabs failing but I can't quite remember where or when I read it. Anybody clue me up? Just bought a cinch but yet to use it. It gets its first outing tomorrow but it took me a while to figure out how to use the thing on a strop (me not being the smartest tool in the shed) so if you don't hear back you know I set it up wrong

Bet you've tried to light the odd fart or two though

I've had it in my fire but usually whent he fire has been turned down low for a long while then I crank it back up again. The gases increase in temperature until the point where they combust. All it takes is a small flame. It usually ends up with more of a wumph and a cloud of smoke escaping out of the fire. Not sure if it's the same thing you're on about though.

You should try Googling Lake Taupo. I live on the edge of it but it's actually a super volcano. All you can see is caldera, still acive too. An eruption could quite possibly be an extinction event if it was a biggy. There used to be primo spot at Glen Etive, just off the road. Nice waterfall you could slide down into a pool with good jumping cliffs too. I also loved it out on Rannoch moor. So peacful and isolated.

A couple for the volcano lover in you.

Loved Glen Coe and loved Glen Etive. Spent many times swimming in the river there. Fantastic part of the world.

Agreed with the pain killers but diazepam (not sure on the correct spelling) is a muscle relaxant so it works if your back muscles are in spasm as it relaxes them and allows the spasm to ease off. Not best practice it has to be said but if that is the issue it works a treat. You may as well write the day off though cos you won't be able to do much depending on the dose.