Help--writer needs your ideas

Interesting story. Can't wait to see the final draft.

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(I'm thinking he's got a Husqvarna 336 or 334)

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Hmmm, I dunno. Maybe he'd look more able if it were a Stihl MS 200T? (only kidding guys) /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif


How about a limb walk like proposed, only the accident is the movement of the limb? What I mean is, noticing his lady friend is watching, he swiftly scales out on the limb seemingly effortlessly with the grace and confidence of a climber 1/2 his age. Feeling proud about his movements, he decides to jump-cut the limb in a rather large piece. He makes the undercut to perfection. Since he was feeling macho, he doesn't pause to clip a second safety line in and then decides to go for it. As the limb breaks loose the release of the limb weight rockets him upward in a catapolt like action sending him flailing back towards the trunk... Then your accident happens....chainsaw cut, broken hip (old and all) or what have you? Any good?
 
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This is how I was imagining it might go:

He turned off the saw and clipped it back on his harness, neglecting to engage the chain brake. The blade idled where it hung beneath him as he walked down the trunk. Then, feeling brave, he let his legs hang for a straight descent. The chain knocked into his thigh and bit through his jeans, shocking him into yanking hard on the hitch and he slipped, the rope ripping through his hands as he went down fast for the last 10 feet.

Too idiotic?

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Here's the thing, and I'm surprised nobody pointed it out:

Yes, he starts the saw in the tree. Then makes the cut. Then turns the saw off, rendering it virtually harmless. A swing into his thigh might snag his pants or nick his leg, but no slashes or gashes are forthcoming. As someone said, a chainsaw cut is more likely if he has the saw running for the cut and takes a swing while it's full-throttle.

Perhaps, since he's been out of the game (or was that one of our suggestions) he has a new rope, isn't familiar with the characteristics of the newer stuff, and doesn't completely dress his knot. Or, if he's still a regular climber, maybe some young buck talked him into trying a newer type of hitch, like a french prussik or an MT, and he failed to monitor it closely enough (not all that plausible, I suppose, if he's about to retire anyway). Then it won't grab and he might find he's in for a rope burn. The gist is, a more likely injury in our job would be from slamming into the tree at the end of a swing. Or, come to think of it, knocking a pole saw loose from its perch and having it slice across his skin on the way down.

k
 
I heard the injured old guy was not even an arborist....

He was a moonlighting roofer!

Dan
 
Okay, I think its clear where this story is going. So, the tree guy is busy making the undercut on the limb, when suddenly the tree comes alive, grabbing our hero with the very limb he was cutting. His safety line snaps like string as the tree tightens his grip, squeezing the life out of the man.

"I am Treegor, prepare to be slain by my death grip!"
"But why, Treegor?"
"Years of improper pruning techniques has left me this hideous, twisted creature you see before you. I blame the old lady for making me what I am. I tried to kill her by ramming my arm through the window while she was sleeping. But if I can't take her life, than I will just have to kill you. Ha ha ha haaaaaaa!!!"

Just as Treegor is about to crush the life out of the man he spots the lady walking through her house. Using his other limb, Treegor smashes through the window and grabs the hapless woman by the torso. With Treegor busy, the man sees his opportunity to escape. Using his one free arm, the man fires up the top-handled saw and hacks through the rest of Treegor's limb in one swoop! Treegor gives a tree-mendous roar as his arm crashes to the ground and sap sprays from his wound. The man falls to the ground (sustaining several minor injuries), but is able to get up and run to his truck.

“Foolish mistake my friend,” Treegor bellows, “Striking down my limb will make me more powerful than you could ever imagine! With only one limb left, I can to divert the flow of nutrients to make this arm grow to gargantuan proportions!”

Right before their eyes, Treegor’s remaining limb balloons out, causing the bark to bulge and split. His increased power is apparent as the old lady lets out a gargled scream for help. She knows that her only hope is the guy below, who is apparently leaving in his truck. What she doesn't realize is that he's actually gone to grab his spurs and Stihl 088.

“If you want your special lady friend to live, you’ll have to come out and get her!”

With his equipment in hand, the man moves like a stealth ninja through the yard to the backside of Treegor. Knowing his has precious few minutes to save the woman, the man throws his lanyard around Treegor’s trunk with great speed and precision. Before Treegor realizes what is happening, the man begins to race up his trunk, ferociously jabbing his sharp spurs in with each step. Treegor becomes enraged and uses his sucker limbs to whip and lash the man. His back becomes a bloody mess, but he continues on until he’s just below Treegor’s head. He fires up the saw and begins to carve a face cut while Treegor struggles helplessly to stop him. Just as the man starts to put in the back cut, Treegor turns to him and says, “You can kill me, but can you live with yourself knowing that you couldn’t save the woman?” and with that releases her from his clutches, sending her body spiraling toward the earth.

“You forgot one thing Treegor . . . a good arborist always puts in a pull line!” Treegor looks up in horror to discover that the man has set a line high in his crown.

“Noooooooooooooooo!!!!” Treegor shouts as he looks down again to see the man flying down the line on his figure eight. Catching up to the lady, the man grabs her and stops their decent just feet from the ground, putting such force onto the line as to pull Treegor’s head from his trunk. The man and woman fall the remaining few feet and scramble to safety just as Treegor’s head comes crashing down, blowing into a cloud of splinters. The man turns to the woman and says, “Treegor was a rotten fool to think nothing could top him!” He gives her a sloppy kiss and they get married and have several babies. The end.
 

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Tom-me? Ol' geezer??? Must be another Tom :)

If he hasn't climbed for some years, he has to have some time to think over why he's going up. To show his youth and vigor to his sweetie? Prove something to himself? Recapture old times? Lots of comtemplations and comparisons to jobs in the past. going back to his early days using three strand manila and tautline. Still uses the same boots or at least the same brand and style. Jeans are a bit larger...t-shirt fits snub but hat shows that he still isn't too out of shape.

He remembers seeing some new gear to get into trees...always thought that there would be an easier was instead of pulling himself up with the ropes...sore shoulders...

Gets to top of tree and limb walks to cut away the damage. His client, the woman, is watching from the attic window. He notices her as he's about to finish the cut and is distracted. Doesn't pay attention to the chainsaw and it gets stuck in the cut as the limb drops. Saw is pulled from his hands, he slips and swings back to the trunk...slamming into trunk...gets his wits back and slides to the ground using his rope of course.

Client/sweetie is there to meet him...he's not seriously hurt...just jumbled up a bit...the saw is smashed to pieces though...bent bar...basket case...should be an older saw...my choice would be to have him use his trusty Poulan XXV!

He reflects that his time in the trees might be passing...takes the loss of the saw as a sign that he could be next.
 
What about a previously storm damaged beech tree? 'Cause an elm would be so stringy, it wouldn't be as good for the window breaking momentum necessary to put our hero in the arms of the heroine...
 
You guys are great! I don't even need to write this thing myself with all this great detail. Seriously. Mark, Tom, and Babberney, your suggestions about the limb walk and injuries are especially helpful. And Tom, I think you must know this guy, because you've totally gotten into his head. That's exactly how he feels: weary, distracted, proud, and nostalgic for past climbs.

The saw nick on his leg is important because I want him to have to drop his drawers so his future sweetie--a modest gal--can dress his wound and it's an embarrassing and awkward moment for both of them. That's why I am so attached to the chainsaw nick thing.

I'll check out the Poulan XXV. Any boot suggestions?

Thanks again
 
East coaster, I'd say he was a Redwing boot man. And an old Poulan or Homelite would be a good choice too.

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want him to have to drop his drawers

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What kinda book is this? /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Just to add to my little limb jump theory, the sudden "pop" of the limb reaction could easily cause a loss of balance and a quick cut to the leg as the chain was spinning to a stop. Very believable.
 
“Treegor was a rotten fool to think nothing could top him!” He gives her a sloppy kiss and they get married and have several babies. The end.

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Sizzle, I coulda dreamed that...or did I see those trees in "Lord of the Rings"?

Your hero is an awesome dude...he even married the gal BEFORE they had those babies...what a dude!!
 
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The saw nick on his leg is important because I want him to have to drop his drawers so his future sweetie--a modest gal--can dress his wound and it's an embarrassing and awkward moment for both of them. That's why I am so attached to the chainsaw nick thing.


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Are we giving you suggestions for the beginning of a romance story? :)

The only chainsaw cut that I have that required stitches was from a non running saw. If he gets cut by a running saw he's going to be going to the hospital not sitting around the kitchen getting cozy...

If the fella slips he could still get bumped by the saw hanging from his saddle.

Mark got the saw and boot idea too. Old-school guy...

When the story is written you need to give us a link or copy you know
 
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I hear the old guy didn't have a saddle and had to make one out of rope..........like he was taught when he began his career. Most likely the geezer climbed on a taunt line like most geezers do. /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif

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Hey!! I resemble that comment, /forum/images/graemlins/mad.gif I think its spelled tautline . . . punk. Sometimes when I climb my hands auto tie the taut I have fire more synapses to remember blake or swabish . . . . rough gettin old /forum/images/graemlins/thk.gif


Oh yeh, I like the nurse in the pool fantasy
 
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[/ QUOTE ]I hear the old guy didn't have a saddle and had to make one out of rope..........like he was taught when he began his career. Most likely the geezer climbed on a taunt line like most geezers do. /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif

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I'll be 50 my next birthday!
beerchug.gif


check the attachment...
 

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You bet, Tom, I will post the draft when I finish writing up this important scene. I definitely will need feedback on it.

I think I am going with the limb walk idea, since so many suggested it. It sounds like the right fit. He'll wear Redwing boots, carry a Poulan, and use a tautline. ...It's all coming clear to me now...

And on a limb walk, all you're holding onto is the line you climbed up on (tossed over a limb above)? That's intense. How do you start your saw and cut the limb with one hand--use your teeth???
 
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You bet, Tom, I will post the draft when I finish writing up this important scene. I definitely will need feedback on it.

I think I am going with the limb walk idea, since so many suggested it. It sounds like the right fit. He'll wear Redwing boots, carry a Poulan, and use a tautline. ...It's all coming clear to me now...

And on a limb walk, all you're holding onto is the line you climbed up on (tossed over a limb above)? That's intense. How do you start your saw and cut the limb with one hand--use your teeth???

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The rope is connected to the saddle. You can get two firm footholds and lean into the rope, leaving two hands free to start and use the saw, or you can get to the spot where the work is and straddle the branch for more stability while working, or sit on it sidesaddle. If you're going for the swing, you're probably gonna want the stand-up cutting style, though a bounce like Mark described could shake loose a seated climber.

Oh, and as to the question about what's on a saddle, that varies a lot by climber. I generally have a safety lanyard (belly band, safety strop) that connects at my hip D-ring (hip-to-hip when in use), a handful of carabiners, a nylon pouch (to carry extra tools, a can of paint--only for use on oaks to avoid spreading oak wilt--or a water bottle), an extra setup for a MT tie-in (biner-pulley-cord), a prussik loop, a throwbag (sack-of-shot weight to help toss a line into a crotch), a couple of webbing loops, a cell-phone pouch, and my chainsaw (clipped into a snap at the middle of my back, with a lanyard to keep it hooked on if I drop it while I'm using it). Others would scoff at this overload, but most would have a hand saw (I carry mine strapped to my lower leg). Some would have a surplus army decon box for ciggies and a lighter. Some carry their pole saw on their harness, but I don't often carry one at all (and most either move it from branch to branch by hand or tie it to the tail of their rope when it's not in use). Some would have a case for earplugs and/or one for safety goggles.

k
 
Forget the chainsaw; they're way overrated (sorry Mark that's just a fact). Let him make the cut with a new handsaw and gash his thigh on the followthrough.
 
A slight twist based on a RLE: It’s a White Oak that he’s limb walked after he’s ascended on his taught-line, a process locally referred to as hip thrusting or “humping the rope” (and yes, this “old geezer” still humps up a tree, TreeCo) which could be the reason for his prowness in bed even after his advanced years.

The cutter doesn’t recognize that the lead is cantilevered by its age and weight. He leans well into the line to offset his weight, stretches out his right arm holding his 026 (he’s an old treeman, i.e. eucman, who wouldn’t get caught up a tree with one of those top-handled underpowered motorized wheel chocks!), tensioning his line with his left. Tom slices of the damaged end relieving the tension in the lead. He balances momentarily by flexing his knees to absorb the violent up spring. Then, deciding his fate is inevitable, chooses to control the fall by pushing off the lead, swing in a great arc back to the truck of the tree. This is where the woman comes in - she has the incontinence!

Seriously though, a rear-handled saw is more likely to cause leg lacerations and a taught-line hitch will slip if improperly dressed which will get you your cuts and burns.

Take it from there, ukulelejack.
 
The line broke, the monkey got choked, we all went to heaven in a little rowing boat, clap clap, clap your hands now clap clap.

Maybe the old lady he fell in love with was like an old peice of rope also, a bit ragged, not to flexible and needed a good wash. And had a vascular problem like the Elm Tree with DED so he chopped her limbs off with a blunt silky saw.

Scotty

Lets turn it into a HORROR STORY NOW gone mad......... /forum/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 
If you make him make that chainsaw cut without a second tie-in, you are making him out to be a reckeless idiot. Does that make him a protagonist-hero, or an antagonist-villain?
 
Any way you cut it a fictional story about an arborist getting injured puts us in a bad light.

Hey....maybe this guy was wanted by the police and they had to shoot him out of the tree.....
 
babberney, thanks for the details about what you carry--that's good stuff, I especially like the ciggies.

eucman, which rear-handled saw do you like an older guy using? I was settled on the vintage Poulan XXV--what's the advantage of a rear-handled saw?

what kind of state you think his saw would be in after some years sitting in the shed? probably gunky, right? he'd have to clean it out first or something?

here's a weird question: If you smoked a cigarette in a tree, would you mash it out on the tree or would that be like a sacrilege?
 
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