MessyMate

Stihlmadd said:
classic fun smash down of messmates behind the wind farm at Delamere near Adelaide 2015
watch in HD
nothing really big and nothing really special just enjoying the day.
cheers Ben.
:D
Click to expand...
It's all good, but the scenery at the ending brought me some peace. Thanks Ben.

I was up in a hackberry yesterday, clearing out some damaged branches, and thought of a time when I was a small boy - probably 7-ish. Somehow I had rigged up a leather belt into some kind lanyard and was working in our sun porch fastened into the window frames. I think I had screwdriver and was taking the old double hung locks off or something. I don't remember that, but I remember the joy of being off the ground, fiddling with something.

Yesterday, I was hanging back on my lanyard and it all came flooding back. I haven't grown up much, yet I've grown older. My sense of wonder now a little corrupted by what I have seen (and done). But in the trees, a part of me is more innocent again, and that helps me. There is a wonder and a wondering and a wandering in the branches. You are grown-up (because you want to stay alive) but there is that childlike adventure every time you send your throw line up in the tree.

And then there is the living thing you are either going to care for, or tear down. It is all too deep - caring and destruction in the same tools. My little 200T just as happy to cut a limb at the branch collar as it is to wreck the top, a limb at a time. It's all something else, isn't it Ben?

Beautiful. Sublime. Dangerous. Rewarding. Exhausting. Calculated.

Humbling.
 
How long did it take to set up your climb lines (looked like you tied in to two different trees?)
The crazy music you guys put in your videos is growing on me even though I'm afraid it may trigger some sort of seizure one day.
Tree vids make me want off this boat. I get more gratification and sleep doing trees
 
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John Uselding said:
Cool site Ben! Interesting with those crooked, bent over trees. Like they were humbled by the wind.... apparently a great place for harvesting wind energy. Beautiful teamwork with your mate too! Beautiful! Love the parting shots.
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thankyou John (y) and yes the trees on the outer perimeter of the wind row were most def humbled by the wind nicely illustrating that old adage of bending with the wind :cool:
HO told us we arrived on one of the calmest days in ages and the sunset light was too good a opportunity to pass up seeing the towers and taking some snaps.:foto:
cheers Ben.

PS you like my epic mess making so I believe the next one is one horrible mess that when watching the days raw footage I cringed in embarrassment at what I left for these poor groundies to have to come back to and chip with a 9 inch bandit , can't wait to read what you reckon :p
 
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monkeylove said:
Another nice vid great editing. What were those black gloves you had on while descending, they look like they block friction heat well?
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thankyou monkeylove, the gloves are anti vibe with wrist support much like a weight lifting style with gel inserts made with all leather by PIP industries called Maxi-tek.
they do a good job of heat blocking but as I have found out the hard way not suitable for running a rigging line with the fingers being so exposed, :cry: Ouchy !!!
cheers Ben.
 
knothead said:
It's all something else, isn't it Ben?

Beautiful. Sublime. Dangerous. Rewarding. Exhausting. Calculated.

Humbling.
Click to expand...
yes knothead I wonder too at the dichotomy of the beauty to be found in the joy of destruction.
read this one in the Hunter S Thompson movie fear and loathing in las vegas
"He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man"
Dr Johnson
kinda sums up the situation of loving something and killing it by choice not necessity.
like that saying under your avatar I only noticed tonight and thought about the tree of heaven and IMO
having only climbed a few couldn't agree more.
if I am able to offer some few a well needed laugh or a understanding of comradrie between fellow tree people rarely talked about in a kismet fashion or for your good self a sense of peace then that is a bounty to me.
and for the record it was very peaceful walking the forest floor at the end of the day with the saws quiet and seeing the wind turbines spinning away silently on the rise while sheep grazed contently underneath on the vibrant winter grass.
this chosen profession of ours covers so much and yes is very much a humbling thing we do .
that is how I describe / introduce myself to others, as a humble tree lopper all ego aside.
it is good to hear from you that I am not alone in this feeling of never never and yes while older and wiser the joy of wonderment continues.
Deep indeed (y)
cheers Ben
 
Flex Abednego said:
How long did it take to set up your climb lines (looked like you tied in to two different trees?)
The crazy music you guys put in your videos is growing on me even though I'm afraid it may trigger some sort of seizure one day.
Tree vids make me want off this boat. I get more gratification and sleep doing trees
Click to expand...
Ha I sleep like a log after doing tree work all day...... :aburrido: :ROFLMAO:
took about an hour all told to get the site prepped and all three lines set and redirected into position.
that includes a site inspection and coming up with the felling order etc.
we were on site for 8 hours with a half for lunch so 6.5 hours for the lot.
I tied into two different trees on two different sections kinds like spiderman swinging it from building to building and then back again on his weblines.
made the dead tree a margin of safety better than a single point.;)
Cheers Ben.
 
knothead said:
It's all good, but the scenery at the ending brought me some peace. Thanks Ben.

I was up in a hackberry yesterday, clearing out some damaged branches, and thought of a time when I was a small boy - probably 7-ish. Somehow I had rigged up a leather belt into some kind lanyard and was working in our sun porch fastened into the window frames. I think I had screwdriver and was taking the old double hung locks off or something. I don't remember that, but I remember the joy of being off the ground, fiddling with something.

Yesterday, I was hanging back on my lanyard and it all came flooding back. I haven't grown up much, yet I've grown older. My sense of wonder now a little corrupted by what I have seen (and done). But in the trees, a part of me is more innocent again, and that helps me. There is a wonder and a wondering and a wandering in the branches. You are grown-up (because you want to stay alive) but there is that childlike adventure every time you send your throw line up in the tree.

And then there is the living thing you are either going to care for, or tear down. It is all too deep - caring and destruction in the same tools. My little 200T just as happy to cut a limb at the branch collar as it is to wreck the top, a limb at a time. It's all something else, isn't it Ben?

Beautiful. Sublime. Dangerous. Rewarding. Exhausting. Calculated.

Humbling.
Click to expand...

Great post.

Tim
 
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