Having written that title, I guess you could say I am a, “die in the wool optimist”!
Let’s not get carried away here, slow down and consider the above line. I start off stating, “Having written that title”. I did not write anything, but I did key that statement in. If I had written anything you probably could not have written it. My so called hand writing is really bad.
Now who says, “Die in the wool”? What does it even mean, die in the wool?
I do have to say the title does indicate that I am optimistic, at least in that statement.
Was I commenting on a glass of water? Heck no! I was commenting on my trailer being half full of limbs. Half full my foot, that trailer was probably three fourths full. That being a true statement, how does an old, and I do mean old, trailer loader like me, get a ¾ loaded trailer to only be half loaded? Experience, that’s how!
I am now giving away information, which I should probably be offering for a price. If I were to make some money from my ideas, my first wife would not need to be out on the streets and highways picking up aluminum cans.
I have been putting limbs on this trailer over the last three weeks. I have done everything I can to pack it tight, in an effort to get more on the trailer. I have cut the limbs into smaller pieces, which takes longer but it does compact the load allowing for more debris.
Friday there was a limb that had broken in the last wind storm, and it was hanging there waiting to fall on someone or something. I had to use a ladder to get up to the bottom of the limb and I tied a rope to the lower part in an effort to pull it down. That did not work, so I pulled the rope tight and tied it to another tree, keeping pressure on the limb. I then procured my 16 foot pole saw, and again climbed the ladder. From the ladder I was able to begin to cut the wood that was holding the limb. It took a total of three swipes with the saw, and down the limb came.
Mission accomplished! I decided that I had the ladder and saw out why not cut a few more. So I began to cut the limbs that were in that area. At some point I noticed I had a lot of limbs on the ground, and I would now need to bring them to the trailer, cut them in to the right size pieces, and load them. I like cutting the limbs from the trees but the ground work is really hard work!
It was five hours of wood butchering that I did that Friday. The trailer is now ¾ full. At 4:30 I went inside at the Ford Homestead and took a nice shower, I think I actually needed a shower, this time! Body and mine cleaned (at least the body was clean) I went to the rocker on the drive and sat in the shade.
Saturday my present wife and I went out for lunch as usual. Upon returning from the noon repast, I sat in my recliner, inside the Homestead. I almost immediately noticed that I was getting sleepy. Any time I set down and do nothing, I begin to get sleepy. My spouse of 47 years says it is due to all the hard work I do and my body needs the rest (she didn’t say that but I think that might be the reason I get sleepy when relaxing).
I decided that I should do something and not take a nap. I bounded from the chair and sprinted to the back door, where I procured my sun glasses and a cap. I proceeded to the back yard and looked up. There are a couple limbs that I could cut and possibly load them on the ¾ full trailer.
I brought the ladder along with the pole saw out of the shed. I positioned the ladder and raised the pole saw to the limb. This limb was a little over 4 inches in diameter, yes I measured it later. I was surprised how quickly the limb broke and fell. After it was on the ground I was no longer surprised. That darn limb had many smaller limbs on it, than it appeared to have, when looking up into the tree. It was a heavily loaded limb.
There was another limb about the same size that I could not resist cutting. I looked at the limbs and wondered if I could get them all on the trailer. I decided if I couldn’t, I would cut them into pieces that I could easily handle, and leave them by the gate. I could make two trips to the limb depository next week.
I began cutting the limbs and placing them on the trailer, I was also using three ratchet tie down straps to compress the load making more room for additional limbs. After I loaded a few limbs, I would undue one strap and then re-strap the load again tightening it down, repeating this process many times.
To make a short story longer, I was able to place all the limbs on the trailer with the aid of the straps. Who knows what will happen at the limb depository next Saturday, when the straps are removed. At that point, it should not be my problem, instead the limb depository’s problem!
Be optimistic, all things are possible!
Be pessimistic, nothing is possible!
It’s your life, you choose!
No, in the photo below, the bird house is not stuck in the center of the trailer, it is on a fence behind the trailer, what a silly question!
click on photo to make it larger.
Don Ford
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