My thoughts and prayers are with the Cox family and the 2 Powell Boys.
Not to long after "Dr Tree Love" and the White Ash (days) I was back at the "Company" "Blah, Blah ,Blah" the ring of my three way. It was Steve. Agian i had another request to travel, this time they wanted me in Spokane Wa. They wanhted me to be appart of the new Tree dude relocation program, that i had propositiond/lobbied like hell for for years. I really wanted to spend some time in the Podarosa Pines in that area of the Northwest, and givvin the chance, could make some serious pesos. They wanted me to move there originaly. The family would4nt here of it Kinda bummed me out at the time. And that had added even more ambition to make Utah MY home base of opperation's for some sort of " National Arborist Opperations Center" or something like that. A pipe dream. Now, not only had another Branch/state requested my services. This would be the third time in a month i would be in travel status. The super awsome part was that Spokane was willing to room and board me for a month this time! Steve! "Dude Chris, get your ass up to Washinigton and get the fuck off my payroll! Let those queers up there pay your way for a montlh." I grined and let out a fake as hell laugh and just froze up inside. The last time i had that deer caught in the headlights charge come over me due to someting carrier orented, i was being escorted off a Hellibase in Santaquin, on a Type 1 Fire. I had been insubordinate to and talked some serious shit on and called rotton names on the Assistan Sup of my Hellitack crew. I got in her face,it was bad. I lost my Dream with the USFS because of it. If anyone knows Marena Reba or your reading this...IM SO SORRY MARENA. Lost for words is where i was. Being so wraped up in my "only easy day was yesterday/ Stop the madness" conflict in my head, i dont think rashinality was something i could grasp. This had become a battle of wills. The The Chris Reid SEAL waanabe will agianst the phantom "Forest Griffin" will. The wanna be had been holding his own, but Mr Meeahgee never went over how to handel a beast of this nature
."Steve the Grand Pubah of our branch", was a friend/co-worker on the applications side, before he was promoted to Branch Mgr,, and he could see, how whatever i had was no longer overseeable or something to claim "ignorants" too. Should something happen to me on his clock. Now he was whearing his Branch Mgr hat and his good buddy hat. There was a sort of struggle i could pick up on, in the looks and glance's i kept feeling on me. "Wull when do they want me?" "Tony wants you to get ahold of em to work out the details. " Giving a questioning look and raisen the brows. "Fuck Steve..i dont know???" "Yeah man, i,ve been watchen ya stuggle pretty hard...this is your job man, Corporite put in this request. What, you gonna tell em no?""No..." Steve, was permiting me all my rope, the gallo and the lever. Yet trusting me to yell out "Guilty!" Before ever letting the trap door swing on myself. "What cha gonna do?""All i can do, tell the truth...Ill just let em know i have'nt been feeling that great and need a little time.....After i make Tony track me down." Met with a pause, deep breaththe the look the brow thing and a reluctant "Alright..."
Peering through the rearview "This must be Mr Dave" As a pickup come flying upthe road. I still could not belive anyone would let this go. Recalling the first time we spoke"Yeah Chris, i think we got it taken care of. Diamond's comming up here this weekend." " Oh, you're able to get ahold of em?" Shit, any time another bird gets the worm, it sucks. He called me the next day. "Holyshit" They had screwed him agian. He gave them one more shake after already burning him once already.
Thats when he toldm oln me they were gona "Drop it"As we were ruising up the "Exclusive" resedents only section of the canyon. I had no idea where the black top turned to washboard ended. Usually, i would be grining with a bit of antisipation. Today, no grin here. The antisipation was building and so was a feeling of dread. Horney or Dave, was a smaller fella, if i had to guess was in the late fourtys. Was quick, concise and to the point type dude. When he hoped out of his ride with the a can of suds some quick intro and instruction on the gate, drove his road as if he was Miky Thompson. "fuckn Jack Russell Terrior! I like em." My redneck caddi was driving on clouds. Since aquiring the Cummins, most of theother trucks i deemed "infereor and uncivilized" with a chuckel. We rounded a bend aaand off to the east there was a pond or wetland, one more bend to the west and the final driveway. "This is one fuckn awsome place..Holyshit." I saw a tall one with some "Dr Seuse" lean on it comeing in, it was dead in front of me now "That must be him" right underneith the crestinig fur stood Horneys cabin. "Yeah i could see how that could make a Horney guy go limp." Continuing my laugh sliding out of my seat onto the pact miniril soil of the driveway. "Well you can see my problem Chris!?" "Well hell yeah. So Dimond jerked ya off huh?" "Hell ya Chris! You would'nt do that would ya Chris!" Daves a very....Direct dude. "Uh, no sir!" "Elliot would'nt send me someone like that." My footing wasnt to bad but i was having to really concentrate on it though. Moving from the levelness of the parking area through the fire ring and the transition up the slope to trhe rear of Daves cabin. About 30-40 feet up hill from there stands a 100+ feet of "none other than Sub alpine fur. Hello big fella!...So, the other guys sayed they were gonna put a face cut in and drop it?" As i was doing the muti tasking walk\gab\look\point thing, something was bound to give and that was my balance. I hit the ground. "Oh shiiit!" "Chris, what happend.... you alright?""JYeah, i triped on that root" i was lucky there happend to be a root stiking out of the soil " i've been feeling really weak lately, i dunno whats up..." "Not sure. So, they wanted 2 bills to face cut and drop this thing?" " They sayed they wanted to pull it over Chris.." looking at that option i saw pulling to the east the only way for anyone with common sence, attempt to do it. To do that it appeard you would need about 5 hanks worth of rope, some two way radios3 or 4 spotters and a new Insurance agent at the ready. First off its a furr tree, not a vascular tree. They are very soft It s on a slope. Its total natural lean is down hill with th8e "Jack Russells" homestead 40ft down hill fom where" big walley" stands I think about it. "If it were my place? Would i be Mr swinging dick Feller and drop it? Lets say i got all the rope ,wedges, radios and the trust and know how of my crew? Maybe. As thinges are? Nope. To many human factors not to mention whats gonna happen when he hits the earth? He'."s big enough, it's possible it'll roll down into the back of Daves cabin. I did'nt like it. "Well..what da ya think Chris?" Droping my head, Horneys still looking up. "Listen Mr Horn" "Dave please Chris." "Dave, i would'nt drop this tree. I dont feel good about it. And neither should you as the home owner." I went on to explaine why." So what what daya sayn? You want to climb it?" "Thats how i'd prefer to do it. Wedging that thing over is way to close for me. No, if i was taking this tree down id be climbing it." Giving another up and down and i was almost down agian! "You ok Chris...?" "My equalibreum's all jacked. I must still hve some of that flu." Another lie. " "Well Chris , hows soon could you do it.""How soon do you need it done Dave?" Grining now "How about this weekend?" Damn! "If thats what you require, we'll be here. This is gonna cost ya five hundred bucks..." That raised the anti. Lets see the flop. "You'll be here saturday?" "Yes sir" "Alright saturday morning." Bingo! After the deal had been brokered we had a beer. For the life of me i cant remember our chit chat. But i can tell ya what i was thinking "Ok Jim...What the fuck are we gonna do now!!!!? Are you insane Jim? Jim, you've gone and lost your damn mind!!" As i gazed up at big walley "So when you say climb wha`t are you gonna do
ccut the top out ?" "Yes sir" with a nod. And wheres it gonna go?" " I'll lower it down!" "I dont know....Yer insured ofcourse???" " To 2 Million" " But i thought thats why you needed this done. To mitigate not litigate." "I think im gonna film it. I thinik my brother will be up here with his kids scout troup. They'll be cuting up that pile3 of wood there. That'll be ok wont it" "They're gonna get one hell of a Jr Woodchuck merit badge demenstration." Hope i dont pull a Gyro n kill myself infront of them.
Blah, blah,blah. What itd take two days before Tony came at me via threeway. "Yeah Steve told me" A month was out of the Qwestion. Told em sometings up with me. "Id hate for me to go up there only to come back because im sick. That would be a total waste." Id know more after this weekend. If i can knock out this one over the weekend id feel ok about giving so time up north." I'll talk to you monday"
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