You are currently browsing the monthly archive for March 2009.
Haha oh shit I do.
Its me again, that tall dark handsome drink of water. Well I see I haven’t been that good of a blogger as I have not blogged about anything and just watched my blog appreciate in value. Cash rules everything around me, cream, get da money, dolla dolla bill yall. Pay me for this.
A lot has happened but I will keep the format of previous posts to keep me on track, and stuff simple for you.
In 3 weeks of Plant Health Care the only thing I can say that is not even really worth mentioning was that I almost flunked my weed I.D test. My worst mark to date but I believe it had good cause. I climb trees, I don’t piss about with dandy lions. Next order of business please.
Urban Forestry has actually been cool the past couple of weeks. We actually got out and pruned, and for those that had their climbing gear with them, got to climb and prune. Now because it was not my climbing class, I got to use my heathen harness that is frowned upon by my program head. Well I didn’t get to use it, I just used it anyways. We also did a field tree description, in which we had to identify defects in a tree, which was done in the first 20 minutes of class, then 40 minutes of rock throwing followed. Wtf? I also had to hand in a street tree inventory project where I assessed and recorded all city trees on a street. The city of Lindsay has some really weak trees.
Operations has been alright. We had our chain sharpening test right after St. Patty’s day, so half the class was still drunk and the other half hungover. I was between the two. My teacher was cool about it though, and let us out early after the test. We also did our WHMIS testing in which I took the time to doodle on the WHMIS handout that was given to us. These are all things I am very proficient in, so my attention slips from time to time. I’m not just a jack ass.
Climbing is awesome. Now that we are in advanced we are not only off the crappy basic system and climbing on our own, we are actually pruning and rigging branches for removal on the streets of Lindsay. We now climb on an open Blake hitch system, which is an upgrade but still no eye-to-eye split tail 4/1 swabisch system. I killed the ascent test in 10 minutes, and ended up with 23/25. I lost two marks trying to do the Big Shot portion of the test. A Big Shot is a giant sling shot used to shoot a throw ball into the tree and I suck at it. I just don’t use it because its not practical for where I work… That and I don’t trust myself shooting a giant sling shot, too much fun could be had. Because I was in the top 10 marks of the class I get to participate in the FTCC (Fleming Tree Climbing Competition) on April 17th, here at the college. Come out and support if you can. If I do well in it, I may enter into the OTCC (Ontario Tree Climbing Competition) in Hamilton in the fall.
Overall my academics are some of the best I’ve ever had. Id say I’m sitting in around an 80+ average.
Work for me is looking good. The job I interviewed for out in BC, I got, so I’m heading out their for the summer to work. Its going to be awesome but I’m going to miss my friends a whole lot and I know I’m going to miss out on some good times. Work has been awesome, boss hog has had me up in the trees putting in work, and because he hasn’t picked my work apart, I must be doing an alright job cause he keeps putting me up in the trees.
I also had to interview for another job with a company out of Halton Hills for marks. They were chapped that I was heading out to BC, but told me that they want me when I come back.
Personal Life has been pretty weak. March is never a good month for me. Gotta keep moving though with my head up.
I added some links to the side bar. Links include places where I buy my equipment, industry information and certifications, and where I work now and will be working in the summer.
Cheers,
Ross
WHMIS Training
WHMIS Training
P.S I have a small video of me foot locking. I need to tinker around with the word press features but I will get it up.
Hello All,
I have been terrible with keeping up to date with my posting. A lot had happened in the two weeks. Not really. So lets get down to it.
Week 7 was the big mid-term week. I forgot the feeling from Durham of the endless nights of studying the morning before the test. Haha… It still was a pretty hard week, and despite the middy’s going on we still had class; mostly review.
Tuesday started with a bang. 30% final climbing test for basic tree climbing ‘what’s up’ after playing in a hockey tournament all family day Monday. I’m just going to throw in the random stuff throughout because I’m too lazy and burnout to edit. For this test we had to climb up one stem, double tie-in to the second stem, cross the crown to the second stem, descend down the second stem, re-tie in and ‘TIME’! I faired rather well, in the end I passed the basic tree climbing course proudly with 92%
Wednesday we were out in the bush. I didn’t have much to do, so I did my tree felling test. This time they actually picked apart the defects in the proper notch and back cut from the stump we left. Trust me, you can tell exactly how; and how well a tree has fallen from the stump. I have an unfortunate bad habit of losing the angle of my back-cut in relation to my notch, leaving my hinge wood all wack like. This caused the tree to roll a bit when falling. Still walked out of the bush tall with an 86.
Thursday was the fun fun fun plant health care mid-term which was open book. Now this would be a great opportunity to get 100% and get a free 25% in the course… … .. . .. . So I played a pretty fun game of shinny the night before. I miss hockey, don’t play it as much anymore which sucks… Same goes for lacrosse.
Friday which is normally my day off became my elective day to do my Urban Forestry exam. We got to do it any time during the week on webCT in a designated computer lab at the school. I remember doing them in Durham, except it was during class time, meaning set date. I rather enjoyed the fact that I could take the exam at freewill during the week. It was not like the tree characteristics in Week Fo’; rather more about the science of trees such as: Hardiness zones, tree biomechanics, tree biology, vascular systems etc. I actually enjoy reading and learning about that gibberish, and it payed off with an 82%. All in all I am quite pleased with how my academics are right now.
Work hard, play hard right? Well didn’t do too much over my reading week. I celebrated my birthday which happened on the Thursday, on Saturday with a couple of buddies at Wild Wing and in class fashion almost got into a fight. Monday I went to CFE and got a handsaw, scabbard, gaff covers for my spurs, shit that doesn’t sound like English to most reading. Went to the gym a bit. Was at the cottage Thursday till Sunday. Chilled mostly, broke in the new saw dead-wooding a tree, entered and lost an ice fishing derby, a wee bit of snowmobiling.
I can’t win with keys. So I get back and go to get into my room… no key. Luckily, I knew I had a few options as to where it could be… Between the seats in my car in the parking lot outside of the crackhouse residence? Nah, too easy. At the gates at my cottage in the mud? Haha, It gets better. I had to stop at Shoppers Drug Mart in Lindsay, in doing so, I cleaned some of the garbage out of my car with new 600 dollar car fucking wonder key in hand. Luckily I was a smart man and hid the key in the dumpster where no one would find it.
Cheers,
Ross
MS Paint What.
