Treeman

                           American Elm

Well today is December 1^st and it is this writers birthday, been hanging around now for 74 years, not bad for an old tree man. Started in the tree business back on October 1^st 1959 and enjoyed every minute of it right up until I retired in 2004. During most of those years was spent removing the big elm trees throughout New England.  Worked on other species but the removal work was primarily the American elm.

Did work down in Florida for a year or two as well as up in Inlet, N.Y. before moving up into Vermont and then landing safely in Maine.  Met some really great tree men along the way as well just interesting folks from all walks of life.

When I started back in 1959 the tree industry was in the middle of the transition of using the chain saw to replace the cross cut. I worked with one of the first climbers to actually use a power saw in a tree. Back in those days the lightest saw made weighed 32lbs.

It was also at that time that we began to start seeing the development of the bucket truck  (cherry picker). We were still doing most of the line clearance for the power companies by spurs and rope. Some times it got pretty dang scary working around the hot lines. I have seen all kinds of dangerous situations as well as having lost a few friends and co-workers to electric shock.

One of these post I will have to go into more detail regarding some funny and unusual events to I either observed or was actually involved in. The best thing that ever happened to me is when I hired on with that very first tree company. Learned a wonderful and very satisfying trade, worked outdoors, and made a decent and honest living.