Ketch Up

 29 Mar 2009 08:02:26 pm

A big round of applause for our administrator.....Saving the day and reviving the nearly lifeless blog.

Sorry for the lack of posting, it has been a busy couple of days since the last post. We have been on call for the last two weeks, to help with the sand bagging efforts taking place in the Fargo/Moorehead area. We haven't been called up yet, so that has been a little disappointing. The river crested yesterday, so hopefully it will settle down, and eventually get back to its normal flow rate. They are calling for another snow storm this week so that should pose some problems for the relief efforts. Its a wait and see thing at this point. They relied very heavy on volunteers from the local colleges and communities, didn't want to pay us professionals I guess.

We did get bumped up to alert stand bye yesterday, but nothing has come of that either...Like I said we will wait and see I guess.

My crew and I are spiking (going somewhere to spend the week) next week to the wetland, pines, and prairies audubon center in Warren Minnesota. So we will probably see some of the flooding...I will try to get some pictures if we get up there and I get some free time.

Probably not a bad idea to remember the flood victims in your prayers........We prayed for them as a congregation this morning at St. Philips.

Well that's that, probably won't be another post until next weekend. Hope all is well, back where I come from....Miss all you guys!!!!!!!!!

TTYL

Posted By : paul | Category: General | Comments [[7]] | Trackbacks [0]

  Florida Fishy

 20 Mar 2009 04:49:24 pm

This is my sister, and Captain Gary 12 miles off the Florida coast, this happend yesterday...I am jealous! Nice Mahi Mahi KT!!!!!!

Posted By : paul | Category: General | Comments [[6]] | Trackbacks [0]

  Thrusdays Gig

 20 Mar 2009 04:34:34 pm

We drove up to Rydell National Wildlife Preserve in northwestern Minnesota to cut out a section of trees on some property that was just acquired by Rydell. The land is part of an extensive prairie restoration project that they have going on. The assistant manager lead us out to an area with about 50 trees standing on it, and said drop 'em. So we went to work. After the lower body workout the day before, it was time to beat up our upper body.

The day went well, I thought that there were some good challenging trees for my guys to try to tackle. I have two of the guys who get the idea, and two that lack the communication. The two crew members who have strong communication, and the two that need some work paired up. Next time I'm going to put a strong with a week, and see if that helps any.

We did have a couple of saws malfunction which was frustrating, but that's just part of the game. My saw ran great all day and I really have no complaints. It is really nice that we all get our own saws, so if they don't work we know who to blame. Mine is a Stihl 036, with a 20" bar on it. Kind of big, but I should get use to the extra weight of the bigger saw the more I use it. We have 2 other 036's in the crew, and 2 026's.

Sorry no pictures today. I wish I would have had my camera though we saw some deer, a bald eagle on her nest, and a train came through right by the tracks at our work site...It would have been a neat picture.

That's all I got for now, going to be watching some basketball today. I'm running a pool at work and need to catch up on my first weeks scoring. Go boilers!!!

Have a good weekend all!!!!!!!!!

Posted By : paul | Category: General | Comments [[0]] | Trackbacks [0]

  ...If I was goin somehwere...I wuz walking

 19 Mar 2009 02:47:51 am

Yeah walking...speed walking actually. The field portion of earning your red card for wild fire suppression is called a pack test. For the pack test you must walk for 3 miles with a 45lb pack on your person, and you have to do it in 45minutes, if you don't you fail and get to do it all again. If you do the math that means walk a 15minute mile, no running aloud, which means it's about a 4mph walk. Yikes, I know that I have poked fun one or two times at the "speed walkers" around the mall, but holy crap I'm here to tell you it aint easy. The first place you feel it is your calf's, and it creeps up from there by the end of it everything from your belly button down is yelling at you...It didn't help we practiced on a road, asphalt = ouch.

My time was 41 minutes, and all and all I think I handled it pretty well. I certainly wasn't dead afterwards. I may be a little soar come morning, but I will live. My whole crew actually made it, so we now know how to pace ourselves for the real deal next week.

Tomorrow there is a rumor going around that we will be playing with chainsaws again, looking forward to it...and the weekend

-one last happy bday to my sis

Take care all

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  Two days in the pines

 18 Mar 2009 01:16:54 am

Welp, back to pruning the red pines we were working on two weeks ago. My body hurts! It says that I have been working. But its a good burn One or two trees isn't that bad, but being thrown into a 30 acre stand is a little overwhelming. My guys have been keeping up ok which is good, and a little surprising. Crew moral is still going well. Trying to mix things up is going to be important when we get stuck on tedious jobs for a while. I'm going to have to get creative, no trouble.

The weather has been awesome. Actually a little warm in the afternoons, my body isn't use to the heat. I think I may have even got a little sun today.

I did see a sight I don't believe I have ever seen before. Two trumpeter swans flew over us today. Cool sight, they honk sort of like Canada geese, but its a lot louder and sounds like a car horn. I believe they are an endangered species, and they nest up here in Minnesota.

Best wishes to all

Tired am I and sleep I must

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