The reason I beame a tree surgeon is because I like to KILL TREES!!!

17 December - WOke up early this morning despite my previous day's exhaustion to accompany housemate Rene on a field trip out to UBC for a demo on tree surgery. Very cold when we left the house but a rorsberry muffin and an overpriced café late warmed me up somewhat. We met up with his partner Scotty (interesting man who always wears pink sunglasses no matter what time of the day and has a hobby of acquiring and listening to every live Pearl Jam concert ever recorded). Once we got the truck warmed up (and ourselves slightly buzzing with a far too early in the morning bifter) we headed out to Queensland Avenue at UBC (this area has streets named after Australian states and cities - there was also Tasmania St, Victoria St and Adelaide St) and after a brief meetingwith the owner of the house (very interesting to see Rene so professionally courteous, Yes sir, No problem sir, of course sir!) they got to work. It would have to be one of the most interesting days i've had since my arrival - Rene has bored me to tear with extensive descriptions of his work but to watch him and Scotty in action was a different story. They were so methodical and so technically proficient in what they were doing that it was a joy to watch. Their were four trees and a stump that had to come down and Rene hooked on his tree spikes and scrambled up a tree like a monkey and started to tie off limbs with a variety of different knots and cut them so they had a controlled fall where they were quickly dispatched by Scott to the (extremely loud) chipper. It was strange to see them disappear from the top down, the highest limbs (the trees were cypresses with long, straight stems sprouting off the main trunk) collapsing through the body of the tree like a skyscraper collapsing in on itself. iMy contribution was holding ropes, heaving the cut wood and sweeping up and it was far preferable to help out than just stand there because even though it was a mighty fine day the freezing ground just sucked the heat out of my feet and moving was an absolute necessity to stay warm. There was so much specialised equipment and techniques that they used to get the trees cut down quicklyand safely - from cutting little foot grips into the tree so he could run up very quickly to the variety of specialised cutting techniques for different types of limbs and trunks (snap cuts, wedge cuts etc) - it really is so much more than just chopping a tree down, iit's surgery of a kind. On site behaviour was very interesting - always completely polite and professional to the client's face then bitching her out behind her back because she didnt move her car before we arrived (Goddamnit, she knew we were going to put the truck here, how stupid can you be???). Finished off the day by heading out to Metrotown to a rather awful chain sports bar called 'Red Robin' where we had a few beers and a Dr Pepper (beer with a shot of Ameretto and a dash of cola that has to be drunk in one gulp ... Not my favourite thing to do) before i headed home via the shops and did my laundry, washed my hair and shaved for the first time in a week.