Still thinking about that old operator who told me to trust the wind

Back when I was a green hand at a yard in Houston, this guy named Leo kept telling me to watch the trees before every pick, not the flags. I thought he was just being an old timer with weird habits. Then last month I had a load start swinging bad on a calm day, looked over at the pines and saw tops bending way different than the ground level felt. Leo was right, the wind at 150 feet is a whole different animal. Anyone else get advice that seemed dumb but saved your skin later?

2 comments

2 Comments

christopher_west11mo ago

Houston yard sounds like it had some wise old dudes. I had a guy named Marcus at my first landscaping gig tell me to always check the top of the rigging before I cut any line loose. I was young and dumb and figured a quick look was fine. Then I had a 400 pound oak log snap a rope because I didn't see the frayed spot hidden under a coil. Now I run my hand along every inch before I trust it. That little extra step has probably saved me a broken ankle or worse a dozen times.

sam_anderson1mo ago

That part about running your hand along every inch of rope hit me hard. I had a similar thing happen with a buddy who used to tell me to check the weather by feeling the air on my neck, not looking at my phone. We were on a job in Oklahoma and the forecast said clear, but he touched the back of his neck and said a cold front was coming. Sure enough, a thunderstorm blew in an hour later and we had to tie everything down fast. Now I always step outside and let the air hit my neck before I decide how to rig anything. Do you ever check the humidity in the air before you start cutting or lifting?