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This site is a member of WebRing. To browse visit here. Monday, May 12, 2008 Visitation from the air I've heard a helicopter in the neighborhood several times in the last few days, but never got a glimpse of it. Things in the air over this rural area are unusual enough that people tend to look up and wonder what's going on. So when I heard one almost directly overhead this morning, I ran for the door. It was a small helicopter with something--I really couldn't imagine what it was--dangling from a long cable below it. By the time I grabbed the camera and returned to the front porch it had disappeared, but I could see trees blowing around down the driveway. It looked as though it was hovering over the barn, about halfway down to the highway. Was it cutting down my trees again? A few years ago, the power company came down my driveway with ground crews and a chipper and cut down every one of the poplars Clarence had planted when he first bought the property, as well as all the azaleas I had planted along the driveway and all of that year's blackberries. None of the trees had grown into the power lines, so we were pretty ticked off. We never got any compensation for the trees or the shrubs, but some of the poplars have regrown in the meantime. There are now also many locust trees, which the bees really love, and a couple of sassafras trees that I want to preserve for medicinal purposes. And, of course, all of this year's blackberries. So I went charging down the driveway in my robe and slippers, armed with a camera and what was probably a pretty fierce expression.At the barn, I could see branches falling, and when the helicopter came overhead, I waved at it to go away, screaming "Leave my trees alone!" Not that I thought they could hear me, of course, just letting out my feelings. Very quickly after that, a truck came flying up the driveway toward me. The passenger was wearing headphones, and I had no doubt he'd been talking to someone in the helicopter. They reassured me that no trees were being cut at ground level, that the saw hanging from the bottom of the helicopter was trimming along the sides of the power line, and that none of my trees or shrubs would be completely cut down. So I agreed, not that I had much choice about a power company right of way, and retreated to where my truck is parked at the other end of the driveway, camera at the ready. Unfortunately, since the power lines are on the other side of a tall stand of trees from the house, I couldn't get anything like decent pictures, but here are a few. The helicopter hovering over the barn. The saw is at the end of the long cable, out of sight in the trees. Trimming along the edge of the treeline. I could actually see the saw here, but it didn't show up well in the pictures.The only half decent picture I was able to get of the saw.As soon as it was all over with, I went online to look for information, and found numerous articles and videos. This one is a very good YouTube video that shows the helicopter on the ground, taking off, trimming, and then landing again. Another short clip at the end was taken from the air.The Roanoke newspaper also ran an article with good pictures of the saw itself, and a lot of information about the history of helicopter tree trimming.I hope that was the extent of the excitement for today. We're having strong gusts of wind at the moment, and I'm keeping an eye on the treeline upwind of the trailer, but so far everything is staying where it's supposed to be. My helper, Billy, was here this morning and said he could take the trees out as soon as he replaces his chain saw. That will be another day's excitement, I guess. posted by Liz @ 8:10 AM | The template is set to display 10 posts. To see all the posts for this month, click on the month name in the Archive section RSS Feed PERSONAL Send email toliz at life-as-a-spectator-sport.com Home I'm a mother, grandmother, a computer professional, Democrat, Christian. I welcome politely worded comments and email, my spam filter throws the rest away, so don't bother to flame me WHY 'LIFE AS A SPECTATOR SPORT' "If you're lucky not to live in the gutters of a slum, but still can't afford to take vacations in the Alps, you're part of that enormous middle class who lives life through the medium of the television, further separated from "real" life by air conditioner, by automobile, by dishwasher, microwave and ice-in-the-door refrigerator, by automatic washer and dryer, and all the other appliances and conveniences that make it possible for America to live life at second hand. I'm not sure why Americans decided that televised drama was better than the real thing, that cardboard microwave food containers were an adequate substitute for real dishes, and their contents for real food, or that cooking, dishwashing and face-to-face conversation wasn't worth the effort and time it required. Someone fed this nation a plastic crate of out-of-season tomatoes and told us it was life and we took them at their word, and we're so much the poorer for it that it's hard to know where to start to list the shortcomings." I wrote this a couple of years ago, but I have to admit it's much less amusing than I thought it would be to see the artifical construct falling apart. THE NON-ELECTRIC HOME Cleaning, 1 Cleaning, 2 Cleaning, 3 KNITTING BLOGS Extravayarnza Knitting Heretic Mind of Winter Pie Knits Persistent Illusion See Eunny Knit The Keyboard Biologist Taleweaver's Ramblings TECHnitting Wendy Knits FINISHED PROJECTS -------FINISHED IN 2006------- Peruvian Cap Tutti-Frutti Socks Shelley's Socks Carol's Socks -------FINISHED IN 2007------- Chain Link Socks Baby Surprise Jacket Valerie & Friend Baby Bonnet Rainbow Baby Socks Girls Pixie Hood Mitred Square Heart Red & White Socks Coffee Cup Pot Holder Nubbins Dishcloth Garterlac Dishcloth Suede Booties Kate's Socks Norwegian Sweet Baby Cap Half Thumbless Mittens Red Mittens for Akkol -------FINISHED IN 2008------- SELF-RELIANCE AND THE FUTURE -- Blogs and websites -- Causubon's Book Club Orlov Food Storage Made Easy From the Wilderness In the Wake Listening to Katrina Survival Topics The Modern Homestead The Oil Drum Notes from a Hillside Farm -- Mailing Lists -- 12vdc Power Living on the Land Rainwater Refrigeration Alternatives Old Ways of Living POLITICAL BLOGS and SITES The political sites have moved BOOKS I'M READING How to Grow More Vegetables, etc. Small Scale Grain Raising ARCHIVES February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 August 2008 July 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002 February 2002 Feedjit Live Blog Stats
I've heard a helicopter in the neighborhood several times in the last few days, but never got a glimpse of it. Things in the air over this rural area are unusual enough that people tend to look up and wonder what's going on. So when I heard one almost directly overhead this morning, I ran for the door. It was a small helicopter with something--I really couldn't imagine what it was--dangling from a long cable below it. By the time I grabbed the camera and returned to the front porch it had disappeared, but I could see trees blowing around down the driveway. It looked as though it was hovering over the barn, about halfway down to the highway. Was it cutting down my trees again? A few years ago, the power company came down my driveway with ground crews and a chipper and cut down every one of the poplars Clarence had planted when he first bought the property, as well as all the azaleas I had planted along the driveway and all of that year's blackberries. None of the trees had grown into the power lines, so we were pretty ticked off. We never got any compensation for the trees or the shrubs, but some of the poplars have regrown in the meantime. There are now also many locust trees, which the bees really love, and a couple of sassafras trees that I want to preserve for medicinal purposes. And, of course, all of this year's blackberries. So I went charging down the driveway in my robe and slippers, armed with a camera and what was probably a pretty fierce expression.At the barn, I could see branches falling, and when the helicopter came overhead, I waved at it to go away, screaming "Leave my trees alone!" Not that I thought they could hear me, of course, just letting out my feelings. Very quickly after that, a truck came flying up the driveway toward me. The passenger was wearing headphones, and I had no doubt he'd been talking to someone in the helicopter. They reassured me that no trees were being cut at ground level, that the saw hanging from the bottom of the helicopter was trimming along the sides of the power line, and that none of my trees or shrubs would be completely cut down. So I agreed, not that I had much choice about a power company right of way, and retreated to where my truck is parked at the other end of the driveway, camera at the ready. Unfortunately, since the power lines are on the other side of a tall stand of trees from the house, I couldn't get anything like decent pictures, but here are a few. The helicopter hovering over the barn. The saw is at the end of the long cable, out of sight in the trees. Trimming along the edge of the treeline. I could actually see the saw here, but it didn't show up well in the pictures.The only half decent picture I was able to get of the saw.As soon as it was all over with, I went online to look for information, and found numerous articles and videos. This one is a very good YouTube video that shows the helicopter on the ground, taking off, trimming, and then landing again. Another short clip at the end was taken from the air.The Roanoke newspaper also ran an article with good pictures of the saw itself, and a lot of information about the history of helicopter tree trimming.I hope that was the extent of the excitement for today. We're having strong gusts of wind at the moment, and I'm keeping an eye on the treeline upwind of the trailer, but so far everything is staying where it's supposed to be. My helper, Billy, was here this morning and said he could take the trees out as soon as he replaces his chain saw. That will be another day's excitement, I guess.
The template is set to display 10 posts. To see all the posts for this month, click on the month name in the Archive section
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PERSONAL
WHY 'LIFE AS A SPECTATOR SPORT'
"If you're lucky not to live in the gutters of a slum, but still can't afford to take vacations in the Alps, you're part of that enormous middle class who lives life through the medium of the television, further separated from "real" life by air conditioner, by automobile, by dishwasher, microwave and ice-in-the-door refrigerator, by automatic washer and dryer, and all the other appliances and conveniences that make it possible for America to live life at second hand. I'm not sure why Americans decided that televised drama was better than the real thing, that cardboard microwave food containers were an adequate substitute for real dishes, and their contents for real food, or that cooking, dishwashing and face-to-face conversation wasn't worth the effort and time it required. Someone fed this nation a plastic crate of out-of-season tomatoes and told us it was life and we took them at their word, and we're so much the poorer for it that it's hard to know where to start to list the shortcomings." I wrote this a couple of years ago, but I have to admit it's much less amusing than I thought it would be to see the artifical construct falling apart.
THE NON-ELECTRIC HOME
Cleaning, 1 Cleaning, 2 Cleaning, 3
KNITTING BLOGS
Extravayarnza Knitting Heretic Mind of Winter Pie Knits Persistent Illusion See Eunny Knit The Keyboard Biologist Taleweaver's Ramblings TECHnitting Wendy Knits
FINISHED PROJECTS
SELF-RELIANCE AND THE FUTURE
POLITICAL BLOGS and SITES
BOOKS I'M READING
How to Grow More Vegetables, etc. Small Scale Grain Raising
ARCHIVES
February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 August 2008 July 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002 February 2002
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