So long Kevin Blair of Blair’s Logging

[WiscWoody]

In this small logging town of Winter Wisconsin, population 326 everyone knows each other so when one of us is cut short before their time the whole town mournes. A friend and logger that had given me leftover logs and would often stop and talk in town was killed yesterday taking down a problem tree for a homeowner. He did the service on the side, cutting down leaners by houses and garages often. Apparently he had his truck and a rope hooked to the leaning tree and when he would tell the driver to give it the the gas the driver needed to commit and not stop or stall until the tree was down but for some reason the tree came up then the. Truck slowed or stopped and the tree twisted on it’s hinge and came down on the side where the cutter stood. Too bad... he is survived by his wife and 3 kids.

 

[Ashful]

So sorry to hear about that. It’s a humbling reminder to us amateurs to be wary, when even pro cutters have these occasional accidents.

 

[GadDummit]

Prayers to his family. That's awful. I'm in the middle of clearing some leaners now at a property across town so this really hits home.

 

[fishki]

Sorry to hear that. Sad sad news, Prayers to his family.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

That is terrible, so very sorry to hear this sad news, God Bless all involved....

 

[spudman99]

RIP Kevin Blair

 

[Montanalocal]

I am in my 70’s and the issue of mortality is certainly on my mind. I am still able to cut, and hope to do so for some time to come. However, I do not want to pass away laying in a nursing home with a lingering illness. If and when, as we all must, I eventually, pass away, I would certainly prefer it to be out doing what I love.

 

[weatherguy]

Sorry to hear, very similar thing happened my BIL brother. I think he was 45 or so. I still get nervous everytime I cut down a tree.

 

[WiscWoody]

I am in my 70’s and the issue of mortality is certainly on my mind. I am still able to cut, and hope to do so for some time to come. However, I do not want to pass away laying in a nursing home with a lingering illness. If and when, as we all must, I eventually, pass away, I would certainly prefer it to be out doing what I love.

Hmm... I don’t know. I guess I wouldn’t want to be killed by a tree falling on me but if I was in the throws of a long life and I had a heart attack while I was doing something I enjoyed and it killed me then so be it... and I say if I had already had a long life. For me somewhere in my mid to late 70’s would be good since my father only made it to 48 before cancer took him. Anything past that ripe old age would be icing on the cake of course if not holed up in a place watching The Wheel of Fortune and repeats of Benson...

 

[WiscWoody]

Sorry to hear, very similar thing happened my BIL brother. I think he was 45 or so. I still get nervous everytime I cut down a tree.

The biggest thing for me when I fell a tree is to have a clear path in 2 directions to run without tripping in case something goes wrong. Luckily for me much of the wood I scrounge up here has been already cut down by the power company or a logger already but sometimes I do take down a tall tree. Being a bit nervous when you cut down a tree is a good thing I think, it makes you think twice and take precautions.

 

[JRHAWK9]

Man, that sucks. I don't like to use vehicles, don't have good control. When I need to force something like that I use a cable puller. I have decent one and not one of those cheap hardware store ones.

https://www.wyeth-scott.com/

 

[sportbikerider78]

That really stinks. You hate to see someone die doing a side job for someone.

Safety really needs to be paramount in everything we do. Be careful. Be confident. Be aware at all times. Complacency is what kills the pros.

 

[WiscWoody]

Years ago I watched a show on Netflix about a logger in Oregon. It’s probably not on the there any longer but it was enlightening on how this logger faced the dangers of his job day in and day out. He cut in hilly areas so he couldn’t use processors much and he said he’d rather not have his kids follow in his shoes as he didn’t want to see them face the dangers of the job. One thing I remember him constantly doing is looking up while he was cutting, always on the lookout for a dead falling branch that could either kill him or injure him badly. I never cared much for the logging show they had on one of the cable channels- Ax-men... It was too much drama and cussing for my taste, the people on the show seemed like children the way they fought and carried on lol....

 

[Ashful]

A local cutter I’ve become friendly with always tells me the same thing, WiscWoody: train yourself to look up, not look at the saw. When he cuts, the saw is by feel, his eyes are almost always looking straight up.

 

[WiscWoody]

That logging show I mentioned in the above post is called Risk Takers and it’s on YouTube now. Check it out if you can. It’s good.