Hurricane Isaias Cleanup Day 7

My last day 😞. Unfortunately, I had to leave early from this deployment to head out on another adventure. It was cool to end on a high note.

After a slow start doing an easy cleanup job, we moved next door. That homeowner had been helping lots of his neighbors so it was great that we could serve him. He had a tree precariously leaning over his pool which was a tough challenge to complete without damaging the intact pool.

The paperwork was completed and Marcel eagerly took on this new challenge. It was slow going as Todd tried climbing it, then the team balanced a log under it with Marcel lifting it. Next, Jack removed a couple of limbs then Todd and Hammer used the man lift to chop-and-chuck a few segments.

The goal had been to remove sufficient weight so the top-heavy tree could be pushed upright, which Marcel achieved with his skid steer. Then, Todd could finish it off by felling her.

I was then given the task of cutting up the felled trunk with a large 25-inch chainsaw. That was a nice warm up before the final cut to trim the trunk closer to the ground.

This final cut was with the 36-inch chainsaw. It was a beast at nearly 30 lbs and a more aggressive blade. After a good horizontal cut and having cut about 90% of the way through, the wood started to pinch the saw. I made the mistake of removing the saw. When I reinserted it, I started making a new cut. The fibers between the cuts started binding on the saw, causing it to kick back. I had learned about this but this was the first time I experienced it, and it was enlightening! I managed to complete the cut.

Through all of this, I was superbly guided by Jack. He made the great suggestion of using a knee to leverage the saw, which also repositions the body to avoid kickback.

It’s time to share some more nuggets about my team members. This time, I focus on those things for which I am thankful.

Sheri – for thanking me for this blog every morning, and actually saying she found it funny!
Burnzy and Todd – for not already being up and at breakfast when the lights go on at 6am. Why do so many people not need more sleep?
Burnzy – for correcting the blog!
Todd – for being as cool as Larry the cucumber.
Leslie – for holding me accountable for “not listening to what God has done” when leaving dinner early, and not pressing it when I had no answer.
Charlie – for continuous encouragement. I hope you get to see Scoop in Bob the Builder.
Dave – for not having a phone, so I could write anything I liked about him. I hope he continues to beat the alligators in his dreams.
Greg – for being the person less experienced than me, but I don’t think that will last long. And for his Dad jokes. Can there be too many Dad jokes? I think I found out.
Robert – for the RV hints, and when I was late to the trailer in the morning, for being even later.
Old Steve – for sharing with me the details about eating squirrel brains for breakfast. Or perhaps I need to say squearl brains. Breakfast will never be the same!
Hammer – for wearing the best pajama pants on the team. Though I didn’t get the chance to judge Sheri’s or Leslie’s…
Derek – for knowing how to pronounce progress and acclimatize.
Dyson – for servicing and fixing our heavy equipment.
Jack – for showing that even Jack can get his saw stuck. But when Jack gets his saw stuck, he needs the skid steer to get it out!
Marcel – for being diligent about medical forms, treating us like his lost sheep, which we are, while ensuring that we have a WHALE of a time.

If anyone has read this far, I ask you to pray for this team. Chainsawing and operating heavy equipment remains a very dangerous activity, only superseded by the driving. The work runs alongside earnest efforts to help the spiritual needs of the homeowners and their neighbors. Please pray for their safety and their effectiveness in reaching communities which are recovering from disasters.