Tree Rescue

[chet]

Got a tree rescue fire call tonight. Not da typical cat up a tree. This was an eleven year old that fell from the top of a tree and was wedged in a lower crotch. Haven't gotten da Dr. reports yet, but I'm sure he has some broken ribs.

[Tom]

Ouch!

Could have been been me once. :D

[Furby]

Or me a couple of times.  : :

[CHARLIE]

Is it possible that it was better he landed in the crotch of the tree and busted some ribs than to have hit the ground?  I just know that as a parent, you know your kids are gonna get in situations like that. You just hope they get through them without getting killed and that they learn something from the experienc.

[OneWithWood]

Sure hope he is OK and doesn't loose his love for trees.

[Cedarman]

We climbed any tree that we could get into.  Way to the top.
Our parents were constantly telling us we could fall etc.  etc.
But, they also said never use a dead limb no matter how big and always have three points of contact. (Belly didn't count) They never actually said it, but I think they meant if you are going to do dangerous stuff, do it in the safest way possible. As Charlie said and my memory agrees, kids are going to do dangerous stuff.  Hope we give them the tools to do it safely.

[Tom]

Charlie knows :D :D

I sent him on a wild ride down a Melaleuca tree one time. :

[SwampDonkey]

I can recall something similar Tom. We were always making tree forts though and also experimenting with wooden projectiles. I fired one blindly into my brother's tree fort and he made contact with the ground with some screetch'in all the way to the house. He didn't fall far, maybe 10 feet. Left a half eaten Jos Lois cake behind to.  ;)

[CHARLIE]

Wild ride down the "Paper" Tree!  DanG Tom, I never touched that tree. You counted to three, I jumped and missed it.

Tom and I used to climb the oak trees in our yard. We had a rope swing and would swing off one of the limbs. Then we got the wild idea of standing on the peak of the garage roof, holding onto a gunny sack (in Florida we call 'em Croaker sacks) and then jump, grab the rope and freefall with a heckofa jerk when the rope straightened out.  We also climbed a lot in the Mulberry trees. They are great climbing trees and when the mulberries are ripe, we'd have purple hands from eating them.    

[rebocardo]

I hate climbing trees, but, I have tried to teach my kids climbing trees and rocks to always have at least two hands or two feet in contact (three point) when climbing anything including ladders. I think Magnolia trees that look like bushes make excellent climbing trees before they get too tall. No sap like pine trees.