Simple Tools Make Work Much Easier

    I am going to start this entry with another look at the tree next to 18 green.  I will show you some more signs that the tree is not doing well.  In these photos you can see some more cavity decay and some woodpecker damage. 

   Woodpecker holes don't always tell you that a tree is dead or dying but they tend to work on dead wood.  There are woodpeckers called Sapsuckers that do exactly that.  They feed on the sap of a tree or the insects that are attracted to the sap.  These woodpeckers like live trees and you can tell that they are Sapsuckers by the pattern they leave.  They leave tight rows of holes.  This damage can girdle a tree and kill it.  Woodpeckers will also use trees to do their territorial drumming in the Spring.

This photo shows Dan Hamel with Tree Works using what looks like a large wristrocket on a stick.  He uses this to get his rope up high into the tree canopy.  He has a long thin string that is attached to a weighted bag.  He puts the bag into the slingshot and fires it up into the top of the tree.

   He attaches the string to his rope and pulls it up over the limb. He uses this to secure himself to the tree to do his work.  These guys are fearless and extremely talented.