If you were alive and you were of any age above probably 5 or 6, you remember 9/11.  You turned on the tv and there they were, discussing this commercial jetliner crashing into the side of one of the World Trade Towers.  At somewhere around 7:10 am - time zone I was in - you're watching this news footage and behind the dude on the top of the CNN tower, you see another plane crash into the other tower.

The verbiage immediately turns to the fact that this is intentional, we are being attacked and terrorism has arrived in America in a way no one would ever forget.  You watched the man in a full dress suit doing a swan dive out the window of one of the towers - he was either going to be burned alive inside the building or he would take his own life.  You watched in horror as the first building came down and the realization that there were still people/firefighters inside of it.  

I need not go into all the gruesome details, but I have vivid memories of that day. It was hard to get out of bed and go to work.  My friend had called me about it before I even got up - are you watching this?  Watching what? On TV? What channel? ANY channel! he said and I just turned the thing on to see what I just described.  Tragically, at least for me, my friend is passed, he had a massive heart attack one day at home and that was the end of that.  He had a military funeral and it was one of the most awesome things I have ever witnessed.  

But for me, 9/11 is not just marked by the tragedy and horror that occurred 20 years ago. It is also my mother's birthday. And as I always say, her birthday takes precedence over 9/11.  Happy birthday to mom! Wish I could get on Facebook, then my friends could also wish her a happy b-day, but, a phone call will have to do, later on, I'm still waking up.

I've got an Oklahoma run today, I haven't decided yet whether I will try to make it a one day trip. It just depends on how I feel and how long it takes to get loaded at the loading plant.  I have work to do and that machine isn't doing anything but sitting there. I need to get the chainsaw put together, I have decided it would be a lot easier to cut the trees down to about 5 feet of trunk left.  Some of the trees that need to come down are too big for that machine to take down anyway.  I can cut them down and deal with the remain trunks later. Either get a dozer to finish out the work at some point or get a stump grinder and chew them up.  

Or, if it rains, I may be able to dig them out of the ground.  The ground is a bit dry right now and getting those trees out has been more of a chore than it should be.  It is likely that tomorrow, when I go over there (Lord willing of course) I will take some time to cut a bunch of trees with the saw down and then go to work on the machine.

I really wish one of those places had a dozer or would rent one to me. This job would be immensely easier.  I've got what I've got, tho and it's going to do the job, it's just that the machine is small and I don't particularly fit into it that well.  My legs are long and my knees start hurting after a couple of hours.

I got a lot done yesterday, at least I like to think so.  Realistically, that first 110 feet is the most area that I will need to cut down.  The driveways are going to be long, so yes they will take  a bit as well, but the front is the beginning, where it all starts.  I'm working and trying to decide which trees to leave up out there.  I'd like some shade for the front building.  And just for the look. I'm leaving all the bigger trees up - there aren't that many of them. If they get in the way later on, they can come down.  

I worked about 5 hours yesterday before my knees and my lack of water there told me that was enough.  I had a huge cup of ice water - it broke. I figure if I mix cutting trees with machine work - in and out of the machine, giving my knees a break - I can work longer and my knees might be spared.  

I dunno if James intends on going out there, tho I have the angle stock, if he gets bored there are ramps to be built.  Those machines are too heavy for my trailer so I didn't necessarily need them for that, but I want the ramps anyway.  The ones I have are aluminum and they aren't exactly heavy duty. 

Okay, I don't have a lot of time.  Just wanted to get something out there.  Yes, I got a machine rented yesterday - a skid steer - and yes I got a good start.  Maybe I'll post some pics on here later when I'm sitting at the plant waiting for them to load the truck. 

With that, I must be out of here.

G'day.