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Jan 13, 2024

Pair of pliers more than handy in tight spot

Bud was a man who got things done. Even though things were slower in the summer, there were always lots of projects to be completed. Bud was 52 years old and considered himself in his prime. He was

Bud was a man who got things done. Even though things were slower in the summer, there were always lots of projects to be completed. Bud was 52 years old and considered himself in his prime. He was healthy, learned a lot over the years, and had a good collection of handy tools.

His latest summer project would not be that challenging. Behind his farmstead were 20 acres of wooded land. Several gullies went through the woods, and it was unsuitable to convert into decent pasture. For many years it had been a wild patch of trees and brush.

With the popularity of UTVs, dirt bikes and four wheelers, Bud had decided it was time to cut some trails through the woods. With his wife out of town for a few days watching their grandkids, Bud felt it was the perfect time to begin this project.

A full two days were spent roughing out the trails with his skid loader and Bush Hog. With the density of the trees and bushes, the 20 acres would be transformed into a maze of driving trails.

At the end of the second day, there was only one big project left. Two trees next to each other were all that remained to connect the major trails. Although it was 7 p.m., there was more than enough time and daylight to cut them down before he called it a night.

Before beginning, Bud decided to first take a short break, grab a sandwich out of his cooler, and call his wife. After a report about each of his grandchildren, Bud was excited to tell his wife about all the progress he had made over the last two days. She was happy Bud was keeping himself busy and they both looked forward to seeing each other again in two more days. Grabbing his chainsaw and water bottle, he got ready to tackle the two trees.

The first tree was about 2.5 feet in diameter and perhaps 40 feet tall. He notched it and it fell almost exactly where he wanted it to drop. He then started on the second tree, which was only a foot and a half in diameter. In a matter of minutes, both trees were laying on the ground.

He put his water bottle and his cell phone on top of the larger stump and started trimming off limbs. The second tree was on a slope and he had to straddle the trunk to reach all the branches.

The last limb was about 10 feet from the stump. As Bud leaned over to cut it, the smaller tree suddenly rolled and then slid down to rest against the first tree. It happened so quickly that found himself about to be stuck between the two tree trunks.

Without thinking, Bud tossed the chainsaw away from himself and shifted his body. As the trees came together there was a gap just wide enough for his leg. When everything stopped moving, Bud found his ankle and foot sandwiched between the two trees. He was relieved to see that his foot and leg had been bumped, but not injured.

He looked over to see the chainsaw slide down the rest of the hill after he had tossed it. The saw guard slammed against the ground and stopped the engine. It rested upside down about 15 feet away.

Bud laughed at himself for creating this frustrating predicament. His cell phone and water bottle were about 8 feet behind him sitting on the first tree stump. Like the chainsaw, they were beyond his reach. He shifted his weight and tried to push both trunks away from him. Neither one budged.

Bud looked around for something he could put between the trees to pry them apart. Unfortunately, he had been so effective in his branch trimming that there was nothing he could reach that was big enough to help him. He spent a long time twisting and pulling on his leg but there was no escape. He was grateful that his leg had not been crushed but was frustrated to be trapped there.

The only tool he had with him was a pair of pliers. All it could do was scrape off small amounts of bark. With the sun beginning to dip below the horizon and darkness starting to set in, Bud realized he would be spending the night in the woods.

With some experimentation, he found a spot where he could sit so his leg was reasonably comfortable. He tried laying on his back but that proved to be painful. He resigned himself to sitting on the tree trunk for the evening. As it became dark, the few mosquitoes found him almost immediately. It was difficult for Bud to fall asleep and not fall over. Hour after hour went by in darkness.

Bud examined the night sky and tried to name the stars and constellations he recognized. He had never spent a whole night out in the open. If his leg had not been stuck, it would have been somewhat enjoyable.

Sometime in the middle of the night there was a rustling in the brush not very far from him. He couldn’t see what was coming towards him, so he started shouting and making noise until whatever it was finally left. He must have had an hour or two of sleep because when he opened his eyes he could see daylight in the east.

Throughout the night he tried to put together a plan of action. Only his wife knew he was working in the timber. She would not be home for quite some time. None of the neighbors would be coming by, so no one would stumble onto him. As the sun came out, Bud’s determination increased and so did his breakfast appetite.

His only tool was his pair of pliers. By leaning forward Bud was within a few inches of small tree limbs. Carefully using his pliers, he was able to clamp onto one of the limbs and pull it out from under the tree. He carefully trimmed off all of the leaves until he had a 3-foot long branch with a “Y” at the end.

He sat down on the log and laid back to stretch his arm as far as he could. With the tree limb he could wiggle both his phone and water bottle. Over the next hour he wiggled the water bottle until it fell off the stump. After another 20 minutes of upside down and backward scraping with the limb, he was able to pull the water bottle within his reach. He drank some but thought it would be best if he saved the rest.

After taking a long break, Bud continued his upside- down efforts. He strained toward the stump hoping to snag his phone. The phone was much flatter and more difficult to move. It took about an hour and a half to slide it far enough toward him that it fell off the stump onto the ground. It then took another 45 minutes of carefully pulling and tugging and nudging. Inch after inch, with an aching back, Bud worked to move his cell phone closer to him. He had to stop many times to stretch his arms.

Eventually his efforts paid off and he was able to reach behind himself and pick up the phone. A few moments later he was talking with one of the neighbors and help was on the way. A skid loader carefully pulled the two logs apart, freeing up his leg. Just like that, the adventure was over.

Bud swore his neighbor to secrecy, unsure if he wanted to let anyone know what had happened. When his wife returned, he eventually told her about the experience. They both laughed and were glad Bud was not hurt. Since he was a man of common sense, Bud decided to review some of the things he learned from his night in the woods. It wasn’t like his whole life had passed before his eyes, but it did have an effect on him.

Bud decided to be more careful with some of the things that he did. He made sure to always keep his cell phone in his pocket and made sure to always have his pliers with him.

He had a greater appreciation for the fact that life can change quickly. He recognized every day will not be the same and every day can be an adventure. He also did not let his night in the woods keep him from starting his next project.

Bob Dunaway and Associates offer estate and retirement planning. Gary Johnson can be reached at 563-927-4554 or by emailing him at [email protected].

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