June 20

Nice morning on Spring River in Mammoth Spring. I pruned a huge red oak, huge post oak, huge hickory, and a catalpa, three peaches, and weeping willow. Maybe more. Candy cleaned it up. Cold clear Spring River beckoned from below the whole time. It sure felt nice to dip my hands in and wash sawdust off my face. Incredible location. Tomorrow it’s landscaping and pruning on Spring River in Hardy, Wednesday over to Cherokee Village for a huge red oak, then back to Hardy and Spring River for a large pruning and removal job. It’s great being the best.

Beautiful morning here on Spring River. Crows are chasing Geezer. We canoed from Hardy to Renee and Danny’s, lot’s of my homeys, volleyball, smallmouth bass, bluegill, turtles, horshoes(I threw a ringer, first turn of the game, I’m not sure I scored after that though. Dru rode a motorcycle through the volleyball area, so I rifled the ball at him and hit him in the back of the head at about fifty yards. Incredible shot. I’m not a good volleyball player. Crawfish ruled the feast. RoadKill provided quality blues and rock. I wish rebelriver.com could take credit for the party, but I just got lucky to be there. It’s who ya know. Yesterday morning was a mountain bike ride at Riverside Camp, they have a cool little store with great sunglasses and shirts. Nice week of pruning and landscaping on Spring River lined up. Rebel Tree Care. We are needed.

Shout out to Don Hertzog of North Carolina. Let’s shoot some baskets sometime.

Sweet morning on Spring River. I pruned two tall red oaks over a house. I did it, I do all the climbing and pruning for Rebel Tree Care, I don’t just hire some journeyman ex-utility trimmer and turn him loose like so many other tree services. For sixteen years I’ve been proper pruning—then hitting the river. I also had to do some wading, scratch that, swimming to get a big driftwood log dislodged and cut up. I don’t mind that at all. Tomorrow it’s high falls to Indian falls, a crawfish boil with my boys Road Kill featuring the iron man of Beale Street, Gerry Moss.

BobWhite Quail call. Nice morning on Spring River. Red oaks are declining. Root zones need protection. Hello. Root Zones need protection. Run off can be controlled at the same time. It all ties together. My river needs help. Tiers and raised beds will help. This is on the docket for next week. Also pruning many many trees. Think I’ll head to Spring River Oaks this afternoon. Visit all the good folks there. My mother, niece, the Nunns formerly of Memphis, and Pulliams of Florida. Check me out. Peace.

Nice float on Spring River near Hardy today. Bass, BlueGill, Gar, and Skipjack Shad provided sport. High falls rushing, sun pounding. We started on a sour note, I ran out of gas near Many Islands, and when I asked to buy a few gallons, he proceeded to harangue and threaten me. Shocked, I kept a calm head and explained that I wasn’t aware I had violated their rules, that I had used the camp several times last year, okayed each time by management, paying fees and such. He kept talking to me like I was a dog, told me not to come back, to buy my own land to run my canoe business, and not to steal his business.(It was one boat. Many Islands rents thousands of boats a week to the tune of several million dollars. Maybe this twisted asshole has heard of my involvement with Save Our Spring river, a group he probably despises. Maybe he reads this journal, my own personal journal, and seethes when he realizes his trees are falling down around campers in tents because they have been abused and neglected for years. Maybe his ears burn when I talk about stopping erosion on river banks, or getting logs out that may become battering rams during flood.) I grew up there, I remember the man as a young man, way back when I thought he was tall, I don’t know if he remembers me or not, or even my dad Bo Williams, who he must’ve spent many an evening speaking with. I used to gather up lost Many Islands paddles and take them back there just to be nice, those days are over. Maybe he thinks I was responsible for The Army Corps of Engineers making him raise a little bridge so canoers could take the reasonable route and not be forced into boulder hell. He probably thought that was funny. Maybe he felt shame for all the glass bottles his camp has released into the river for decades, maybe he feels trapped with a thousand aluminum canoes he can’t sell because noone wants them, they dirty rivers needlessly. He told me not to get on his bad side, so don’t tell anyone I’m writing this. He influences Fulton county, where bogus conservation organizations hold secret meetings and destroy corporate minutes and change names over and over to disguise self serving ways to pollute and control. Redneck city. Shame on you, I’m just a guy that ran out of gas. Spring River is endangered, and Many Islands has a stranglehold on it. When a reporter asked if canoe rentals could do more to clean up the river, he became enraged, “don’t get too happy with your typing or your reporting.” He never explained the comment fully, stating, “you know what I mean.”

I guess that meant he can talk to other folks like dogs. Treat small timers like criminals. “You’re about to get on my bad side,” I believe he said to me, I take that as a threat. For picking up a friend? Or running out of gas? you will address me with respect if we ever speak again. You are a greedy, arrogant man, wrong for Spring River, wrong for the planet, just wrong. Play some Frisbee

All righty then. Nice big job completed successfully. No damage to the house, lot’s of chips to mulch my trees with. Other than a wasp attack disrupting things for awhile, both Joey and Candi got stung, things went really smooth. Lunch at Price Chopper, a favorite in Hardy, a pit stop at Madison’s auto parts. My father ran Berry’s auto parts for forty years, Bo Williams was on the job for folks in Hardy in five decades. A well respected man, I can only hope that when all the chips are down, no pun intended, I will garner the kind of respect he did.

Today it was two hickories over the roof, three pines over the roof, two post oaks over the roof, and two cedars over the roof. Rebel Tree Care—insurance certificate. Proper pruning—codes and standards. Serious business.

Sigh. All quiet now. Marathon day yesterday I’ll call the Rio 50k. We rode mountain bikes many miles, from Hardy to Cherokee village via the low water bridge at Griffin road, then up nine mile ridge down White Horse Mountain into spring River Valley, across Spring River, then a torturous trek up several monster hills, with the resulting exultant downhill each time, to Many Islands then on to a place know by old timers as Needle’s Eye.

Catching rush hour in canoe, kayak, and raft traffic, we got into the swift water around the Saddler Falls area immediately, stopped at Howard’s Hard Rock where every other boater suffered wipeouts, abandoning ship to watch the empty boat bang and flip on down current. I took some water on, but got it out with a sponge.

Once through the Many Islands area, it was flat water paddling, but after the grueling bike trip, my journey partners easily kept up with me and Geezer. Geezer fell out on Rio Vista falls!

Then it was off to Beale Street in Memphis Tennessee. My boys Gerry Moss, Kale Riley, and Sonny Campbell welcomed special guest Mike Gray for an awesome show of dueling blues. Allman Brothers and such were covered with mastery and ingenuity, Mike’s originals rang true, Lauren moaned and contorted in unison. Even though the night was cut short around midnight by a gentle rain, leaving us wanting, still the day and night were an incredible experience.

Light rain falls. Still wet from saddler falls. I trimmed several box elder, cherry, persimmon, Bradford pear, elm, redbud, gum, maple, etc. Joey cleaned it up. This mountain bike trip tomorrow is a real challenge. We usually Stop at Taylor’s camp, but this year we’re going on to Many Islands and Needle’s eye. Quite a series of climbs and descents. Some of the downhills are wack, none of the climbs are too daunting. Then it’s canoe back to Hardy, and I’m off to Memphis for Road Kill featuring Gerry Moss with special guest Mike Gray. This will be on Silky Sullivan’s patio around nine to one. Next week lot’s of good Rebel Tree Care lined up in Hardy and Highland. This is what I do ya’ll, for sixteen years, I’ve been the best tree trimmer around. Period. Certified methods, certified codes and standards. Common sense. Don’t even scoff or try to tell me these huge differences are unimportant. Any fool can see the storm damage done by cracks and rot caused by man’s abuse. A student of tree biology sees real world data as he climbs, grasps, cuts, dissects, examines, estimates, chips, rakes, splits, handles, loads, unloads…

Ever count the rings of a tree to determine it’s age? That is a good starting point for learning the history of the plant. You can tell dry years, when the surrounding area was cleared, when forest fires burned…etc. Cutting other parts of the tree tell stories of improper pruning, dead stubs and the resulting columns of rot and cracks. Dr Alex Shigo spent decades cutting samples of trees longways, or against the grain, and photographed his findings to publish a book entitled A New Tree Biology. This book was instrumental in getting Standards for the tree industry. I’ve read this book three times. The standards were not adopted until 1993, I’ve been applying them since 1989. Many “professionals refuse to comply, many landowners arrogantly ignore them.

We are simply stewards of our land. Tree should outlive us. We should leave a legacy of healthy trees and clean water. Proper Tree care can do much. Rebelriver.com

Mercifully cool day on Spring River. Four Walnut trees better off. Codes and Standards. Important. Really. Mulch. Vital. Rethink your landscape. Lawns are on the way out. The most easily preventable source of gas consumption and air pollution. Noise pollution. Mulching not only adds feature and value to your property, it provides numerous benefits to tree roots, you know, those things that hold the tree up, keep storms from blowing the dangerous, heavy woody vegetation onto your person or house or car, shed, hot tub, boat, fence, or driveway? Organic mulch provides nutrients for tree roots, cools or moderates temperatures, creating humus conditions, saves water far longer than lawns, lawns provide nothing for tree roots, hold and conserve no water, return no nutrients to the soil, mulch needs approximately five percent of the maintenance as lawn, mulch slows runoff, filtering storm water, lawns increase runoff, adding chemical pollution, filtering nothing. Mulch needs no mowing, little maintenance other than occasional pruning of the feature tree. Trees provide shade. Hello. Shade.

Rough day on Southfork River. Vista pruning is never easy, steep bluffs, vines, and loose slopes make for sweaty work. Getting brush to the chipper is impossible at times. Decisions as to removals and delicate river bank situations do not always please the homeowner, who often just want a better view. If they watch the process, they understand how difficult the work is, if not, a great view awaits them! (Rebel Tree Care—services offered.)

I trimmed cedar, maple, sycamore, oak, walnut, pawpaw, redbud, probably lot’s more. Joey dragged and grunted this hot day. I may have him some help lined up, Candy may join us, she’s a shot in the arm for sweaty guys. A lump of pure protein, Candy is. Good help.

I often use pieces of log as landscaping timbers, to slow runoff, forcing storm water to meander or trickle as opposed to eroding and polluting. Chips placed well can also filter and slow runoff. Riparian or buffer zones are important, I will not denude them to excess. Clumps can be thinned, lower or midsection branches can be pruned. All it takes is a little care. Rebel Tree Care.

Hot day in Cherokee Village. I pruned 5 maples, a purple plum, two dogwoods, two crepe myrtles. You get the picture—Rebel Tree Care—services offered. Codes and Standards, the difference is huge. The difference is important.

Get ready for the third annual Trail of Tears mountain bike challenge Saturday June 11. We’ll start in Hardy, climb some cedar bluffs, tough stuff, crossover into Cherokee Village, down nine mile ridge, over Spring River then canoe back to Hardy. Then we’ll hit Beale Street, Silky Sullivan’s will sport my boys Road Kill, featuring special guest Mike Gray. Big day.

Thunder rumbles, intense lightning flashes. Will this be the night the drought breaks? It hasn’t rained in a month and a half. And as it happens I haven’t been dancing much. Tommorow it’s selective clearing on Southfork River. Rain or shine. Get ‘er done, ya’ll.

Awesome day on Spring River. Mammoth Spring to Hardy. Trouts and bass providing sport, also blue gill and gar. Kingfishers jousted, I caught a baby pond slider turtle, then let him go. Nice evening at Riverside Resort Saturday. I jammed some Erosion for cool folks, acoustic campfire stuff, all original.

Pancho and Dru saved my ass on the trailer repair. Sturdy and sound, my orange chipper trailer is ready for battle. We’ve got tough take downs tomorrow on Southfork river, then across to Nokonda drive for good pruning Tuesday, Thursday and Friday is a large pruning job on Spring River. Rebel Tree Care. Gotta go cook trouts.

Rough day on my equipment. The tongue of my trailer buckled way out in Saddle. After a productive morning trimming cypress, cedar, crepe myrtle, apple, pear, peach, pecan, maple, catalpa, mulberry, etc. Removing dying poplars(recurring theme lately, the drought is wilting them I figure), even spraying diazinon. Joey cleaned it up. Then I bottomed out on a low water bridge and buckled the trailer. That trailer is my life. I’ve taken it to Memphis dozens of times, I’m all over it every day. My chipper mounts inside it, a gear box holds all ropes and saws, my big ladders crown the curved top. I can back the chipper off and use the space for wood or chips, usually both, or keep the chipper mounted and shoot chips into the truck. I can work from a van, or unhook, and set up a day camp for a massive amount of work. Anyway, my heart was in my throat watching that tow truck guy take her down the highway, and some welder friends are having a go at her tomorrow. I can still work, like the old days, loading equipment into the back of the truck and such. Tomorrow it’s a big cedar in Cherokee Village, then landscaping in Ash Flat. Look for me at Riverside camp Saturday. Yo Ya’ll let’s git ‘er done!

Boots back on. This morning was a hairy, shaky removal of a large dead hickory over a house in Cherokee Village, I caught a break and didn’t damage anything. Then it was landscaping, sweaty work, but not worrisome and dangerous. Tomorrow it’s over to Hardy, a row of Lombardy Poplars are declining, ready to be reduced to chips and recycled. Pollen is thick, poison Ivy and Virginia creeper seem to be taking over the planet, like one of those fifties horror flicks. Geezer sure is glad to be home, he hasn’t moved from his cool little dig hole under the shed all morning. BobWhite Quail call in hay fields, other birds chip and chirp back and forth. All is well.

It’s over. The devastation that was memorial day weekend has climaxed. Saddler falls roar relentless. Red Winged blackbirds sing. One guy camped nearby went off to Missouri and got stabbed. Trooper woke us up yesterday. Feasting on Rainbow trout and hot dogs, we are gloated with sun and song. I saw Darby and Colby! Colby had a squirt gun, but Darby was a little angel. Tammy takes this huge ass tackle box and I keep telling her you only need something the size of a deck of cards, but she’s like no. Like she needs forty plugs and three hundred rubber worms, and yo-yo rigs and bobbers. All you need is a few extra leaders, sinkers, hooks, baits, and new rooster tails, smallest white are best. Wallet size. She doesn’t get how I’ve tweaked this system over the years, easiest for traveling over rapids, and securing potential litter(rebelriver adventures—mission statement)

Quiet morning here at Saddler. Need to snag some trouts for breakfast. Here under honey locust, box elder and elm I’m less than one hundred feet from the falls. Birds chirp, I don’t know what kind. Tent campers will start emerging and staggering to bathrooms or thickets. Dam three is already bustling I bet, workers stacking canoes and readying paddles and life jackets. Should be another crazy day, me Tami and Geezer are headed upstream to intercept my niece and nephew, then accompany them some of their journey back to Spring ‘river Oaks. Hungry. Need trouts.

Dusk at Saddler. Nuff said. Dusty roads, traffic vbacked up, crazies beggin’ rides. Hit the tracks, start walkin’. How far to Mini Islands? Where do we put out? You see it all here on the big Saturdays, I saw more than one titty today. I think me and Tami wanna watch a DVD here in the van. Erosion needed. I ain’t that great but I rock. Can’t see the sunset, I’m facing east, cool breezes waft off the falls. Geezer got beat up by a dalmation, he’s pissy. Tami saved a guys life kind of, she was the first responder, I think he was just hammered, but had a nasty welt. Bead girl got a ride, her friends finally scored a ride. Seemingly thousands of canoers capsized and partied here, people packed the rocks and banks of the area. No glass bottles.Rebelriver.com

Good Ozark day trimming elder, bur oak, sassafras, maple, cherry, walnut, and pawpaw. Now I am done. The birds on Southfork river are so plentiful and varied: pileated woodpecker, downy, hairy, red bellied, red headed woodpeckers, black capped chickadee, titmouse, eastern peewee, white breasted nuthatch, cat bird, cardinal, blue jay, Lousiana water thrush, wren, goldfinch, indigo bunting, scarlet tanager, and that’s just today as I worked! Also crows and turkey vultures(better known as buzzards, I hate seeing those when I’m climbing).

Tonight it’s Slick Rock, Bodagus is a band I really like, this will be fun. Then a group from Memphis wants to hit Spring River Saturday, I am so ready. Sunday it’s upper Spring also, Howard’s Hard Rock, my nieces and nephews are rafting to Spring River Oaks, I plan to harass them much of the trip. Sunday it’s Walleye Volleyball south of Hardy, High falls to Rock Creek.(Bartlett’s). I’ll try to update you, but may not get settled until Monday night late. All is incredibly well, I’m not underwhelmed!

Whoah! Tami is putting cold ass lotion on my backside. I’m tired, I trimmed a huge white poplar, three pecans, a hybrid poplar and three Bradford pears today. Then I went to a birthday party, and played PIG with Mike and Garret. Guess what. The birthday party was mine! Mom made my favorite meal, hamburger cornbake, seven layer salad, Garret brought ribs, I got presents, and now the message. Life doesn’t suck.

We play PIG, a shorter version of the basketball game horse. I make up names for all my shots, regular readers may recognize some, the burnout, the love shack, pippen ain’t easy, legalize kemp, the rainbow child, drano, left handed hookers. Shake and bake yoyo, sweet swisher, board of life, etc. Mike won.

Tommorow it’s a box elder on Southfork river. Also chinkapin oak and ornamental cherries. Then I reckon it’s time for saddler falls and spring river oaks. The season officially begins this weekend, I’m not booked for group canoes trips, but that’s all the better. Time for personal quality time, selfish, indulgent me time. caio

Tiny pots for tiny cedars occupied Cherokee and Demos long chill days. When a low flat ice berg appeared, thousands of black and white penguins milled, honking and diving by throngs. Sarah called to them comicly, imitating sounds, waddles, and dances. Idly the ice berg spun. Cro shouted moon lit night “ice berg! Two more!” Careful progress and chill winds brought many below, where Lap fired kiln to bake pottery, crew squatted quiet to shape seedling pots, etching tiny drain holes and inscribing marks or symbols of heritage and clan. Demos directed, “roots will break the pots when acclimated. These tiny green bits will reforest bald knobs, reshaped rocky hillocks, bring cooling shade and deep green hue to cliffs. Our legacy will grow many centuries to proclaim our wisdom.”

Penguins lined rims of ice berg to stand at attention in formal dress. Muttering and murmurings gave way to excited din as Sarah sang:

Hot sunny day on Lake Thunderbird. Planting and trimming, redbud, juniper, crepe myrtle, barberry, boxwood etc. Ripping poison ivy vines made me have to plunge(darn) five times, and I had to dry out on a beach recliner each time. Swimming and floating are nice ways to take breaks. I was enjoying myself, by myself, with a helper I have to bear down and keep them busy so I don’t get beat up labor cost. My new helper is a Highland football player, drug free and strong as an ox, Joey starts tomorrow. Those largemouth bass sure looked good swimming just out of reach, twelve rainbow trout fed us well last night. The Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons are squaring off, shout out to Loujo’s deli.

Good morning from Saddler Falls. Campers and natives stir in gardens or around tents. The falls roar and bubble always. For the third day in a row I will swim these rapids. Gentle thunderstorms throughout the night kept roofs pattering. Geezer got wet! Did I mention I worked yesterday, dismantling a massive dead elm in a deck, and landscaping mulch shapes at river’s edge. Not to mention the Erosion concert. My fingers are sore. I played hard. I work hard, I play hard. RebelRiver.com. Tomorrow it’s back to Lake Thunderbird, planting redbud, azalea, and juniper(rebel tree care—services offered). Hillbillies are shooting snakes, and I hear an occasional war whoop. Things are revving back up. The sun is out, inner tubes and rafts will start shooting the rapids, then canoers and kayakers will string through, parking in back swirls to enjoy the music for awhile. A few guys will swing beads, looking to see titties. Litter and loose life jackets, fishing poles and coolers will sweep down in chaos, most will eventually find owners. My buddy found an eighty dollar fishing rig, never used. Nice t-shirts and flip flops, sunglasses, even the occasional diamond ring. You wonder whether the ring slipped off accidentally, or was flung in disgust by an irate wife whose husband handled the current poorly. Spring river will test a relationship. Rebel River Adventures can ease that strain with sound technique and preparedness (canoe primer.)

White water swimming at Saddler falls. Same as yesterday. Awesome, incredible rush here at Saddler. I call this series of rapids the crunchers to scare people needlessly. Erosion rocked the deck, I bet fifty or a hundred people heard me today. Tami, me and Howard are listening to the Cardinal game and watching desperate housewives. Spring river roars just outside. Rebel River Adventures—Swimming Statement. I dig thrashing the rapids, then using the backcurrent to float easily back, then attack the current from a different angle, or swimming downstream really fast for a moment, it helps to know where the rocks are.

HELP WANTED. MUST SHOW UP ON TIME, MUST NOT ARGUE WHEN A LITTLE TIRED, MUST NOT BE A HYPOCRITE THAT THINKS TWO WEEKS OF TREE WORK QUALIFIES YOU TO DISRESPECT A MAN THAT’S GOT THE JOB DONE THOUSANDS OF TIMES OVER A SIXTEEN YEAR PERIOD. NO DRINKERS. NO PILL POPPERS. NO CRACKHEADS. Must show up on time for four days in a row to qualify for extra pay and benenfits. Only one helper has done this since 2001, Sweet Candy, call me!

Another one bites the dust. I finished the week with breakdowns, mechanical and physical, lost a friend. But Rebel Tree Care is strong because I am strong. I am a strong man, I alone know the way. I alone will carry the flame. Maybe good old Geezer.

Next week I pick up again, good landscaping and trimming in Cherokee Village and Hardy. Who will assist me? Maybe Craig Dunbar will. Or Tami’s son Joey. I’m gonna hit the river and do some soul searching. Only I know the secret of perpetual cleansing, only I float beneath sycamore and willow never weeping. See ya Monday.

Peace out. I mean yo. Productive day in Cherokee Village. We landscaped the morning away on Spring River Drive, then moved over a block to Many Moons or one of those, Akokisa, pruning red oak, white oak, Black Jack oak, and cedar, producing chips again by the truckload. Yesterday we stopped and gave them to a couple working on an adopt a corner on East Lakeshore. We went by them today with another load, they were almost done moving quite a pile. I sell them for twenty bucks a truckload, Thirty or forty if I’m backlogged. The Orchid Lady keeps a standing order, Her and Robb know the value of this mixed mulch. I won’t get into the list of benefits here. I saw Ruth Reynolds today, busily recycling. What a person. I think she’ll like my link for clean water. Tommorow it’s Hardy, pruning maple, cherry, oak, then Thursday back to Lake Thunderbird, pruning several red oaks and a persimmon. Friday it’s landscaping by ALCO here in Highland, then I’ll be ready for a few afternoons on the River. All is well.

Good day pruning in Cherokee Village. We started on Lake Thunderbird, ten or twelve oaks, red and white, a redbud, Five hollies, a sycamore, even a Japanese Maple. The oaks were just suckers, it was a small job. Then it was over to the Townhouses, landscaping for an individual, combining that with a pruning and removal job for the town house association. I do most of their tree work, occasionally losing out to nonstandard work. What can you do? I put in writing that all my work is done to ANSI standard. Rebel Tree Care—the difference is huge.

Awesome day on Spring River. I guided a group from Little Rock on upper Spring. Quite a party. Sapped from sun, ready to get back in the trees. Need to strap my boots on, the week is booked full. Rebel Tree Care—the difference is huge.

Here I am with Darby. She reads my journal and wanted to see how I do this. We went for a monster bike ride to the playground, poor Colby couldn’t keep up barely. We went for a high speed romp in Garret’s bass boat, I took Geezer canoing, we turned over in the swimming area chasing Colby and Darby. Cranfield recreation area. Beautiful serene Lake Norfork. We stayed at Wilderness Point and Robinson point when I was a kid, lotsa good memories. I got my sister Debby a Japanese dagger for her birthday. Sunday it’s Mammoth Spring to Saddler Falls, a group from Little Rock.

Darby and Colby are the sweetest little girls ever. Which is cool cause they just happen to be my great nieces! Their mother Allison is quite a niece, poised and assertive, beauty queen and valedictorian. Loving wife and mother.

So the Indian Pacers stole another game from Detroit. I still think the Pistons will win the series. Ben Wallace will will them to the conference final against Miami. Ricky Hamilton is awesome, Rasheed Wallace is a chump. Looks like storms rolling in tonight. I’ll sleep well here in the old van. Rain taps the roof now, suddenly picking up tempo, consistent crescendo settles, then fades, renews, slowly fades, almost stops. Green lit speed boat cuts across dark placid bay.

Back to Hardy. Two day job in East Memphis thankfully shady. I pruned pine, mulberry, linden, redbud, magnolia, and willow oaks(3), also a live oak, apple and probably more, removed pine, and Bradford pear, Bradford pears must be pruned properly when young to remain an asset(rebel tree care—services offered).

Beale street roared with a thousand Harleys last night. Rum boogie sported the James Govan Band and a friendly, hot waitress. Cozymel’s had incredible burritos and margaritas. Memphis, you make me feel all funny, the parting was bittersweet. Mike was sure glad to see his horses and dog, Spring River awaits.

Two elms, maple, 2 crepe myrtle, one holly, six cedar. Nuff said. Tough day in Cordova Tennesssee. Will I scream at Stage Stop tonight? I don’t know. I’m afraid Rebel Tree Care might suffer. Starting a two day job tomorrow, need to focus on quality. A good Arborist keeps sharp tools and strives for perfect cuts complying with ANSI standard, or in keeping with the Code of Defense in Trees(CODIT) When you make literally hundreds of cuts in a day, absolute perfection is not realistic. We as professionals should strive for ninety nine percent.

Stage Stop goes so late, and singing is such a rush I’m up all night just rushing. And sometimes they don’t even start till after eleven. Wednesday is better, they start earlier, and they go to eleven. And it’s acoustic, not as intense. I have my alvarez electric bass and my Player acoustic flattop bass. Hey, it’s made in Korea, and you that’s a blues hotbed.

Mike watches storm stories non stop. He’s Indian, but wears spurs like a true cowboy. Old logger, a hell of a worker. But he’s got a bottle of Pina Colada tonight. Mike (McCormick) shoots pool, Stage Stop has decent tables, and sometimes free pool.

Tired. Started the day late morning in Cherokee village, two dead trees frankly I was worried about. Huge or leaning, take your choice, both very dead. Then it was over to Jonesboro, Arkansas, large sycamore by a house, and a maple, I didn’t recommend removal on either, but the lady is like ninety, what can you do? I gave her two weeks to reconsider. Here in Memphis, things are set for the week, Geezer got playita Mexicana for supper, and Stage Stop awaits. All is well. Come the Cyclops. Chaio.

Another awesome afternoon on Strawberry River. I saw Pileated woodpeckers, killdeer and plover, kingfishers, crows, blue herons, swallows, and swifts, mourning dove, buzzards, cardinals, blue jays, probably more. Dragonflies sported bright white fuselages, butterflies sashes of neon blue. A mussel was dragging itself through a backwater, I buried it up in some riffles of fresh water. Cows had been in the water, a no-no ranchers. Strawberry skies forever. Peace.

Whew! dropped a huge red oak between two houses today(Rebel Tree Care--insurance certificate). And went canoeing on Strawberry river! Big time nature. I did it yesterday too. Earlier in the week I mountain biked Alexander. Forgot my hydrapak again, almost got too far gone. Check out this picture of a cottonmouth water moccasin considering killing me. Leeches and banjos.

This scared the hell out of me, look at that snake. I was wishing Geezer was there. I got the hell out of the area. Yesterday Turkey’s landed in trees above me, and a dead cow bloated broken at the water line. Rebel River Adventures. Look at the snake, see his fat body? See his white throat poised? I’ve been all over the rivers and you don’t catch a cottonmouth out in day like that very often. Shit

Yo. On the banks of Spring River I climbed three red oaks, operating at eighty feet or more. It was psycho circus time over a sky light. The things I do to save a Japanese maple, air conditioning unit, gas tank, deck, glass tables(a favorite), electric wires, dogwoods, etc. I’m either crazy or good. Maybe both, Rio Vista falls felt good, smelled good, sounded good, like mother’s milk, like home. The first twelve years of my life were spent a couple of hundred yards away in Hickory Park. Many memories. When I was twelve I could canoe from Mammoth Spring to Hardy in Four hours or less. I could ride my ten speed all around Cherokee Village and back to Hardy. One time in the canoe race these two little guys from Tahlequah Oklahoma were my and Roth’s only competition, I had a pretty girlfriend, one that I kissed, and confidently pronounced that the two scrawny, dark kids not much competition. They were Cherokee Indian, and apparently born in canoes, and beat us so bad it was comical. By the first bend they were out of sight, we never saw them at the finish line, they were probably half way to Oklahoma. Embarassing, but around that time I jacked a homer in the little league district tournament from the lead off position. I made a diving catch, and had these red spikes, canvas, but unique, kids were following in the parking lot, I was cool.

I think I have discovered an Indian Burial site. It has a water spider motif engraved in it, a perfectly vertical stone, and other arranged stones around it. I think Cherokees in canoes on the trail of tears came here as suspected by many for years and this proves it. Look at this logically, noone disputes that one route of the trail of tears(Benge’s) came through Smithville, Arkansas from Cape Giraurdo Missouri. It is even common knowledge that the group splintered before reaching Batesville. Now, everyone assumes that the trail of tears was a land march, but I think that’s a stretch, especially from Missouri. At Trail of Tears state park near Cape Girardo Indian Creek meets the Mississippi River. If you trace Indian Creek as far west as possible, during high water, which there was during the winter of 1838, Ice floes hindered passage from Kentucky and Illinois, so Indian Creek must have been swollen. At Poplar Bluff Missouri, not far from the western limit of Indian Creek is the beginning of Black River. Black River flows west to the Black Rock Smithville area in Arkansas, up Spring River would keep a canoer moving west, with dead accumulating(as was the case) the hills of Hardy up a creek would be a fine place to bury loved ones before moving on to Oklahoma. The water spider clan of Alabama should take note.

Beale Street rings out, classic blues wafts about side alleys and parking lots. Billy Idol has a new album out, Black Crows are the coolest vibe in Party Rock. Tesla is my favorite band of all time, it was cool to see them again. Divers down, big ass beers, ribs, the whole deal. I played blues with my bass at the Elvis Presley statue today. We had lawn chairs and Geezer in the thick of things. My homeys are at the Grizzly Suns game, I can see the Fed Ex forum now. The sun went down on Beale, perfectly framed between Blues City and B.B. King’s. Randy and Joe beat the drum as doormen for Blues City Café, thanks for the bathroom. Howard and Silky held court. Cale’s father (Erosion-live music roster) Billy Lee Riley took the stage this afternoon, we heard Jerry Lee Lewis, the Spin Doctors and Little Feat. Many others, too, mud cakes my hiking boots. Tami is asleep beside me, Geezer happy on the dash. Lot’s of good Rebel Tree Care lined up for next week here in Memphis. Cool Now.

Rain. Heavy and persistent. Thunder. Infrequent rumblings roll and boom. A dog barks in Peru at the exact same moment a Philadelphia housewife drops her spoon. Coincidence? Shout out to Evie and Don across the holler in Cherokee Village. Missed my Rueben Wednesday. Worked over toward Horseshoe Bend, eight large farm field trees, six big post oaks, a red oak, a red gum and a hackberry. Good solid deal for the homeowner, good solid work period. Rebel Tree Care—consistent.

Massive red oak reduced to chips and logs. Tomorrow it’s eight large farm trees out in the boonies. Quick trims, wrong time of year for comprehensive pruning. Goldfinches have invaded, bright yellow birds hopping about mulch beds. Cardinals, crows, blue jays, mourning doves, and bob white quail. We live in an amazing, beautiful natural world. Like when Kung Fu asked his master, “how did you hear the insect?” or whatever and the master says, “how can you not?”

Strawberry skies completed successfully! Killer horse ride on Big Creek. Top it off with Thirty2Life at Salem Moose, just call it my own personal little earth day. Looks like storm damage in Cordova, Tennessee Monday. Looks like I’ll stay a week. Tesla and the Black Crows would cancel if I didn’t show up. Wish I had my IPass ready so I could post from Memphis. Heard a strange rumor the Stage Stop was going country, or is that a sick joke?

Thunder rolls and rumbles. Planted some giant hosta under oak trees. Plenty of mulch in a shield shape. Symbolic of protection. Rebel Tree Care—Services offered. Getting ready for Strawberry Skies. Strawberry river awaits, full of promise, a serpentine trail of nature and man. Whatever. Book a canoe now. Get ‘er done.

Yo. Out in the boonies. A red oak in decline needed a little help. That is a continuing theme. Red oaks are declining all around. This doesn’t mean they can’t be productive, proper pruning and mulch can often halt or reverse the decline. They should be pruned and mulched before stress becomes strain. Some people say they care, but won’t mulch. Some people say they want to save money, then shell out big bucks for injections that rarely work. Mulch the root zone. Ninety nine percent of the time this recommendation is ignored. People just don’t believe it is needed. They prefer battling a lawn than living in harmony with nature, graceful shapes accenting and protecting. Root Zone—look into it. Rebel Tree Care—services offered.

Strawberry Skies coming up this weekend. Book your canoe now.Rebel River Adventures.

Back to work. A red oak tree had been hit by lightning. Once again on the banks of Southfork river my saw and chipper woke ‘em up. It felt good to get those boots on, good to scramble around on the tree, good to pull branches up the slope, good leaning on the feed bar watching fine landscaping chips accumulate in an eroded area of yard. This is what I do ya’ll for sixteen years, using certified methods. The others claim to care for the tree and what not, and some will agree with me that spiking live trees and topping are bad, but they do not delve further into codes and standards, and they often are guilty of building their businesses with malpractice. Look into the work history of a tree service, often they were using spikes to prune as recently as 2003. What does this mean? It mean that while I was trimming a thousand trees or more and running tree crews using certified methods since the eighties, most tree services were using climbing spikes or topping and stubbing, not to mention many other less obvious malpractices. For many years they use discredited methods, then suddenly claim these methods are a rip off. These tree services are not qualified to use certified methods, because they simply have never done so. Rebel Tree Care, ethical, informed, consistent.

Bright warm morning here in Highland. Got some more cleanup to do before strapping on my boots tomorrow and tackling a dead red oak. All is well after the catharsis that was Slick Rock Blue Collar Rock. I won’t end up making much money, attendance was lower than hoped. Each night peaked at around two hundred. Like I told the bands, you came a long way, you found it despite my map, you delivered a professional show, I wish I could pay more. Mike Gray did the sound for every band but his own, he recruited RAZER drummer Terry (Dizzy) Dees for that. Mike’s drummer John Brown was there every step of the way, and my buddy from Little Rock Bryan Martin of PMP studio.

Saturday RYAN started us off with a nice acoustic set, then VISIONTONGUE kicked it again, the hard stuff was beginning. DARK EMBRACE grips the stage like an iron eagle, spewing intensity with quickness and agility. THIRTY2LIFE was loose and loud, a solid, professional metal band. THE HYPE was fun, punchier and poppier, still cool though. FAST MOTHERS blew me away! Special thanks to Dave at Vexar entertainment group in Memphis Tennessee. He helped get us through some last minute snags, and the Mothers rocked it out. They were all on vacation here anyway with a bunch of friends, the whole group was a lot of fun. FIREBOX’s lead guitarist skipped out in a tizzy just before they were set to play, so they snatched up Thirty2Life’s lead guitarist and did an incredible show! Catt, Mathew, Charmane, cool band. Then it was MIKE GRAY’s turn, and he delivered(as always!) He did an hour or so of originals, sprinkled MOLLY HATCHETT’s Dreams in for good measure. I was busy finding footage to play behind him, remembering I had some footage from Friday night I cued it up, some nice stage shots of Dark Embrace bouncing around Friday actually played well.

Awesome day on SouthFork river. We floated out of Slick Rock toward Hardy around noon. Serenity engulfed me like an overinflated tire with a slow leak. Blue Herons, cardinals, wrens, and warblers, crows, even a peacock. Turtles, rock bass, perch, red horse suckers, darters, even a beaver the size of a fat pig. We zigged and zagged, Tami in her red bikini, me paddling back to help the group. At the North Golf Course we nearly had a problem. The golf cart path bars the river, and access around it is difficult and rough. We were having problems getting the group around, and eight ******* golfers teed off anyway, drilling tee shots just above our heads. This could be a problem, I mean a canoer could get hurt, and a golfer could get hurt. I will present the gold course director with an easy way to remedy this problem by smoothing some ramps and constructing a tiny wall to protect from errant tee shots. First I must get my voice back. I’m bad hoarse. Slick Rock Blue Collar Rock went off nicely. Music and sound first rate. I’m tan now! I’ll expand on this and thank people here in Journal the next few days. I’ve got a golf course director to see!

Awesome morning here at Slick Rock. The crazies are waking up and staggering around kind of like me(am I crazy) The catharthis that was day one of Slick Rock Blue Collar Rock is in the books. Panadox went well, though live zooms with my old eighties equipment failed a couple of times, I was able to borrow a camcorder and run my white water and stuff to keep something on the screen most of the time. FIREBOX opened the show for us, working out bugs in the sound. Opening is a tough gig, tonight they’ll have a smoother slot. VisionTongue rocked out, a crowd was forming by then, and they really set the groove, then Thirty2Life absolutely got ‘em rocking for Further Down, a borderline big time act. Dark Embrace probably scared a few locals down river, but they are a powerhouse, but it was around one by then, and the camp was getting nervous about the loudness at this hour, So Fast Mothers said they’d just save it up for Saturday.

Need a swim. Wish Geezer was here. ‘Sall good though, Tami jammed to work early this morning

Best not work on Wednesday the thirteenth. Building a killer fire pit for Slick Rock Blue Collar Rock. I know how campers love a fire. The water is up, weather looks great. I wish Geezer could be there, but sorry all you people that would like to enjoy River nature with your animal friend, No pets allowed. Bring extra blankets, take advantage of the free camping. Blue Collar Rock, It’s just right.

Rain. Looks like it will clear out by the end of the week. We’re gonna have a good old fashioned bra burning, so ladies, get ready to liberate yourselves. Slick Rock Blue Collar Rock, it’s more than just the high point of most of our year. It’s more than just an incredi-jam on the river! It’s more than just a mountain bike/canoe trip. It’s more than an X-GAMES type white water knee board exhibition, more than Frisbee, hacky sack, and volleyball. It’s more than a music showcase with eleven original bands. It’s, you get it.

Killer sun on SouthFork river today. Tami and I fished, canoed, trespassed, and visited Richard and Pat Shephard. I’m joking about the tiny pumpkinseed bluegill and he launches a tirade about walleye the size of a table. He lives by high falls, where a man is a man, Audrey Barkley is hot, and mama shot the Mexicans down. Geezer can out swim a poodle with three legs. There is this cool log on high falls now, I can see a lot of people lounging on it. Orders for canoe trips next weekend are slow, right now only Sunday the Seventeenth is partially booked(maybe the fast mothers will go). RebelRiver Adventures, it’s not just an all consuming obsession, it’s a hobby.

Awesome! Yo this is a beautiful day. Everything is all good. Except Hollow Point can't make Slick Rock Blue Collar Rock. Maybe El Buho will expand his show. He and Mike have several options, also timing is given more flexibility, if some bands go over time or whatever. I’ve seen Mike play awhile, he has two full sets of originals, maybe three. I regret missing Throttle and Saber, hopefully we can do something May 14, Sonny and Brenda are getting married, I love them both. Bless ya kids.

I wanna do a show where if your name is Debby, you get in free. If you can prove your name is Debby you get in free. My sister is Debby, her birthday will be around Hoggin/Froggin at Spring River Valley. I need to throw Frisbee badly. Headed over to Tami’s. Caio.

Tired. Eyes hurt. Trimmed quite a few trees today, quick trims, all on the ground, deadwood and very light, dogwoods are blooming, redbuds still showing nice. Ten dogwood, two cedar, several hickory, several oak. I cleaned it up too, planting and mulching a redbud. Needed to rest my eyes. Just a little…

Getting a bon fire ready to torch at Slick Rock Blue Collar Rock. Got the porta potties. I’m thinking, each band member should be allowed a guest in free, am I right? I’ll talk to Danny but don’t count on it. We may have a tally of how large a paying entourage comes through the gate and take that into consideration on reckoning the final pay. I’m new to this ya’ll, but you can trust me, don’t break my ball sack too bad.

I invited Tesla, offering them a standard cut, and got an Email from them saying they were coming to my home town. They meant Memphis in May. Watch for FIREBOX to take over, this band has got it. Whatever it is, they have it. Further Down has quite a following. Hollow Point is out of Heber Springs, I haven’t heard them for two years, but really dug ‘em. Stiff and the chainsaw salute will ring the countryside. VisionTongue changes the mood a little, Thirty2Life is ballsy tough ass metal, they do a salute to Dimebag, Dark Embrace is quick like Pantera, Fast Mothers is hard blues, they headline my favorite bar in Memphis, The Stage Stop. Allusive is a young new band with a short set of hybrid rock, The Hype is a poppier sound but I’ve a feeling they can rock. Mike Gray delivers the goods, he will MC and close the show. Fusion Master El Buho will join the mix. Bring it people, get your taxes filed by Friday, remember, you can file, but “forget” to include a check, stalling payment many months. Your ten dollar admission fee to Slick Rock Blue Collar Rock can be tax deductible

This letter was published in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette on earth day 2005(friday april22)

With dismay I read of the topped willow oaks. This malpractice is against ANSI standard. While not law yet, this standard is used in courts of law for deciding litigation. Joe maintenance man is nearly always ignorant of such standards, considering the tree a nuisance. It is not hard work for a gang of men to top off a tree. Hard work is an arborist climbing the tree without the aid of climbing spikes, diligently striving to make proper pruning cuts. Sadly a high percentage of professional tree services use discredited methods to make quick money, the industry is rife with myth and fast talk.

How many times in sixteen years have I felt the same as Pete Rausch when beautiful trees are topped? Here in Hardy and Cherokee Village, as in many other places, this malpractice is rampant. A county judge should acquaint his or herself with these standards, codes, and guidelines when ordering public work done. Specifying in writing that all work is to be done to ANSI standard would eliminate many common problems and level the field for competing bids.

These standards are important. Storm work shows internal weakness caused by improper pruning often years or decades past. From massive shade trees to tiny landscaping plants, ANSI standards are crucial to saving the urban forest.

Alan Williams

Rebel Tree Care

Tami at sacred trail of tears site noone knows about.

View from the stone

See the water spider motif? This stone is absolutely vertical.

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