Thanks for the many kind words about my annual update. I will continue!
How was January this fast? So much going on, so much happening.
I have always heard time passes quicker as you get older, I am really starting to understand that. SO many good things happen so quickly, it's like you don't have enough time to enjoy them. I realized that today, the 7th of February Big Ron's Tree Service will have been officially incorporated for 17 years. You know how it is, 17 years of 60, 70 and 80 hour weeks and the next thing you know, you are an overnight success!! If the company was my kid I'd be terrified of college expenses! I didn't even know how little I knew about running a tree business and I jumped in with both feet. 17 years later I'm a certified arborist and have trained and educated five other arborists through their certification and three more of my people will be taking the arborist test in March.
Speaking of people, here is the fun part. We didn't start working until January 3rd this year, we wanted a three day weekend for us all. I came in to the office and was really happy and relaxed and was reading a lot of the emails from people commenting on the last update I had with clients and staff. At 9:40 am, first day of the work year I get a call from a lady who is furious. My estimator Colleen is not there and she has been waiting and we are incompetent and can't believe the unprofessional conduct and how can we make an appointment and not show up on time, I couldn't get a word in edgewise and literally had to hang up on her as her volume kept increasing. I called Colleen (my incredibly professional estimator) and we checked her schedule. She was scheduled to meet this lady at 9 am the next day. I called back, no apologies, no "oops" , just "well, tomorrow be on time!" The next day, one of my team that runs my stump grinder pulled me aside for a serious talk. He wants me to loan him $15,000, unsecured, so he can buy his own stump grinder and go in to business as my competition. I really didn't know what to say.. This one just stunned me. This is the best one I have never mentioned. A while back a new in town, experienced, military vet needs a job. I hire him, he is great for about two/three weeks. He came down with his lady and they are staying with her family. I'm paying well, but it's a biweekly check and he wanted to borrow money against his check for first, last and security deposit on a place. I'm a sucker, but smart enough to get him to sign a promissory note for this loan on a Friday (a week before he gets paid). He worked Monday and didnt show up the next three days. I get a call the next Friday (payday) from him asking me to send him his money. He didn't get an apartment and spent everything I loaned him on drugs and then left town. He has no fuel or gas money and is on the side of the road in Tennessee. I didn't even know he had officially quit. He demanded I send him all his money immediately. I sent him everything I owed him after the loan and he was furious "you can't do that, I don't have to pay you back, you have to pay me everything, I'm calling my lawyer" I started giggling and replied "well, you do that. you are the first homeless guy I've ever met with a lawyer on retainer, and I'd love to talk to him" He didn't think it was as funny as I did. I've never heard from him again.
Wings for Wishes, my favorite annual event is coming!
The make-a-wish foundation is an organization that exists solely to provide life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Every year the south Florida chapter puts together a really fun event for the whole family. It's coming up Saturday March 4th and we are proud to be sponsoring it for the third year. I bring my entire team and their families. It features local bands, chicken wings, craft beer, face painting, games for the kids, local restaurants offering free food, games for the kids, a hilarious amateur chicken wing eating competition that we are REALLY bad at, a professional chicken wing eating competition that is unreal and its just more fun than I can describe here. Please join us for a great time for a great cause!, check out this link and we will see you there. https://wingsforwishesmiami.com/
If you would like to donate to the the make a wish foundation, please follow the link below, they do good work! Even a couple of dollars would be appreciated.
http://site.wish.org/goto/BigRon23
Laurel Wilt in avocado trees
The Red Bay Ambrosia beetle is a tiny little boring insect that doesn't look like much, but it is having a devastating effect on several local tree species, most importantly the avocado tree. Trees get infested by just one or two of these little beetles that bore into the trunk and the laurel wilt virus spores that live on the body of the insect infects the tree.. These spores cause the Laurel wilt disease that quickly kills avocado trees. If you see an avocado tree that has a branch with dead leaves still hanging on the branch., PLEASE call me or another ISA certified arborist to see if the tree has laurel wilt. We all need to work together to slow the spread. I LOVE MY AVOCADOS and don't want to have to buy them all from the grocery store.
If you see laurel wilt, call me! 305-588-3091
for more information on Laurel wilt in avocados,
click here
