+thehoomer Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 (edited) 'If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?' Well we were around and it did. A long time coming but we walked to one of our (little done) caches today, to collect the pot and then archive the listing. We were walking through the wood and trees were creaking loudly in the high winds we have here today. Then we heard a different kind of creak, the sort of creak you hear as someone is shouting, 'Tiiiiiimmmmmmmberrrrrrr'. The mighty beast fell in stages as it got caught on surrounding trees but eventually came to rest a few feet from us, right across the path. Which way do you run when this is happening? We couldn't see which tree it was or indeed, which way it was going to fall, so we opted to stay put and its a good job we did. This has never happened to us before. I just wondered if anyone else had witnessed similar or had any other near misses whilst caching? Edited May 22, 2011 by thehoomer Quote Link to comment
+Unobtainium Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 Wow this had never happen to me, glad you're OK. You should go and buy a lottery ticket Quote Link to comment
+Boggin's Dad Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 I have seen this happen several times, I have usually got a chainsaw in my hands though. I suspected you needed some clean trousers! Perhaps it was a message not to archive your cache? Quote Link to comment
+thehoomer Posted May 22, 2011 Author Share Posted May 22, 2011 Thanks yes, we are fine but it was a bit freaky to watch. I did Google fallen trees, omens, good/bad luck but cant find anything about watching a tree bite the dust before your very eyes. Perhaps I will buy a lottery ticket this week, just in case. The tree was right next to the stream which runs through the wood, may be all the rain we've been having has undermined the root system. Quote Link to comment
+Hampk Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 Which way do you run when this is happening? The other way Glad you escaped unscathed..! Quote Link to comment
+HazelS Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Ooooh Becky... I'm so glad you're ok!!! I don't think it's an omen type thingy, but perhaps we can make one up? If a large tree falls at your feet you shall neer experience mud / DNF's / nettles / large rabid dogs / cattle / horses (delete as appropriate) again! Quote Link to comment
+MikeyG. Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Glad to hear you are OK. Our family had some wind issues (that didn't come out right), though not while geocaching. We were visiting Fountains Abbey and it turned out to be a really windy day. Our youngest son (6 yrs old at the time) nearly had a portable security gate fall on him while walking through the ruins. He was only a less than a meter away from being seriously hurt or even worse (hate to think about it). After notifying one of the staff we continued on our walk around the park. You could hear the old massive trees groaning with the amount of wind. When we made it to the other side of the site we were told to exit out to Studley Royal as there had been some large limbs falling down all over. And then there was a last month when we went camping at Shell Island. Our last night was something else with the wind. The adults didn't get much sleep that night. Though our sturdy Outwell tent survived the lashing winds, our cook tent and both our neighbor tents didn't do so well. Quote Link to comment
+thehoomer Posted May 23, 2011 Author Share Posted May 23, 2011 Ooooh Becky... I'm so glad you're ok!!! I don't think it's an omen type thingy, but perhaps we can make one up? If a large tree falls at your feet you shall neer experience mud / DNF's / nettles / large rabid dogs / cattle / horses (delete as appropriate) again! Ooooh yes, I like the sound of that. That will be as good as winning the lottery.....well almost. A bit off topic but just wanted to say.....you look F A B! ! ! ! ! ! ! Quote Link to comment
+HazelS Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 you look F A B! Ta Chuck... still a way to go, but thanks!! Quote Link to comment
+bones1 Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 Hi Beks, so glad you are all ok,i have often wondered about the possibility of that happening,you always think you would know which way to run. A few years ago Pat took a class of girls from her school to epping forest, they were walking on a path when just behind them a large tree fell down across the path they had just walked past,they all went back a few yards just to have a look, it also was a calm day so you never when it could happen. so its definatly a sign that your cache should stay in place and do try the lottery as you will kick yourself if your numbers came up and after all these hints,i will send my address in anticipation.patandjeff=bones1. Quote Link to comment
+thehoomer Posted May 24, 2011 Author Share Posted May 24, 2011 Hi Beks, so glad you are all ok,i have often wondered about the possibility of that happening,you always think you would know which way to run. A few years ago Pat took a class of girls from her school to epping forest, they were walking on a path when just behind them a large tree fell down across the path they had just walked past,they all went back a few yards just to have a look, it also was a calm day so you never when it could happen. so its definatly a sign that your cache should stay in place and do try the lottery as you will kick yourself if your numbers came up and after all these hints,i will send my address in anticipation.patandjeff=bones1. Cripes, that was a close call Jeff, that could've been so different. Yep, I procured a ticket for Wednesday, Euromills and Saturday, just in case the Lottery God has already decided which one we are going to win. I hereby announce to the Geocaching community that we will buy you all a bevvy if we have been granted the BIGGIE(Erm..... I might want to restrict that to a UK only offer). And Jeff, you and Pat can have a cherry in yours too . Quote Link to comment
+goldpot Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 The tree was right next to the stream which runs through the wood, may be all the rain we've been having has undermined the root system. Rain? What rain? In fact what is rain??? Quote Link to comment
+thehoomer Posted May 24, 2011 Author Share Posted May 24, 2011 The tree was right next to the stream which runs through the wood, may be all the rain we've been having has undermined the root system. Rain? What rain? In fact what is rain??? My Dad tells me it was some kind of moist droplet and several of them could fall onto you at once if you ran round a bit. He said we had it in the old'n days when everything was sepia. Quote Link to comment
stiab3 Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 If you were around then we still don't know if it makes a sound when no-one is around. Maybe it would and it wouldn't. . . both. Quote Link to comment
+drsolly Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 This has never happened to us before. I just wondered if anyone else had witnessed similar or had any other near misses whilst caching? Twice. The first time, I watched a big branch fall about 30 yards further along the track I was walking on. If I'd been walking a bit quicker ... The second time, it was raining and windy, and a medium sized branch broke off, fell onto a power line, fizz, bang, bounced off and hit the ground. I was on the other side of the road. We call this "Solly's Luck" Quote Link to comment
+dgwebster Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Rain? What rain? In fact what is rain??? We had rain during this wind as well and at one point we discovered it wasn't rain, it was just water. Rain insinuates water droplets, but there was nothing droplet sized with this. We were simply underwater for 5 minutes. Quote Link to comment
+Alfiegeorge Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 This happened to me on the final stage of the ironically named Dance of the Dead series. This should link straight to my log from 9th July 2010 Felt like a close call at the time. Quote Link to comment
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