[wingspar]

A very long time ago when I was in my 20's we were brushing a survey line for a logging road in the south Oregon Coastal Mountain Range. It was in a old clear cut where the brush had grown up to about 15 feet tall and extremely thick. We were in 105 degree sun. I was more tired than I thought I was and walked back 15 to 20 feet where I had already brushed it several times just to see if I could see the next ribbon. Every time leaves brushed my face and after a while I got tired of that and looked at the leaves for the first time as I reached up to cut them out of my way. Yep. It was poison oak. Luckily I don’t usually get it and I did not get it that time. Right after that I decided to take a quick breather and put my foot up on an old rotten log and set the saw down on my leg, not realizing that I set the bar down on my leg and not the engine. Fortunately the chaps stopped the chain. I was so tired it didn’t even faze me, but I decided to turn the saw off and set it down. I could see clear thru the chaps, but it did not cut my pants. Chaps on a 100 degree plus day with no shade anywhere are extremely hot to wear, but they saved my leg. Moments of complacency can grab you at any time.