Wednesday, May 30, 2007
So this is pretty much the hardest thing that I've ever done in my life.. And I'm pretty sure it will be the hardest thing I'll do until MAYBE I give birth. And even then, I'll probably have to give birth tree planting to make it SUPER hard.
This is how it goes. You're up at 5, breaky, drive to the clearcut. Bag up 300 trees or so (for me that's enough - about 60lbs or more, depending on the type) and then out into the block which can either be flat and nice and soft, or a rocky cliff. Plant trees, return to cache, get more trees.. plant those trees.. repeat. Like, 50 times. If you're a veteran.. repeat until you've planted 3000 to 4000 trees. If you're me, be satisfied with 1500. Oh yeah, occasionally, sit down on the block and cry. Go home 10 -12 hours later, dinner, and bed. Repeat 4 times, one day off.
This is such a strange job. Physically it's demanding. I've lost about 10 lbs, my legs are like rock, and one arm (my shovel arm) tries to choke me out in the middle of the night for what I do to it. You'd think it would be easy - the same motion again and again and again.. But to have the mental fortitude.. that's something else. I thought I'd done tough things.. damn. I know now that I really can do anything. Short of maybe Alaskan king crab fishing. Unless I do it with a shovel.
The people are fantastic - archeologists, farmers, art students, philosophy students so on and so forth - a strange fringe group that makes up the lone group here. There's only about 30 of us, so it's friendly and close.
I'm sorry my storytelling skills aren't up to par - I'm just about more tired that I think I ever have been in my life. I'll write more on a day off when I've had more coffee. Just thought I'd let you all know that I was neither eaten by a bear, or by the black flies. Though sometimes that's what I pray for. Mostly the bear. It would be quick, and I hear they still credit you for the trees that day. Sweet.
I miss you all. And uh - Starbucks. And razors. More in a week or so!
This is how it goes. You're up at 5, breaky, drive to the clearcut. Bag up 300 trees or so (for me that's enough - about 60lbs or more, depending on the type) and then out into the block which can either be flat and nice and soft, or a rocky cliff. Plant trees, return to cache, get more trees.. plant those trees.. repeat. Like, 50 times. If you're a veteran.. repeat until you've planted 3000 to 4000 trees. If you're me, be satisfied with 1500. Oh yeah, occasionally, sit down on the block and cry. Go home 10 -12 hours later, dinner, and bed. Repeat 4 times, one day off.
This is such a strange job. Physically it's demanding. I've lost about 10 lbs, my legs are like rock, and one arm (my shovel arm) tries to choke me out in the middle of the night for what I do to it. You'd think it would be easy - the same motion again and again and again.. But to have the mental fortitude.. that's something else. I thought I'd done tough things.. damn. I know now that I really can do anything. Short of maybe Alaskan king crab fishing. Unless I do it with a shovel.
The people are fantastic - archeologists, farmers, art students, philosophy students so on and so forth - a strange fringe group that makes up the lone group here. There's only about 30 of us, so it's friendly and close.
I'm sorry my storytelling skills aren't up to par - I'm just about more tired that I think I ever have been in my life. I'll write more on a day off when I've had more coffee. Just thought I'd let you all know that I was neither eaten by a bear, or by the black flies. Though sometimes that's what I pray for. Mostly the bear. It would be quick, and I hear they still credit you for the trees that day. Sweet.
I miss you all. And uh - Starbucks. And razors. More in a week or so!
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