Blessed

 

I'm back on Vancouver Island!

After the planting season, I road tripped from Fort St John to Smithers

After departing from Smithers, a friend and I camped in a hayfield beside Lac la Hache

After that, we spent a night camping in one of my relative's backyards in Langley

Finally, we made our way back to this beautiful Island; Home sweet home!

Now that I'm settling into a normal paced life again, I've had time to reflect on what's happened to me so far this year. I have realized that despite all the crazy happenings of 2020, I have been unbelievably blessed! 

First off, I was blessed with a fantastic tree planting season! I made friends, money, and grew as an individual. An additional bonus was that I got to step out of the crazy world of COVID for three months which is more then most have got this year. 

Secondly, I got my job back at the Comox Therapeutic Riding Centre(CVTRS)!!! I get full-time hours and get to do the job I really love; Working with horses! I was so sad when the center got shut down because of COVID in March. Now, most of the same horses are back with their unique and sassy personalities. I am so happy to be back here! 

Then, I've got a really good living situation going on. I got a room at a farm, which is a ten-minute bike ride from work. In exchange for working with and riding their horses, I pay very little rent. Everything about this place is so perfect for me; Of course, the best part is I have a dog, a pig, and horses all in my backyard! 

On top of having a room to live in, I spent some of my tree planting earnings on a truck and a camper! With the help of my Uncles, I managed to talk down the price for the pair from $8000 to $6500. The truck is a Ford F250 2004. Still in good condition with a lot of power. The camper is a 1979 Vanguard. It's old, but in good condition with no leaks, rot, and a clean interior. Plus, very spacious! I'm hoping to make use of this unit for the next planting season. For now, the unit is sitting in the garage where I live and is used for storage. The truck I hope to detach from the camper soon so I can get more comfortable driving it without the camper first. 

It's hard to believe, but I also had a little miracle happen to me in the spring. Due to some horse-related accidents, I've had some arthritis in my left knee for about two years. I was at a conference in Toronto in March and my knee was hurting more than usual even though I wasn't being active. I was walking with some friends I had made and somehow my knee injury came up. One of the girls happened to be a Christian and offered to pray for the healing of my knee. Being a Christian myself, I wasn't opposed. On the other hand, I didn't expect anything to change after she prayed over it either. I was thankful for the prayer but didn't think much of it till about two months later while I was planting, and the realization suddenly hit me. The past season my knee had always been in agony. Here I was planting a steep hill and I felt no pain or strain in my knee at all. Even now with the biking, horseback riding, and any physical activity I do, there is no pain in my knee. God answered my friend's prayer for me, and now my knee is healed. 

Why have I been so blessed? I have no idea! All I have done is trust in God. I don't expect to continue being so blessed in these ways, but I will be thankful for what I have been given and use the opportunities put in front of me. These blessings could be taken away or I could be given more. I try not to think about it too much. All I can do is be thankful, which I very much am! My life in the past does not matter, what lays ahead is not my problem yet, the only time I have is now. In the now, I am thankful and making the most out of the blessings I've been given. I pray that all of you become equally blessed. 

Pound for Freedom

 

The 2020 tree planting season is over; What a season it was!

From blocks burnt by forest fires, we began planting among the skeletons of burnt trees. 100 Mile house contract was our home for the first month. COVID policies were enforced at the start but lessened as the month went on, allowing us the special opportunity to interact closely with our crew as well as with other people in the camp. 

From there, we went to Hinton Alberta under the shadow of the rocky mountains. The first shift was tough as the block was littered with rocks and hard ground to crack with a shovel. Spirits began to drop but the crew stuck together. 

For our break between spring and summer trees, we went to Edson Alberta. Despite flooding, and a tonne of rain we still made bank! Plus, my good friend Sarah (who had been stranded in Argentina)  joined the crew which brightened all our moods. 

After Edson, it was back to Hinton which turned out to have decent land. Hit my PB of 3630 trees planted in a day. Lots of creamy land, some overgrown pieces, but lots of good times with the crew on and off the block. 

We thought we would finish our planting season in Hinton, but suddenly we found ourselves in Fort St John mid-August. Grass as tall as us, sudden temperature changes, cold mornings, and helicopter rides. We were having a blast! lol. 

That last tree in the ground was one of the most satisfying moments of my life. I didn't feel the rush to put it in, there was no more pressure for high numbers. This was my last tree. I stared at it for a couple seconds as the hum of the helicopter buzzed above me; Then walked away and that tree became just another tree out of thousands on a hellish block - but for me, it was that last tree to freedom. Financial freedom, freedom from doubt about what I'm capable of, freedom from the bush, freedom from addiction to material things. "Pound for freedom," is a popular saying in the industry and that's what we do. We push through mental and physical exhaustion; Endure bug bites, thorns, cuts, bruises; Fight mental battles within ourselves; all for many reasons but afterward, I feel confident to say that all of us feel a special sense of freedom and accomplishment. 

I'm going to miss my crew the most probably. We go through a lot together and that makes us grow closer and become more like family than friends. I'm going to miss waking up and seeing their faces. I'm going to miss having meals made for me, making $370-$450 a day, being covered in dirt like everyone else, the environment of low judgment that the tree planting culture offers, being outside all the time, and going to remote places in western Canada that many people don't get to see. 

That said, I will not miss sleeping in my tent. It's starting to fall apart after its second season in the bush. I won't miss being cold, heat exhaustion, severely cut up fingers, nerve damage, mental frustration with my production, or the bugs. Still, as the offseason progresses you begin to forget about those things and remember the good times. Will I be back in the bush come 2021?!

Hell yeah! 

Crew Spirit and Bear Fun!

There really is no telling what the day will bring while tree planting. Most of the time it's the same repetitive action of opening a hole, putting the tree in the ground, closing the hole, taking a step.

But some days it can become rather exciting!

This shift we had a visit from a very curious brown bear. I should probably say we paid him a visit since he was very clear the block we were planting on was his territory!

We tried to scare him away since normally that works with brown/black bears. He only sat and stared at us as if we were acting silly. He then proceeded to politely bluff charge to make us back up a bit. He was a small bear, but when he stood on his two feet he didn't look so small anymore!

We left the block that day then returned the next day to try again. My foreman brought a gun to try and scare the bear with but it wasn't the least bit scared. I had an armed sentry for forty minutes while I planted as my foreman kept an eye on the bear for me. My foreman left after that time saying he saw the bear leave the block. After five minutes I turned to glance around and who was right behind me? Our bear friend Curious George!

He was heading towards my two planting friends who were planting right towards him. I blew my whistle and shouted at them till they saw him too. At first, our bear was following them. However, when he got closer to their cache he smelt their food. Long story short, we left him to enjoy their food and rip apart their bags and decided that we were going to leave him in peace on his territory and not come back!

This shift was a good show of team work and  bonding as a crew! We were there for each other when the bear was near and followed the proper safety measures to muster when the whistle blew.

Chilling with the crew dog during one of the musters

Despite losing money due to lost hours with the bear action, we were all supporting each other and overall it was a memorable shift. To end, we celebrated Bushmass! Had an awesome Christmas dinner, did a gift exchange, and a Christmas tree decorating competition! We tied with another crew to win Starbucks for our Christmas tree creation!

Once again, I don't think I could be on a better crew! During moments like last night I almost wish the season would never end...

Almost, lol. It's truly a blessing this job lasts only for three months or my body would be destroyed!

Isolation while Planting

As with everything, COVID has made all fields of existing work adjust to new protocols and procedures.

For tree planters this basically means we are unable to go into towns/cities/communities in an attempt to keep our camps isolated and COVID free.

The good news is this has proven very effective! From what I know there haven't been any cases of COVID in tree planting camps this season so far and we are all currently healthy.

It has its negatives though, particularly with mental health. Myself, and some others have expressed that we feel lonelier then in passed seasons. Bush craziness is settling faster then it did last year.

Thankfully, Summit has provided us with ways to keep ourselves occupied and enjoying ourselves on off days which has been a huge help!

Pac Man has been a huge hit with many planters who try hard to be the one with the legendary high score

CATAN is one of my favorite activities. Currently we tend to play
With the travelers edition.

Ping pong

First time ever we have a water proof pole table! Big favorite at camp!

2

Occasionally we have big bonfires where we burn our planting boxes.


On top of these Summit provided activities, I also do a lot of art and crafts to keep myself occupied. 

I also have been working on editing several of my novels and a whole lot of journaling! Tree planting is so repetitive and so it provides you a lot of time to meditate and contemplate on things.

The people here also make a huge difference this season! I'm so happy to be isolated from the world with the fantastic crew I'm on!

 The season is over half done; Very happy that it happened at all!

This Love/Hate Relationship

First tree planting contract of the season completed! We spent over a month at 100Mile house contract so this is pretty exciting! It looks like we might be around half way through the season. Currently, we are working out of a camp near Edson Alberta, and then we will be returning to Hinton Alberta which is just outside of Jasper.

There are some moments when I really hate this job and other moments when I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Like some mornings, for example; Day off, sunny, my tent flaps are open. I'm lying on the floor of my tent journaling, sipping coffee, and snacking on bark thin chocolate! A stark contrast from working mornings when I am trying to avoid bashing my head against the truck seat as we drive down super bumpy and sketchy logging roads to the block.

It's the same with planting. Some days I move through the land nimbly and gracefully. The trees go into the ground quickly, flagging is done subconsciously. It's cool, I hear birds, see little frogs, and feel totally at peace and happy!

Then there are days when I trip, step on land I think is solid and it crumbles right under me. Step in a puddle that goes over my boot top, have a stick jam under my finger nails, bug spray wears off and I'll have an array of multiple biting pests chase me around the block. The list of possible discomfort is endless!

However, hard work on a good or bad day is truly satisfying and even on the not so great days I still make money. It was worth coming back to this job!

(Some photo creds Leslie Dart)

The Mental Aspect of Tree Planting

There is a line my foreman said in one of the films from the Tree Planting Film Festival. "In tree planting, your highs are really high, and your lows are really low." You can check out the films at this link https://treeplantingfilmfestival.earth/?fbclid=IwAR0mNkOTUOJ_28fLOxuvtSmR3Bgw3Yv5WeowGr7R0RNUNdMVsUZj1yVQfvA

This statement is so true! One of my previous shifts this season was amazing! I made $500 one day which meant I got my Summit hoodie! Summit Reforestation gives out swag to planters when they hit certain milestones. $200 you get a buff, $300 you get a hat, $500 you get a sweater, $1800 in a shift you get a jacket. The remainder of the shift I made over $400 each day and hit my PB(personal best) number of trees planted in a day; 3525.

Then the shift after was one of the worst shifts in my planting history. On day one, my foreman said that my trees from a previous shift had a lot of open holes and I had to go and repo. Repo means go and fix your trees and not get paid. I was pretty upset for many reasons. Mainly, because I wasn't going to make any money. Then I felt bad that I had disappointed my foreman, and then I was also disappointed in myself for doing a bad job. I spent the rest of my day sulking around the block where I had planted, making the 1400 trees there better. The following day I did not make my average amount of money because I took care to plant my trees perfectly.

However, good experience and bad experiences I learned a lot! I learned how to better close holes in difficult land, I learned how to learn from my mistakes and move on and that there is always room to improve oneself. I learned that I can push myself hard to achieve my goals. Most importantly, I learned that bad days only last for a time and to enjoy good days to the fullest when I have them. Planting trees is physically demanding, but its also mentally demanding in many ways.

The crew I'm on makes every day a little better! COVID restrictions are lessening each day so we get to interact more and have a good time. Its isolating out here, and weird to think I will go most of the season without seeing a town or other people. Being isolated with this group of people is pretty sweet though, so is not having much of an opportunity to spend money!

Stay safe and healthy everybody! Miss you all!!