Day 1

Hey all,

First day on the Christmas tree plantation.  Despite dragging 1/3 of 1765 sodden pine trees through non-stop freezing rain over sodden bog and the fact that everyone seems to carry on like it is the toughest job ever, it really wasn't that bad.  I have worked on tougher orchards for less money.  That said, apparently when it starts snowing it does get a bit grim.  On the plus side, the crappy accommodation on site was full, so the owner had to rent a house off site for the spill-over – currently me, a young Canadian guy and a Polish bloke out here just for this job before flying home.  They are both cool – the Canadian is one of those laid back country boys who speaks in a broad drawl so slow you think there is not much going on up there – but there is quite a bit going on.  Is out here after university because his girlfriend is in Glasgow doing further studies.  The house is fantastic – will get some photos if I ever manage to see it in the day time.  There is a dire rumour that the boss is employing a couple of Slovakians who will be arriving soon and moving in: I will lose the solitary joy of a room to myself.  My room-mate will no doubt snore – the other bed is about 50 cm from mine – and even if he doesn't snore, Slovaks are up to no good: I will probably get murdered in my sleep.

That worry aside, I am living a lot cheaper and much more comfortably than in a hostel, and am making reasonable money for this kind of job.  Spent most of the day dragging trees with the Pole and a Kiwi who has been working on the farm for a year or so and is basically one of the foremen, all of us working behind another Pole, who chainsaws all day, pushing the trees down with one foot and cutting them with the chainsaw in between his legs.  The reason for this is that they want them cut close to the ground – the taller they are the more they get for them.  Not a job I would like – two years ago he lost concentration for a moment, nearly took off his leg.

K called at lunchtime, which was a bit of a disaster.  She is at home with the folks, did not have the headset with her, so I was on speaker.  Now, those of you who know me will be aware that I rarely, if ever, swear: in general I shun all coarse language.  But this is an big plantation and, purely in an effort to fit in and be polite, I have picked up some bad habits.  So, when K asked me how the job was I said something like “Not too bad.  F*ing non-stop f*ing rain though.  And cold as sh*t, but they gave me gumboots and a coat and these goofy f*ing pants and...” at this point K said that her parents were in the room.  I am pretty sure her father stormed out.  Then she asked me how I was.  In an effort to get back into her good books I referred to her as “babe” in my reply.  Except it wasn't her who had asked the question, it was her Mum.  So that couldn't have gone a whole lot better.  Fortunately K has already paid for her ticket over here.

There is a wifi spot available at the office at the plantation, but none here – so will get my laptop in at some point and get online, but don't know when.

Photos. 1.  The first bedroom I was in at the house.  2.  The house in the morning, waiting for the boss to pick us up.

Cheers, B.