Sorry
I have no excuses, especially now that we have internet at good ole Fire Station 87.
We have had a few weeks of work here, and I’ve already learned a LOT. I’m on my way to being chainsaw certified and very much enjoy pole saw work! It’s a little tiny chainsaw at the end of a large pole. Because of work with the chainsaws, and also swamping (aka hauling brush and trees away from the sawyers-people using the chainsaws) and the basic, general clearing, I’m getting arm muscles! Working hard feels great.
First things first: what am I doing? Defensible space clearing, and wild fire prevention. After we arrived, the very first day of work was actually in a class for Defensible Space Advising, and I am proud to say that we are all officially Defensible space advisory certified! As a team, first we go visit Special Needs Assistance Program clients and evaluate their properties and record the work to be done, it then gets processed at the office and we return the next week to complete the work. Making their properties a defensible space is really important for two reasons mainly: the fire department cannot come to fight fire and protect their homes unless it is deemed a defensible space, and many times they cannot have home owners insurance either without a defensible space home. What we are doing is very important as wildfires are a real threat here. In fact just recently there was a fire in Reno-which is not too far from here-, EVEN though its technically not fire season. It was a 2000 acre fire in which 32 homes were destroyed.
We have also been educated on different types of weeds, bushes and trees which are either invasive species and or highly flammable. I have learned to treat these plants as evil. Currently my arch enemies are scotch broom and manzanita. Loppers and weed wrenches have become extensions of my arms, I never go anywhere without proper PPE (Personal Protective Equipment): hard hat, safety glasses, ear plugs, gloves and steel toed boots, and I always smell like evergreen trees, cedar and pine. My clothes are always dirty, but so are everyone else’s. I’m frequently exhausted and sore, but it’s a good feeling.
Our sponsor, the Fire Safe Counsel of Nevada County, is crazy awesome. When we arrived at our new home, the Fire House, we were greeted with TONS of food they already bought for us, and the next day they arrived with a tv, vhs player, and two bikes! They constantly ask what we want or need, and get it to us almost immediately. Because we are so close to Lake Tahoe, they arranged some work for us in Truckee (on the lake), got us a cabin there, and sent us with some “fun money” for the weekend. Recently they went on another food run for us AND gave us a gift card to the local movie theater for us all to watch a movie and get popcorn and candy. They treat us like KINGS! It’s kind of ridiculous. Our leader, Amber, keeps warning us that no other project sponsor will be this generous and wonderful.
I suppose that’s enough for now. Loving life as a lumberjack in Cali. I love the forest and the hills and the work and my team and the weather and everything.
