sunrise   day seventeen   “tut-tut looks like rain”
clearcut to plant   lower trinity   rockpile
first things first
safety meeting
feet pass hackey-sack
fingers pass fatties
word riddles abound
non-smoking supervisor appeases inspectors

rain pants   rain coat   rain hat   hands gloved
tree bags full   bare-root stuffed   shoulder straps tight
hoedads sharper   shorter than yesterday
canteens full   pockets re-gorped          
boots in mud   drop off ridge   drop in line                      
dig hole   plant tree   green-side up   close hole      
say a little prayer   three paces right   repeat  
“ahhh, the middle earth glaze”    inspectors remark

bags empty   ridgetop climb-out
hot lunch ready   cold beer plenty
safety meeting   high noon
boots in mud   drop off ridge   drop in line               
dig hole   plant tree   close hole   say a little prayer  
skirt poison oak   imitate bird voices  
grow into family      

another day done   drag our bodies back to ridge   
safety meeting   mortal remains cram crummy
bouncy backroads   we are b-bs in a tin can  
all the way back to camp
one jeep   fourteen ripe armpits   
high country vista   alps golden glow dusted white

unlimited hot-water shower   early-bird line forms east
late-birds sharpen tools   personal tent catnaps
canvas sweat lodge   dreams shared aloud   cool dip in south fork
hot dinner abundance   early-bird line forms west


late-birds trickle-in all evening  
full crew honors chef with a little prayer
fire god gaze   sixteen people   fourteen chairs   tall tales told 
safety meeting   camp-made ice cream     
                   

sunrise   day fifty-six   caffeine infusion   alpine travel day 
safety meeting   break camp   big-top lowered
unspoken chores   trucks loaded   clowns too
four-hour drive   circus caravan   follow the money

new camp set-up   rattlesnake creek   namesake unseen
half-day off   hayfork bar crawl   settle on “the lookout”
safety meeting   fire circle songs   full moon high
sunrise   day eighty-two   “tut-tut looks like snow”
clearcut to plant   first things first   safety meeting     
middle earth glaze  
repeat