The neighbor gentleman that logged our land worked his single man logging operation for over 66 years by the time he had to retire. The last time I saw him he was 87 or 88 and said he had to stop logging because, as he said it: “I gradually lost all my power and one day could not start my chainsaws.” Ironically as he was talking to me at the boat landing on his family lake lot, he was flipping over his small fishing boat for fall. He recently passed away. He was truly a hard worker and most importantly smart about all things related to his craft. Watching him I was struck by the consistency, organization, and efficiency of how he went about his work. He also had the most extensive and uniform hand split wood stacks in the area for heating their home. Here he is in 2016, age 86, at the landing on our land standing by the John Deere 440 he bought new in 1973. His name was Duane Johnson. He stared with a 4 foot hand saw for felling and an axe for limbing. His grandsons are now carrying on the tradition in the area.
You are absolutely right! It literally brings a tear to my eye to think about all this, and the fear that society seems to be straying so far from the values and work ethic that he and others like him embody. But I thank God for his legacy. It gives me hope.
"No push-button machines..." 85-Year-Old Logger Just Keeps Cutting read this a couple years ago good read RIP Mr Johnson
That is it! The man who wrote this is our neighbor as well and came over to take the pictures for the spread. One other thing I could add is that when Duane was working his wife Virginia often came to bring him lunch at noon. She was the organist at our church, as well as quite the outdoors woman herself… a master fisherwoman and grouse hunter. When I was driving to work in Grand Portage I often saw Duane and Virginia in their yard loading their gear for a day afield be it spring, summer or winter on a nice day. She is still living and blessed to have several of their children close by.
Ha! This scene (below) is from the family owned company I worked for when I was young, Huffman and Wright Logging, Canyonville Oregon. We worked in some of the finest old growth timber on earth. What I wish the film had made more clear is that these men in the woods are neither the timber owners nor the timber buyers. Loggers are (most often) contractor middle men who work on a thin margin and take a lot of risks for little reward. These guys on the ground are literally risking their lives to put food on the table for their families. They don't make big ecological decisions, don't decide the terrain or the timber rotation anymore than they dictate the day's weather. If you live in a wooden house, buy products in cardboard boxes, or wipe your a$$ with toilet paper - well, these guys work for you.
