Bush Life

It’s raining outside today. Although I suppose it never rains inside. I’m comfortably dry and warm inside my cabin kitchen, and even though it’s a little too warm and I just sweat my way through breakfast, I won’t complain, because I at least I don’t have to plant. It’s mid-July, and hard to believe that there are still people willing to bend over 3000 times a day in the heat, rain, and bugs. Or 7000 times if you’re Rob.

We finished the Black Spruce contract on Thursday, July 4, camp moved to Atikokan on Friday, and helped Crossroutes finish their contract on Saturday. Back in town on Sunday, we partied together one last time at a pub, drinking and dancing to the surprisingly good tunes of some local no-name Bluesfest band. We said our goodbyes to good friends, and the next morning half the crew headed home, while the other half stayed to finish trees for Green Mantle, which ended on Wednesday. And Wednesday was the day Jordan and I headed out to Manitouwadge to finish one more contract. Black Spruce, Crossroutes, Green Mantle, Green Forest—so many trees to be planted!

We’re now part of a 25-person crew that’s doing a contract that came up kind of last minute. It should be short, and we’re planning to peace out next Saturday morning. One more week to go! We’re staying at a “resort”, and I say that with quotations because the Northern Ontario idea of resort is pretty different from that of someone from South-western Ontario. However, for tree planting, conditions are pretty classy. I’m cooking in a cabin, which also has a bedroom and bathroom, so I can roll out of bed, walk 10 steps to a porcelain toilet (!), and then 5 steps back into the kitchen and start breakfast. No more scary trips outside in the dark at 3am, wondering if there’s a bear waiting for me under the kitchen trailer, or giant bugs in the outhouse, or Spencer hiding somewhere to jump out at me.

I do miss our crew though! Green Mantle people have always been awesome, and this year was no exception. The crew was full of generally happy people, very few were quitters, and they know how to have a good time. With very little prodding, they dressed up for Halloween in the middle of May, just because their supervisor told them to. On Sexy Saturdays they looked sexy. Or nerdy. Apparently nerdy is the new sexy. On talent show night they whipped out skills like knife twirling (!?—didn’t know that was a thing), did impressions, or shared original lyrics to unoriginal songs. They sang “Oh Canada” at the top of their lungs at midnight, and not even on Canada Day. There were people like Nic and Krista, who are really cool. Or Kraydrienne—three girls with a penchant for partying like rockstars, and who force everyone around them to do so as well. Or the Frenchies, who invented town hall, and welcomed all to attend meetings. Or Spencer, who kept me company during one too many rides from Thunder Bay to the shop. Or Barnes, who accidentally steals treats, but replaces them with chocolate bunnies. Or Jess, a sweetheart who left flowers for us to find at 4am. Or Naomi, cook extraordinaire, who kept me sane, kept me motivated, kept me entertained, kept me company, and made delicious food all at the same time. And a ton of other awesome people! I knew I'd have fun cooking, but I didn't expect to make so many new friends. What a treat! Forever shout it loud and proud people—WE ARE GREEN MANTLE!