Wearing a suit to work

[Paul_H]

I have heard a few of you talking about your past lives having to wear a suit to work and even though I've been a logger all my life,I can sure relate to why you were glad to be rid of it.
Back in August of 1984 we were logging in the back of Furry Creek and we got talking out in the rigging one day about how in the old logging pictures we had seen,the oldtimers looked dressed up so we thought we'd give it a try on the last day of the setting we were on.

All of us were nervous that morning that we would be the only one showing up in a suit

I'm second from the left,Grant on my right is wearing one of my Dad's old suits from the 50's Kevin,far right and Guy,next to me picked up theirs from the thrift shop



Guy and me setting chokers(1"x24' under the butt rigging.


Hard to move around in a three piece suit



Dinning in the coperate lunch room



The oldtimers on our crew had us sit on the log pile after lunch for a picture




Here is Sonny.I have worked with him since I started working in the bush.He was a DanG good logger and just turned 70 last week.I called him first thing in the morning to wish him Happy Birthday and he brought up our Suit Day and told me he still pulls out the old logging pictures. He said he liked working with us "kids"




This was the end of the day and the end of the season for this company,we all had to find other jobs till Winter because Suit Day was August 31.We had a lot of fun that day but we didn't get home until early the next morning.

I had the pleasure of working with these guys for a long time.

[chet]

  :D  :D  :D  :D  I love it.      In dat first shot you guys look like an early pic of da Beatles.   ;D

[Paul_H]

All mops and bad moustaches  :D

We figured Grant looked like a mobster in the 50's suit and the ever present cigarette butt hanging from his mouth.The oldtimers made him take the tie off because he was chase and second loading and they watched him running the saw with the tie dangling over the chain.

It could have been deadly 

[Jeff]

GREAT!

Thanks Paul, ya made my day.

[Tom]

That youngster in the first picture looks like your Tom. 

That sure beats the setup pictures that get taken at the carnivals, Eh?  Bet y"all were Danged uncomfortable that day. :D

[Ron Scott]

Great Pictures!! Executive Loggers.  :D

[Paul_H]

I'm glad you all liked them because I had been debating whether or not to post them for a long time but when I talked to Sonny the other day it got me thinking about it again and I thought,why not?  :D

They were a really good crew to work with and there was always a lot of yelling and laughing going on as well as hard work and good production.If there weren't logs in the landing for Sonny to load out,he'd get awfully cranky so work came first,even on Suit Day.

[Jeff]

You've been sandbaggin big time there bud.  What else ya holdin back? ;)

[pigman]

The pictures are great. I like people that can put a little fun in their work. 
Bob

[Paul_H]

Sonny and John the Donkey Puncher seemed to enjoy it more than we did  :D

I wish I packed a camera more back then and took more pictures of the people I worked with.I usually didn't take a camera unless we were handy to the pick up so it wouldn't get smashed or lost.

I still see some of the oldtimers from time to time.Bill the catskinner is still alive and well in his mid eighties now.He had a wicked temper and any little thing would turn him Red as a beet and growling and snarling,ranting and raving.!0 minutes later he would be laughing and smiling like ol'Santa Claus himself.They called him Badger Bill as long as I can remember.

He wasn't very tall and he had a round face.One day him and I were driving down the hill in the Brown GMC Crewcab(first pic) The truck was a full time 4x4 and you just had to kick the transfer case into 2 HI but it helped if the colum shifter was in neutral.
Problem was,the indicator was broken and you had to guess which gear you were in.We were sailing along at around 25 mph and at the bottom of the hill,I figured I better take it out of 4 HI so I put the column shift into what I thought was Neutral but was Reverse and we came to a skidding halt 

Like I said,Bill was short and his feet didn't sit on the floor and I saw him slide off of the seat and fly into the windshield.Then I saw his ears turn beet Red and continue up to the top of his bald head.

I braced myself for a barrage of cussing and blame but he never said a word and never looked my way for the rest of the trip home.The silence was deafening :D

I like old Bill.

[KiwiCharlie]

Hey Paul,
Thats great!  Gave me a real good laugh! :D ;)  That second picture with the sleeve ripping off is hilarious!
Ive done my time in a suit, and I can tell you from the bottom of my heart - been there, done that, NEVER AGAIN!  Except for weddings and funerals, they stay in the wardrobe!
Cheers
Charlie.

[Paul_H]

 :D That's Guy in his undersized suit and he had that thing ripped before we even got our boots on.
We grew up together and we were best man at each others weddings.He could keep us laughing out there pretty good.


One time we were trying to move the yarder(the big Red machine in the picture to the right of Sonny) but the tracks were bogging in the mud and we had to mess around with chunks and puncheon to get it out of there.Finally it started to slowly pull out of there and could hear someone yelling "Hyaah,Hyaah" and I looked back and there was Guy with a big Fir limb,beating the back end of the machine like it was a Mule  :D

[Norm]

Thanks for a great story Paul. I sure like your corporate lunchroom better than any I've spent time in. :D

About ten years ago I swore I'd never wear another tie again, so far so good. ;D

[pappy]

What a hoot :D great story Paul :D good way ta start a day
Thanks

[Paul_H]

I'm glad you guys enjoyed it and I had fun posting it because it made me remember it all over again. I had made a typo in the first post,Suit Day was actually in 1984 and we were all in our early twenties.

The old 90' Madill yarders like the one we're having lunch on,used to sit in one place for 2-3 weeks when we were yarding a setting.In the morning we would put our lunch boxes and thermos on the track just under the running board because it kept things cool and out of harms way.The saws were tucked in close to the track when not used too

After a few years the 90 footer was replaced with a grapple yarder on tracks that was always on the move,sometimes several times a day.We lost a few lunches and thermos and a couple of saws before the habit of putting things on the track was broken.  ???

[Jeff]

I was wondering about that date. 

[Roxie]

This is truly an enjoyable thread!   
Sounds like you made friends and memories that will last a lifetime. 

[Bro. Noble]

The people you work with can make a good job miserable or a miserable job good.  From his past posts and meeting Paul in person,  my guess is that everyone that he worked with had a good job :D


someone that knows how ought to post a link to Paul's house remodleing story.  The newer members missed a good one there that shows what kind of imagination this character has 8)

[Jeff]

Here ya go.

Raising the Roof

Here is the Valley where Paul Lives

[Scott]

 Do you still own that logging company Paul? I haven't herd you mention it lately.  ???

[Mark M]

That looks like one of those places where it is uphill both ways. :D

I had to show those pictures to some of my co-workers and they got a big kick out of them even though they've never seen any pictures of those old loggers.

[Paul_H]

Thank you Noble for the kind words and I know for DanG sure that they could be applied to you as well  ;) I've had a lot of chuckles and out loud laughs by reading comments from many members here. My kids don't even bother asking what I'm laughing at anymore because they know "Dad's on the forum"  :D

That is why I posted the pics and thread in here because it is a bit more private and the ones that are in here I feel, are a good crew. Always willing to jump in and help whether it be forestry related or personal.No let downs or put downs and the ever present humour.

Scott, we sold early last year to another local company.We had been kicking the idea around for a few years because of quota clawbacks that were coming down the pipe.Over the past 14 years or so,our licences have taken a few quota reductions and we believe that there will be major chart area and quota reallocations in the next couple of years.

Mark,I sure wished you could have made it up here last fall.You were only 2 1/2 hours from my place (I might have lied at the time and told you it was closer just to get you here)  ;)

That picture of the Pemberton valley is compressed a little bit and makes the valley look narrower than it really is.

[Jeff]

I have kept Paul's company website up as part of my portfolio. It has some neat pictures.
www.forestryforum.com/halray

[Jeff]

Paul. are all the photos over on the halraylog site also here on the forum?  If not, you could inport them to your gallery very easy. Use the bottom blanks in the photo upload page and just paste the addresses of the pictures in those. The software will copy the photos over to here.

[Paul_H]

I'll go have a look,it's been awhile.I remember that I had to make up a web folder for you to look at when you built the site and I don't think they were optimized (?)

I also remember that you linked the original big picture of the valley on there too.
///////////////////////////////
Just went and looked and the only pic from there that isn't here is the one of my brother Don.

[Stump Jumper]

 8) pics

[sawguy21]

Paul, I have worked with you wet coast loggers and it was a memorable experience. Lots of days, a good sense of humour was the only thing between us and insanity. I enjoyed this thread.

[KiwiCharlie]

Hey Paul,
Have you ever worked with any Kiwis up there.  When I was in BC, heaps of people said they had worked with Kiwi guys in the forest.  I think through Carter Holt, if I remember correctly.  They used to tell me how crazy the Kiwis were!  ;) :D
Cheers
Charlie.

[Faron]

Paul H, I've found myself smiling over your pictures while working several times this past week.  You guys had a brash and impudent look about you that reminded my of some kids I worked with for a while.
In '86 I worked as foreman of a crew of young kids, none over twenty or twenty one, installing equipment in new turkey buildings.  They were wild, brash, and really most hadn't developed very good work habits.  I was about 28 years old, and had to teach these guys to install equipment.
Sid was one of the bunch,and quite a character.  He was real muscular, a weight lifter, and I think maybe he had played football and maybe wrestled in high school.  At that time, he spent a lot effort arm wrestling in various contests around the area, and winning , from what I heard.  Naturally, he challanged me, his boss, to a contest.  Although I never lost  right handed in informal contests in high school, I was not at all confident I could take Sid, and I had no intention of being shown up by one of these kids.  So, I accepted, but told him we would have to pick a time we had spare time, because "Right now, Sid, we are on a tight schedule."  Of course, I tried to make sure we never quite had time.  Sid, of course regularly reminded my of my promise, and made veiled remarks that I was afraid to try him.
One day Sid and I were razzing the rep of the company we were installing for about the plastic ceiling they installed in the buildings, telling him it would never last.  He yanked a scrap out of his trunk and dared us to tear it up.  Sid grabbed the piece, strained mightly,....and nothing.  "Yep, it's tough", was his comment.  He handed it to me.  I had already made up my mind if it was possible to tear that thing, it was going to go.  I grabbed the scrap, and rolled my wrists so my fingers kind of punched into the plastic first, pulled, and , praise be, tore the sample in half! Of course, those guys couldn't see how I had done it, and it simply looked like a feat of brute strength.  ;) :D I nonchalantly handed it back to Sid, and said, " I don't see much to that."  The rep never said a word, only looked kind of sick.  Sid's eyes popped, and he said," Well, maybe not for a blankety blank blank Mongolian gorilla!"  I never heard another word about arm wrestling. :D :D :D
Sid never made it to 30.  He got his dream job, working as an ironworker, and fell to his death a few years later. :'(

[Paul_H]

Faron,

What you can't see in those pictures are a half dozen older guys behind the camera, razzing us  :D

I think we were "cocky" and probably still are as were most of the old timers that we worked with.All of us in the suits had been working in the bush since 16 years old and took pride in our jobs.My job at that time(Hooktender) was to set up where the machines sat,rig up the yarder and move the lines across the setting as we logged,taking care that the guyline stumps were secure and that the yarding didn't interfere with the loading.Any screw ups would rest on me.When I first took the job as Hooktender at 19 years old,I relied on the help,encouragement and experience of the oldtimers that I worked with.If I would have shown any sign of arrogance the oldtimers would have left me to fail in a big and memorable way.  ;) But logging wasn't like that because if I could do my job properly,Sonny,John,Bill and Danny(truck driver) could do theirs and we would enjoy our jobs.
That's the way it was in the small logging outfits.You would work together and play together,and I only worked for the large companies when there was nothing else around for jobs and the longest stay there was 2 weeks because there tended to be all the unhealthy work habits that go with seniority,unions and company politics.

It sounds like you had a lot of fun too,working with your crew.I'm sorry to hear about Sid and I can tell you had a soft spot for him.

sawguy21,
We should talk sometime and compare notes.I'll bet you worked with a few people too that were beyond humour's help,and moved right on to insanity  :D

Charlie,
I never personally worked with any Kiwis but knew a couple of them in Squamish that worked in the bush.I would bet that there are a lot of them over on Vancouver Island.
I remember we talked before about Ron Hartell and how he used to clean up in all the logger sports events around here.He is still a well known name in Squamish.

He was a true Sportsman.

[KiwiCharlie]

Hi Paul,
Yes I remember talking about Ron.  Makes me proud when Kiwis can head overseas and foot it with the best.  The likes of the Hartells, Bolstads and Wynyards.
Cheers
Charlie.

[Tillaway]

Man I missed out.  I go out of town and Paul posts some good stuff.  Nice suit, how about that dry cleaning bill. ;D  You should have rode in the back of the crummy and made the driver wear a chauffers hat. ;)

I have had a few hook tenders jokingly wanting me to help them pack haywire and blocks.  Tough job, those guys are in shape.   

[Stephen_Wiley]

Paul,

I had to do a 'double take' at your picture, as I have a relative and friend of which either could be taken as your identical twin.

Beautiful Country up there hope to some day travel North to see it.

Tillaway..............
Missed you Friday at the OLC, you were probably at a seminar!
Hooktending, wish I was still young and in shape enough to go do it.  Nowdays, if I do better not be in a rush...........as I will be taking 'breaks' along the way!  :D

Few years back was asked to compete at the Albany Timber Carnival..........would have to consider the masters now.

   

[Tillaway]

OLC was a quick tour for me.  I think I may have spoiled a surprise for one of the crews working on one of my sales, I saw their name on a new Waratah processing head.  The one they have been running has been suffering a bit of down time lately.

[asy]

Gee, I'm glad Andrew never has to wear a suit to work...

He doesn't own a suit...

His version of dressing up is putting his clean 'going out thongs' on..  :D    :D

(the FOOTWEAR...  not the underwear!!!     I think you guys call them flip-flops )

asy :D

[SwampDonkey]

Hi Paul_H

Great thread and pictures and story. I can imagine the going on out there and how well you enjoyed each other's company on the job. I can imagine some of them old timers enjoyed your company as much as you enjoyed working under their wings. ;D

I worked with a couple of characters from Vancouver on the Charlottes. We had nothing to do with the tree cutting or yarding end of it. We were doing residue surveys, cruising, and timber and road layout. Well a couple of my 'marithon shifts' I worked with these two guys on the residue surveys and they were quite comical. The job was the pits digging under residue piles and measuring and scaling waste in the mud and constant rain. But, they kept our spirits up and we had good times all around. One of my return visits to the camp we stayed at, I had secretly produced a poster with pictures of these two on it during their different performances. I didn't dare let the camp supervisor see it, so i gave it to one of the guys and they made sure it was well hidden from view during their shift work. I wish I snapped a photograph of the poster and the captions because you'd bust a stitch. :D

Oh, and a 'marithon shift' is a 28+ day shift where you worked every day Sunday-Saturday rain or shine. 

I had been on float camps where some guys from as far away as Montreal hadn't been home for over 6 months, but they had weekends off at the camp. Some permanent camps had rec centres and gyms as well as Satelite Phone and TV. There was no coming home at night in those areas. ;)

[rebocardo]

Great pictures and story :-)