Photos
Most of these pictures were taken in late July of 2001, while working for Miller Western in Swan Hills, Alberta. There are employees here from Scooter's camp, Joe's camp, and Trent's camp.
A chopper, making it in to the staging area through a bit of fog.
Driving through the Virginia Hills fire (of 1998) on the way up to Joe's camp. The woods are burned for hundreds of kilometres through this part of the province. Most of the planting that we are doing is in burn salvage blocks, in the few spots that it was possible to save any of the wood fiber in the hearts of the tree trunks.
Scooter, hot-wiring the quad, because the only key was several hundred kilometers away.
Graham Krieg and Tyson Brown.
Karl McDaniel, Andrea McDaniel, and Jeremy "the lightning rod" Fabian.
Nathan, doing his own "adjustments" to the quad, trying to get it running.
Angie Welty.
Byron Dohms, foreman.
Scooter, carrying some gear and an empty net across the block.
Nathan Meier, foreman.
Ian Terris.
Chad Hermanson.
Tim Roth.
Michelle Strauss.
Graham Mills.
Graham Krieg.
John Remeirsma, foreman.
Lynnette Van Damme.
Candace Remeirsma, demonstrating how to smile in a helicopter.
Donny Jackow, with plants taped to his arms.
Lynette Van Damme, Lori Froese, and Paul Stapleton (showing off his belt?).
Jason Johnson, who by virtue of having started planting in 1988, is our most senior planter and an all-around great guy - Jason came out planting this year as a vacation from his pipe-fitting job.
Mike "Scirolli" Hoar, checker.
Ah yes, some wet feet after a full day of rain and mud.
This type of flower is a western wood lily.
A chopper, making it in to the staging area through a bit of fog.
Liesl and Tim Roth.
Albert Brews.
Breaking down the gear at the end of the contract.
Scott Mathias playing the guitar, and another planter playing the fiddle, while the planters wait in the mess tent for the fog to lift so the choppers can fly.
Harold "Hank" Upton.
Planters getting into the chopper.
Brent Stewart, pointing out a cache.
Nic Grenier.
Scott Elliott.
Crates or "Totes" of trees. Getting trees in totes is pretty rare - usually they come in cardboard boxes.
Planters watching the shovel toss competition after camp breakdown. Everyone participates, and the last person to stick a shovel toss has to buy blizzards for the entire camp at Dairy Queen.
Wendy Goertzen, excitedly grabbing her shovel after successfully eliminating herself.
Peter Thatcher on the second last toss of the competition. Opps!
Peter rang up quite a bill at the Dairy Queen that afternoon.