Cue Wild Life

And i'm not just talking about those mountain goats~  Arriving in Prince George we were surprised (and maybe not so surprised) to find just as many different "animal types" (tehe) living/sharing our motel space with us.  Tree planters are of a different breed and among the expected dread locks, plethora of ugly sweaters, and Birkenstocks were the not so expected jugglers, juggling flaming batons and unicycle riding in the motel parking lot.  We have truly seen Prince George's best wild life attractions (and or circus folk? we are not so sure).  Here is a picture of some of our new friends and crew members lazing on the tarmac watching the circus happening outside the motel.




Spotted.  Tree planting types filling up 'piss packs' at the local watering hole/dirty stream off the side of the highway.  (Yes, these are their actual names, and my apologies for the profanity...lord knows there is much more where that came from...) 'Piss packs' are used for putting out forest fires.)  - no joke.
                           

Today is day 3 of planting and although I am a bit more cheery, today was a tricky day.  Wee confession, I am currently sitting in a second cup taking a much needed quit time, waiting for Cait to bring Matt home from the airport).  Its amazing what hot tea in my little paws in a real (not paper) cup does for the heart.  Alas, here's a little glimpse of this silly little day.

Shovel, screef, tree, stomp .  Today my shovel sings out many times, hundreds of times, hopefully tomorrow thousands of times (groan) throughout this day as I hit hidden rocks, frozen ground and sneaky root systems stretching wide below a ground blanketed with mossy.  Shovel, screef, tree, stomp.  These little sneakers are my earthy enemies masked under a graveyard of old rotting logs and littered stone.  Shovel, screef, tree, stomp .  Pain creeps up my forearm and I growl (actually), as my streams of thought become conscious, I am wakened from far off places of the most depressing kind, a wallowing of should have’s and could have’s, which I am quite content bathing in at the moment.  Shovel, screef, tree, stomp .  Today is a day which looms long, and although the sun is beautiful, I disregard it’s gentle hello because it is much easier to cloud over God’s goodness with the fact that muscles I never knew within my body scream profanities in my direction.  Shovel, screef, tree, stomp .  The earth smells sweet of moss and deep dark soil and my watch reminds me that it’s only 10:30am.  Gah! How can it only be 10:30am!  Is this really my life for 3 whole months! Shovel, screef, tree, stomp .  It is in this moment in the middle of a field, I reprimand myself for thinking that tree planting was similar to riding a bicycle because oh gash OH GASH, it is not (not sure yet what its is like yet...).  but what a bummer.   I wrestle with this false expectation all day today and I wrestle it good until I realize that the stealthy enemies below the soil who have made this day all the more difficult are also those who surly hold my feet firm.  Shovel, screef, tree, stomp .  So I give thanks (groan) Shovel, screef, tree, stomp.  and I scrounge deep to see blessings among sore feet and tired arms and what musters from the bowls of my soul, deeper than any rooted tree is the depth of God’s grace as he loves me up and down.  I cannot avoid this redemption given so freely, in this day, in this moment alone, breathing through these hands and then heart.   Oh growing pains, thankyou lord, even for those.  Shovel, screef, tree, stomp.  And we will turn this ugly land beautiful.  Shovel, screef, tree, stomp.  Shovel, screef, tree, stomp.  

Tomorrow Day 4.  Bring it!