It’s a great summer job. I was lucky to score it.
University’s expensive, and this pays really well.
I am the layout engineer. It’s my job to ribbon off the blocks
All I really have to know is how to read topographical maps and love the outdoors, so…it’s perfect.
I’m one of the survivors.
This last decade’s been tough on the industry.
Most of the cream’s gone and now we’re fighting over the rest.
Sure, sometimes I don’t have time to view all the blocks before I bid,
but hell, at one time or another I’ve worked most of this country.
Alright, so, there’s two viewing blocks.
Each is an area of approximately nine hectares, with 400 cubic metres per hectare.
There’s good value fir here,
with one of the blocks having some added difficulty of the riparian zone off the bottom finger.
Do you guys want to go for a walk?
Looks pretty straight forward to me. I’m good.
I’ll take a look.
What do I do? I design the blocks.
They’re built to maximize the cut.
We have to get about 7,000 cubic meters from both blocks to make it worthwhile.
No, I’ve never worked as a faller. Why?
Al... Allan!
Who is it? It’s Bjorn.
Yeah?
Hey, I’ve got two months up near Harrison. You want it?
You sure? My cousin offered me six months of framing.
You know how tight things are.
I’m pretty sure I’ll have more after that. Maybe enough to run right through December...
It’s not just me, Bjorn. It’s Kathy, the kids...
I know.
Who am I working with?
Just me and you, buddy. I’ll see you Monday?
Yeah.
It’s tough enough finding experienced fallers these days, yeah.
Holding on to them’s another thing.
Al’s a good one.
I don’t have to babysit Al. But it’s his call if he doesn’t like the set-up.
Hell, if it was easy, I’d just hire some kids.
‘Morning. ‘Morning.
What’s with the finger dropping down in the gully?
Who the hell put this together?
Apparently there are some nice trees down there. You know engineers, it’s all about maximizing the cut.
Great. So where do you want me to drop the trees?
Look, they said you could take some of the reserves. Just take what you feel comfortable with.
No, we need to take a walk.
I don’t have time to take a walk, Al. I gotta get some wood on the ground.
I’ll be back this afternoon and we can talk about it then.
I hate it. I absolutely hate it. Every time he leaves for work I worry.
Everyone’s cutting corners and it just falls on him.
We’ve got bills, and if he complains...
What’s he going to do?
[In background] I am the layout engineer.
It’s my job to ribbon off the blocks.
All I really have to know is how to read topographical maps and love the outdoors, so…it’s perfect.
Bjorn, it’s Al. Look, this bottom finger’s crazy.
I’ve got a riparian zone with the trees leaning into it.
I’ve got nowhere to fall this stuff. It’s no good.
Look, it’s not like I can go back on the bid.
I’m hanging my ass out on this job, Al. Just do the best you can.
You guys gotta understand, it’s not like the old days. I can’t just walk down the hall and talk to an engineer.
Everything is bidded out, contracted, subcontracted. You either deal with it or you walk away.
I knew this was going to happen. I just knew it. It was just a matter of time.
Al’s a pro, that’s why I hire him.
Christ, he’s been falling since he’s been a kid.
He knows what it takes to get the job done.
[Chainsaw noises]
I’m not blaming Bjorn, I’m not blaming the companies, but...that’s not right.
I know we might cut a corner here or there, but if I didn’t Al’d be out of work.
Hell, I’d be out of work.
I’m so tired of this.
Al got lucky this time. This time.