"Just finished a book by Christine Byl titled 'Dirt Work, An Education in the Woods'. This woman worked summers on trail maintenance in Glacier National Park, and in several parks in Alaska. She talks about the grunt work, the digging and clearing and loading and discomfort of physical work. She loved it all. Money was not the reward, the work in a beautiful place and the physical satisfaction of tired muscles was. One conclusion she reaches is that 'Labor is the process of birthing. If you push hard enough, labor delivers.' Great quote if you've ever given birth!
"However, another quote anyone who has built anything, worked with tools or just cobbled something together can appreciate is this one:
" "Some of the best advice I've ever gotten regarding upward mobility came from Joel, a co-worker in Denali: 'Duct tape can get you through times without money a lot better than money can get you through times without duct tape.'" Well said!
I assume you all know Teddy, who bred our Lilly, and other treeing dachshunds...
4 comments:
I knew Christine a number of years ago--15 at least--when we were both undergrads in English here in Missoula. We were also briefly in a small writing group together. She was a phenomenal writer even then--a short story of hers she workshopped in one of our classes won a pretty prestigious annual award through one of the lit journals, Ploughshares or something equivalent. Not only a formidable pen, but a kind and lovely person in every respect. I'm thrilled to see she's published this...
"Duct tape can get you through times without money a lot better than money can get you through times without duct tape."
Sounds like someone was paraphrasing the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers underground comics (comix?) . . . where the quote substituted "dope" for "duct tape."
But these days duct tape would do more for me than dope or money...
Frank, Phineas, and Fat Freddy if I recall...
Duct tape is the foundation/building block of life itself. And that last photo, is that of an African Sausage tree in fruit?(ahem!)....L.B.
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