The Loggers Wife

So far on this blog I have only given myself the title of "mom".  In addition to being "mom"...I also hold the title and distinct honor of being a loggers wife.  It is a life not known to many.  I thought I would share a little bit about that part of my life. 

Awhile back I found an article on the Internet in which a logging wife was interviewed.

She was probably in her late 60's and her views on things were so different than what my own would be. I kept thinking about this interview and wondering what answers I would have given. So I thought why not take those questions and conduct a one-on-one interview of sorts. I thought this would give folks some insight on what the life of a logger’s wife is like.

How are you connected to the logging industry?  My husband is a logger. He cuts, skids, trucks, sells, buys, and markets.

Where does he log?  Brian logs in Northeastern PA in the Poconos. People often wonder why we are on the east coast as opposed to the west coast where all the "big" trees are growing. First, this is where his families business brought us and where we built our own business. Second, hardwoods are what Brian knows. Hardwoods include those woods that get turned into the pretty veneers that make for example the nice furniture. There is more money in a single log of cherry than perhaps a truck load of the trees you cut out west. When folks say money doesn't grow on trees....they are mistaken.

What was your background before you met your husband? I am a military brat who grew up in Germany. I lived there for a little over a decade. I came to the United States in 6^th grade. I lived in the Baltimore area for 3 years before my dad retired from the Army and before moving to the Winchester area. It was in high school that I met Brian, but we did not start dating until after graduation. Upon graduation I worked my way through community college where I received an associate’s degree in liberal arts. Once completing this degree I moved to Shippensburg, PA and began attending Shippensburg University. It was here that I received my bachelor’s degree in social work with a strong concentration in gerontology. Brian proposed to me the day I graduated from college. We were married approximately 5 months later. Once we got married we moved to the Poconos. A year into our marriage we started our own business.  It began as a partnership with a close family friend, but like most partnerships, it didn't work out and it became a sole proprietorship. While Brian was working at establishing a business I worked for the Army doing social services. Being that we were new to the business world I decided to educate myself further on the "ins and outs" of running a business. I enrolled into the local community college and obtained my Small Business Management diploma via the Internet. Those classes proved to be extremely helpful and really helped get things with the business off and running. Once our business became successful and when we felt we were financially stable, we decided to start having children. It was August 2008 that Ava was born and when I started staying home and becoming a stay-at-home mom. In addition to my home responsibilities, I take care of the "paper" portion of our business. I do all the accounting, tax work, banking, errand running, marketing, etc.  I am grateful for having this work to do at home because it keeps me in touch with technology and allows me to exercises my brain on a daily basis. I never in a million years thought I would be doing "math" for a living. My whole life I struggled with that subject and actually got my social work degree because it required no math skills and here I am working with numbers on a daily basis. Never say never because more than likely you will do what you say you will never do!

Was it odd to marry a logger?  No, why would it be odd to marry a logger?

Did you ever think you'd marry a logger? I didn't grow up planning to marry a logger, it just happened.

What was a typical day like for you? My days now revolve around Ava. I get up when she gets up and when I am done feeding her and she is playing I will begin to do some of the daily house chores. Then when morning nap time rolls around I will finish up the housework and begin my computer work. In the morning I will typically do whatever bookwork needs to be done and catch up on emails and what not. During the afternoon nap time is when I will do more of the things I enjoy such as my blogging and catching up on a favorite TV show and this is if we are not out running errands. Toward the evening hours Ava becomes more high maintenance and most of my time is spent entertaining her, getting dinner ready, getting Ava ready for bed, and packing Brian's lunch for the next day.

Would you have wanted your own children to go into the business?  Only if they want to.  Often time’s family members feel obligated to stay in the family business even if they are not interested. I have told Brian over and over again that if we have a son I do not want him to pressure him into staying in the business. I would like our children to make their own decisions on what they want to do in life. If they are pressured to be in a business they are not interested in then they will only resent that business and that occupation and I don't feel that is a way to live out ones life. Because logging is Brian's passion...it does not mean it will be our children's passion. As for Ava and Stef, if they feel they want to be involved some how in the logging business, then more power to them. However, they will not be pushed to do that by any means.

How do you live with the danger of Brian's occupation? Is it always in the back of your mind?  Yes, it is always in the back of my mind because I don't know what I would do without Brian. However, this is the occupation he knows and loves and I would not let my fears shadow him. I put my faith in God's hands that he will determine Brian's daily safety in the woods. Brian's fate is determined only by God so whatever happens is up to Him.

The logging goes on unless too much snow falls or the weather during the summer is too dry. When they have these shutdowns is this a problem? It is definitely stressful. This business is what puts food on our table and when he is unable to work it can be stressful.

There are a lot of overhead costs in addition to our daily living costs. We must meet the monthly equipment costs, fuel costs, maintenance charges, and have enough money in the bank in order to purchase the timber that we will then cut. However, weather is not the only thing that can affect the productivity of the business, the state of the economy also plays a huge role. Right now with the housing market doing so poorly and being in the midst of the economic crisis, the logging business has taken a HUGE hit. Logs are not "moving" like they should therefore saw mills and veneer companies are not buying timber like they typically do. Those that are purchasing logs have lowered prices immensely therefore the value of a log is not what it was a year ago. Remember, a year ago things were okay so we purchased timber and equipment not knowing there was an economic crisis on the horizon. Now it is a daily struggle making the business stay above "water" in difficult times.

Was there ever a time that your husband thought about doing something else?  No, never, this is what he was born to do. This is all he has ever done, all he ever wants to do, and all he will ever do.

Was there ever a time that you wished he'd done something different? There are definitely times where I wished he had a 9-5 office job. The nights that he doesn't get home until bedtime or on weekends when most husbands are with their families, mine is working. Day after day, month after month of this type of schedule can be tiring on him and me alike. It is not an easy life and it would definitely be easier if he did something else but I don't think that something else is worth Brian's happiness.

Does your company have problems competing with the larger companies? Our area is very competitive in the logging industry. There are lots of "big" cutters out there with large crews and lots of equipment and then there are lots of the "little" guys our there who work alone on a limited amount of equipment. We have learned that word of mouth is what will make you or break you in this business. There are a lot of loggers out there that use dishonesty to try to get ahead but it never works for them. Stealing logs or ripping off landowners will never get one ahead. A logger must have an upstanding character and maintain their integrity in order to make it in this business and be successful. Brian has established himself in our area as a knowledgeable and honest logger and that is how we choose to edge out the competition.

How has logging shaped your life? Before marrying Brian I was an extremely independent person. I have always been quite self sufficient and when setting my mind to something I have typically achieved or made that something work in my favor. It takes a very independent person to be a logger’s wife. I have found that I have had to learn how to do "everything". In order for Brian to get done everything he needs to do on a daily basis he needs me to pick up the slack of his household chores. I am often the one underneath the sink fixing the pipes, working in the yard, painting, getting the screwdriver out to fix something, etc.

Does your husband want to step in and do things that are normally yours when he is off?  Hmmmm......him being off is not something I can easily conceptualize. He is so rarely off that it is hard for me to think about an answer for this question. With the baby he will help give her a bottle and play with her a bit on the days he is off. In the summer those are the times he will try to mow the lawn, when he has some time off. Other than that I would have to say no. He is so rarely off that when he is he needs to relax some or he would wear himself out physically to the point he could hurt himself or get sick.

What is the best part of being married to a logger? Being married to someone that is a hard worker and has the initiative to work in a business that is not easy or for the weak.

Hardest thing about being married to a logger? Never having him around and having to worry about him in the woods.

Are you typical of a logger's wife?  Every year we attend a logging conference and it is there that I get to meet other logger’s wives. We are by far the youngest participants so it is hard to compare myself to these wonderfully brave and courageous women that have lived through this industry much longer than me. However, I do feel like I am on the right path to being a "typical" logger’s wife. I have learned to do things around the house that are not typically expected of the wife, I do the books, and I am extremely independent and self sufficient.

What would you want people to know about your life as the wife of a logger?  Most important things?  That it isn't easy. People so often don't understand what all Brian does and often judge him for not being home with his family more. This is the path he has chosen, and it isn't an easy one, and often things have to be sacrificed in order to make this business work. But I have learned that those sacrifices are for his family and he could have chosen and easier "path" in life but he didn't take the easy way out. He chooses what makes him happy and I choose to stand by his side all the way through the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Any last words?  I didn't complete these questions to "honk" my own horn or play the "woe is me" card. I love my life and I wouldn't change it for anything. It is just a different way of life that many are not familiar with and I felt compelled to share some of the details our life to those interested.