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Anthony Lorson has been cutting timber since 1979. That's 47 years of mornings and afternoons spent cutting logs into lengths to bring back to his home in Linden where they are chopped into smaller pieces for firewood for his customers.
There is a precision to the two huge piles of logs, probably 10 log lengths across and 25 feet high, that are neatly stacked at the Lorson farm, waiting to be cut into the shorter pieces typically used for firewood. They are a testimony to the hard work that Larson, who just turned 69, puts in every workday, unless the weather keeps him at home.
Proudly displayed on the home's garage are three Hometown banners of Lorson, who served in the military. That same pride goes into the hard work that Lorson does.
"I go to the woods every day, and cut and skid trees down, pull them into a landing, and then haul them home here, or haul them to a customer, so that they can cut them up and process them themselves. Or I process them here on my property to deliver cut and split with," Lorson said.
"Part of the pride I take is that I've cut on the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). I've done a lot of salvage sales, firewood sales, utilizing damaged, diseased trees, and I've worked for private landowners, and I've worked for the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Forestry Division. That's where I'm working right now," he said.
Timber salvage sales are held in order to get some value from dead or diseased trees and on state-owned lands it helps to maintain the health of the forest and cut down forest fire risks.
"When I first started, I had two and sometimes three guys working for me. I processed wood for Procter and Gamble, which is up in Mahoopany, the toilet paper factory. Eventually they cut out this area here because it was too far away from the factory. So I decided to go toward firewood and logging for local sawmills," Lorson explained.
Now, his work entails operating a chainsaw from the ground to fell trees and then hook them to a skidder to drag the logs to a landing area where he processes them to be hauled onto a log truck. He does not climb trees to cut them down.
"I do not do lumber. If I have larger trees that I'm unable to get through my firewood machine, I make those into what's called a tie cut, which is made into a railroad tie. It goes into a sawmill, but that's a small part of it," he said.
When Lorson graduated from high school, he worked with his uncle as a carpenter, which he enjoyed and admitted that if things hadn't taken a different turn, he probably would still be in that profession.
"One of the best educations I ever got. My uncle Fran was a great mentor for me, and he taught me a lot of valuable skills," Lorson said.
"But then I met my future wife, and her father was in the logging business," he said.
One winter when the carpentry business slowed down, his father-in-law offered him part-time work.
"I really enjoyed what I was doing, and it developed into a job for me, and then he eventually retired. (I) took over his business, and it has become my career," he said.
Lorson's job finds him out in all types of weather and terrain which is one of the things he enjoys about the life he has chosen.
"The thing that I like about it the most is it's hard work in all kinds of conditions. I like to think that I am made for the extremes. I've worked in 10 degrees, 15 degrees below zero, and right now I'm working in the humid 90 degree temperatures, and as I have aged, I can't go quite as hard as I used to. But I still take pride in being able to do it," he said.
Lorson and his wife, Barbara have been married for what will be 46 years on Saturday.
They have raised six children, three boys and three girls. One son is also in the logging business while two of his sons built small businesses selling firewood while they were working their way through college.
The girls too have helped with Lorson's business when they were younger.
"They were always helpers. Yes, my girls and I think they'll tell you that they learned how to work from me, and I take pride in having a good work ethic, which came from my grandfather and my father, who always said, "Don't put off until tomorrow what can be done today, and that pertains to your spiritual life, your married life, your work life, your financial life, all phases of life," Lorson said.
"I tell people I keep doing it so I keep doing it. And I tell my firewood customers just keep buying wood and keep stacking wood and carrying it in your wood stove, just keep doing it so you can keep doing it," he said.
"A lot of those people are elderly also, and have been with me for the whole 25-30 years-a lot of very loyal customers," he added.
Although the work is hard and physically demanding-he's been injured twice- Lorson doesn't plan on stopping any time soon.
"Because I'm in good shape and this business keeps me in good shape, I plan to not retire, and I hope to be able to do it until I can't do it anymore. My body tells me to slow down-I'm not too proud to admit that. I don't work long hours like I used to, and I don't do the real hard physical work in the woods like I used to. But I still enjoy being involved in timber harvesting and processing firewood," he said.
Lorson recently entered a contest sponsored by Red Wing Shoes because he has been wearing the company's steel-toed boots for all the years he's been in business. Out of all the contestants across the country, Lorson did not win, but was one of ten finalists.