It's Logger, not Lumberjack

In 1962 the Deming Log Show captivated its first audience. Designed to be a fundraiser for severely injured Loggers, who historically do not have medical coverage, the Deming Log Show has entertained thousands and helps hundreds of families.

Ranked 3rd in the Top 10 most Dangerous Jobs (according to CareerBuilder.com), Loggers have a particularly life-threatening job. Their duties include cutting down and transporting timber. As such, the very nature of their greatly-needed work places them in constant jeopardy of being killed by heavy, falling objects like chains, chokers, tower lines, branches, and of course, trees. Their risk is increased by the steep hills on which they log and the hazardous weather in which they so very often work, including rain, sleet, snow, and wind.

Following in his family's footsteps, my husband was a Logger through college so he could pay for his flight time (funny, the second most dangerous job is landing on an aircraft carrier - I guess someone else besides me thought that hurling something moving 400 mph onto something the size of a postage stamp while said stamp is moving up and down by dozens of feet might be a tad perilous!) I promise you, however, that he does not have a death-wish!

Here in the Pacific Northwest, Logging is a way of life. Washington is known as the Evergreen State for a reason. The area of Whatcom County is only a little over 100 years old. My husband's family, the Zenders, were one of the founding families of this beautiful area. In fact, my husband's grandfather had ten siblings - eight brothers and two sisters. The nine boys made up a semi-professional baseball team named the Deming Loggers, who dominated local leagues and finished second in their national tournament in Wichita, KS, in 1956. Had they won that game, they would have gone on to play in the world tournament in Milwaukee.I should brag that four of those brothers were recruited by the majors - Yankees, Cardinals, and the Dodger organization.

The concern would never be winning the championship, but the work at home here in Whatcom County. You see, these brothers also owned Zee Brothers, a Logging company - one of the most famous in the Pacific Northwest. In fact, while many across the area knew them as baseball players, they were also well-known as one of the "slickest high-lead" (according to Jack Kintner, writer for the Mt. Baker Experience, summer 2007) logging outfits in the state!

The Zender brothers logging company made quite a name for itself around this area, and earned a quite a stellar reputation in the logging industry, but also as genuinely good human beings. Long retired, and down a few brothers, you can find these guys around Deming, Washington, active in their church and sitting as Patriarchs to their very large families indeed.

Every second weekend in June, the Deming Log Show provides breath-taking entertainment to an eager audience. Showcasing the basics of Logging, the Loggers put on a great program filled with healthy and fun competition in a variety of categories. From log-climbing, ma & pa buckin' (husband and wife team tree sawing), and log rolling to BBQ and pimped-out chainsaws, spectators are never slighted an amazing feat of strength and courage.

You will see suspenders, cut-off Dickies at the ankle, and corks (the boots Loggers wear), and when you watch these very brave individuals, it will occur to you as it did me, how very strong yet agile Loggers are.

This year, the 47th Log Show will be June 13-14. With over 30 events in a four hour period, you will witness both old and new methods and technology in the Logging industry. Very popular in our neck of the woods - no pun intended - guests attend from all over Washington and British Columbia.

I had no idea when entering the Zender clan back in 1994, that it was such an iconic family. I am proud to be a member of the Zender family, and it warms my heart to know that my husband followed in some amazing footsteps. The tales of his experiences shed merely a dim light to the dangers of Logging, and he alone had many close calls. This event in June raises money for those families whose Loggers were badly injured. I am proud to support such a non-profit. Had I not married Tony (the Logger-Fighter Pilot husband) and become familiar with the colorful and humble history of his great family, I would never have given Logging a second thought. I would still be calling them lumberjacks. And by the way, do not ever call a Logger a Lumberjack!

I will be purchasing ad space in the program with the phrase - Treating Every Client Like Family. Just Google the Zender name here in Whatcom County; it's amazing. My father was performing a background check on my husband's family before I got married (that's aBlog for another time) and he did not meet a person who had not heard of the Zender name! Thank you for reading.