Rings of a Forester by Michael Payne

Rings of a Forester is the author's inaugural foray into the somewhat lonely, scary world of recording one's thoughts on a blank page.

Perhaps every generation sees themselves as those chosen to bridge the gap between the idyllic times of a bygone era and the reality of today's busy world. For some completely unknown reason it just seemed important for the author to share some of his experiences, thoughts and sensibilities. 

Michael Payne grew up in the 1950's and 1960's, the only son of an Oregon logger. Like many folks of his baby boom generation, he was raised in two worlds, with one foot firmly planted in the hills and the other foot probing forth toward a more citified life style. The first of his family to attend college, he received two bachelor degrees in forestry from Oregon State University. Forsaking the family logging business, he began his forestry career in 1974 as a summer intern in Dallas, Oregon for Willamette Industries, Inc; a company purchased by Weyerhaeuser in 2002. His entire career has been spent working for these two great forestry industry leaders.