Friendly Forest Products

This is our third or fourth lumber grading trip this year. Yes that is true, we still go and personally inspect the shipments.
This was an exceptional run traversing several Latin countries, many a bad road and good bars. Bars, well of course that is where business is negotiated and many bocas are eaten.
One very memorable night after returning from a nine hour grueling road trip, and I mean grueling, no espresso, no food and not even stopping on either of the four plus hour dusty legs. I quickly showered and hit street.
Wow! A Harley Davidson extravaganza outside my hotel. There was TV news coverage for this charitable event I later learned from my associates as they pointed me out on the TV howling while astride a motorcycle with a local model clenching me tightly.
It is really amazing the things you have to do to make a good impression in the lumber business. Well it was really all for charity anyway.
My standing joke for the trip “sleep police”. You cannot get more than two hours of sleep without the sleep police pounding on your door.

Oh Yea the lumber was great!
Excellent Mahogany from managed forests.
We also saw one of the best Teak plantations ever. Perfect trees about fifteen years old, tall, straight and no lower branches. They averaged about 400 board foot a tree with I am sure near forty percent clear lumber. This plantation will harvest in another five years. Patience is the key.