Amped up to get the new day started Donny was left waiting for Ray. Retrieving the Granada's ownership from the stored car's glove-box he sets it in the house. Coming back out glimpses Ray's Ranger in the distance so Donny walks out to the road.

Stopping at the end of the drive Ray rolls down the passenger window, " Morning Donny. Guess you're ready to go. Sleep any?"

Unimpressed with the late arrival Donny quickly gets in the truck, "been ready for on hour. Figured you'd be late. It's almost eight guy what the hell?"

Shrugging it off Ray gets them rolling, "it happens."

"To you, everyday, what your whole life to I bet?" Donny sighs under breath, "Certainly give me the incentive to get my own ride going. Jeez, you ever been early, or on time for anything?"

Not caring he shrugs again, "nah, but never really seems to be a reason too. Seems if you rush shit happens. Take your time and things work out."

Calming down Donny gives him a jesting jab, "you plan on being late for your funeral too?"

"No. I don't plan anything. It just happens," He smiles drawing out a joint, "you showing for my service?"

Donny jokes, "perhaps, late. Knowing you will be as well."

"Yup." Grinning away Ray lights up the spliff.

Sharing the morning health and safety meeting together Donny relays the evening discussion at home and getting the car on the road. The idea of the greenhouse being raided causes Ray to laugh once then hack out the lungs. Assuring him the place is licensed and regulated Ray does find it plausible it could be a clever cover. In the end stating what Donny did, they would be after those in charge. Their high minds see lack of importance or authority there as a good thing.

Arriving after eight they're met by Stephanie Epper, who'd been waiting to take Donny to the Trim-room for introductions.

On their walk over Donny inquires about the validity of offered advancement of funds. Annoyed with Ray's tardiness she ensures it can happen. Spying an old bicycle in the storage barn Donny toyed with the idea of riding in. Both know that's not ideal when winter snows blow through.

All geared up in protective garments Donny and Stephanie enter the Trim-room. A classic rock'n'roll station plays within the space while the workers snip away chatting to one another. Stepping through a disinfectant foot mat Stephanie locates the room Lead.

As the room Lead-hand inputs data into a laptop Stephanie makes the introduction, "Good-morning Bill. I have our newest hire here Donny Hotten." She glances at Donny, "this is your Lead-hand Bill McLean. He'll run over what's expected of you in here."

"Sure, sure, thank-you Stephanie," Donny watches Bill finish up on the computer, "Good morning, hope I can help out here."

"I'm sure you can," Bill finishes and turns about to size up Donny, "and Good Morning to you. It's pretty simple in here, just get you a pair of snips and find you a stool." He looks over to the conveyor, "oh there's one open over there already."

Glancing that way Donny notices the seat between two of the workers snipping away. "Seems simple enough. Do they hold it by the branch to avoid getting too sticky?"

"Yeah, but it does still add up after a few dozen," He opens a couple drawers locating a pair of snips, "Also keeps from losing too much THC from contact. Also figured it be easier to dry on the stick, hanging vs drying trays."

Stephanie adds to the trays, "those things seem to cost us too much time. They have to be cleaned, sanitized and dried before they can be used again."

"Yeah and of course all the loss from trays dropped or moved too quickly." Finding a pair of snips Bill hands them to Donny, "here you go. Take a seat, grab up a budy branch and trim off the excess leaves."

"Done that before," Donny takes the snips, "thanks." Turning he makes his way over to the workers.

"Anne!" Bill calls out to the worker on the right of the empty stool.

Hearing him Anne looks over with curiosity, "yes?"

Bill points to Don, "this is our new hire Donny. Show him what we look for."

"Okay." She waves to Bill and watches Donny approach, "not much for bugs today. No mold so far either."

"Oh good." Bill smiles turning to Stephanie with a query about recent protocol changes.

"Hello everybody," Donny nervously introduces himself to the group, "I'm Donny, I'm okay with Don but please no Donald."

He gets a few heys' from the locals and nods from the migrants.

As he sits down Anne names off the group, "Hi Donny, I'm Anne," she motions to the woman across from her, "this is Emily."

Donny waves to those who spoke and nods to those who nodded, "Hello, Hi Emily."

Emily waves while Anne carries on pointing out the man sitting beside, "This is Pete and the gentleman drawing out buds for us is Jose."

Donny waves, "Pete, Jose."

Pete gives a two fingered wave, "Hello." While Jose nods, again.

Anne continues, "Jose understands more than he can speak, but a sweetheart." She points to the remainder of the group, "That's Strother beside you and Marlena beside him. Next to Emily is Louisa, he speaks English just fine so don't let him fool you."

"Hey," Louisa is disappointed, "thanks Anne no how am I suppose to pretend I can't understand him."

The group chuckles as Anne makes note of the next guy, "That's Ricky, watch out for that practical joker. Supposedly he doesn't understand English but we think he understands more than he lets on."

Louisa shoulder bumps Ricky, "He's figuring it out day by day."

"At the end there is Angelina," Anne turns to Marlena, "you're all from the same town?"

She nods but clarifies, "same, as you'd call it here county. Angelina, Ricky and Jose live outside the town Louisa and I grew up in."

Donny nods and waves to the group asking Marlena, "so are you and Louisa married?"

"No." She quickly states, "We're both married to other people. But he and I and our spouses grew up together."

"Oh I see," Donny feels the need to explain, "just saw the wedding rings under your gloves and you two sitting side by side."

They smile but shake their heads no getting back to snipping off leaves.

Finishing the bud in hand Anne sets it down picking two more up than hands one to Donny, "Try not to touch the actual buds and snip these leaves off as close to stalk as possible. And while we have them in hand we check for any creepy crawlies and mold," she demonstrates a mold check by inserting the snip's spring loaded blades into the bud. Relaxing the grip allows the spring to open up the blades and bud so a quick check of the inside can be made, "This ones good and so are most. We'll warn each other if we see anything unwanted."

"And what do we do with the unwanted?" Donny watches how each one snips leaves than slowly gets to it.

Anne points down under the conveyor, "toss them in these bins. We'll figure out what's to happen with them later."

"Is that where you're putting the leaves too?" He watches most let their leaves drop to the floor.

"That would be ideal," Anne finishes the one in hand setting it down, "but they tend to float down where they want anyway. And we have to completely sanitize the room after so sweeping up leaves is nothing."

"Oh okay." Donny makes a first day attempt to get as many leaves in the waste bin as possible. Only to have many miss anyway.

At first break Anne, Emily and Pete offer Donny a cigarette while they lead him to the smoking area off site in the woodlot. Anne and Emily were sharing thoughts on a friend and new mother, having children of their own made light of the new mother's ideas and mistakes. Pete being quiet simply smoked the cigarette. Donny felt awkward with them unsure how to work into the ladies conversations and figured Pete's not a talker.

Gathered under the covered picnic tables the migrant workers talked in Latin laughing away. Able to see and hear them Donny wonders if they might be more fun to get to know.

After break Donny saw the exciting change-up in the room with everyone sitting on the opposite sides. Told it aids in saving on back pain from twisting only one way, he shrugs and slowly snips away.

Trying to pick up the pace Donny attempted to snip quicker on a thin branch cutting it through. Not wanting the bud to hit floor swiftly dropped the hand still holding the other branch and buds. The falling section hits his hand so he opens the fingers to grasp it. However the falling piece knocks the other section out of fingers and both segments hit the floor. As Donny's face turns red in embarrassment he looks down wanting to snap it off the floor. Feeling eyes upon him looks to the crew around who are all watching. Though their mouths are covered by surgical masks he can tell they're all smiling to some degree, "opps, sorry about that." Glancing down thinks of the street value of the wasted weed, "Can't believe that just happened."

Shrugging and going back to work Pete utters, "it happens."

Anne simply suggests, "try and keep it over the conveyor. Then if you drop it we can still save it."

"I am so sorry," Donny's almost disgusted with it, sorry for the waste and sorry he can't smoke it either.

Emily points out, "it's okay. At least you didn't knock over a bin." She and Anne look to Pete, who now pretends he's not listening.

Louisa tells Donny, "when we get into the rhythm and start talking sometimes the buds go popping off and hit the floor. The owners here still make their money."

"Oh good to know." Donny returns to a slower pace for the remainder of the shift.

At lunch break Anne, Emily and Pete invite Donny to join them at their usual table. Again the girls carry on where they left off and he and Pete quietly eat. The Latin group joins with the others from the greenhouse, interacting like a big happy family.

Able to get a better look at his new co-workers Donny begins to recognize faces from the community. Certain Anne lives in town isn't sure where Pete and Emily are from. The lead-hand Bill wanders through with Mike Caldwell and Tony from the greenhouse, grabbing their lunches before continuing outside. Bill too resembles a face from town.

Almost one after the other the Latin ladies take off their hairnets. Letting their hair loose to straighten it out before securing it tightly in buns and tails. Two of the women's silky lock drops and shake-outs catch Donny's male, attention; Angelina who has an angelic face fitting of her name. The other a perfectly pretty girl-next-door face, standing she reveals a desirably curved figure with heart shaped bottom. Appearing more like a beauty pageant girl he wonders what she's doing working here.

Bored waiting for the lunch break to end Donny asks Pete if the migrants are usually so lively together. Pete merely points out they're all part of the same agency and most of them are living together to make rent cheaper for them in order to send more money back home to family there. Attempting to inquire about the 'girl-next-door' Pete only knows she works in the greenhouse.