Imagine it’s January 1848, you are a construction worker building a timber mill in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California.
Large pine trees surround you on all sides. It’s a bright winter day but cold.
You can smell fried sausages nearby, as the cook prepares lunch.
Your team is digging a canal to divert water from a local river to power this new mill and it’s nearly complete.
You’re eager to get the work done.