Today was a better day than yesterday. We still had the same problems to deal with but all the extra workers left and only the three who work for me stayed at the job site with me and the grand kids. We got a lot accomplished. My brain was on overload and my crew was joking about how I get paid the big bucks so that's why I get to deal with the headaches. Great. So, I decided that "big bucks" needed a break. While they were all hard at work, and the grand kids were pitching in too, I walked over to the backhoe and hopped in.
It didn't look a whole lot different than my little tractor other than it was a big John Deere and mine's a little John Deere. It had the front bucket like mine but in the back had the stabilizer feet and the backhoe. Instead of two pedals for forward and back like mine it had a shifter for forward and back. Looks like fun. I turned the key, pressed the start button, and away I went. (Have I mentioned lately that I love the fact that I have the opportunity to do this where I work?) I decided to grade the driveway at the job site. I also pushed some soil around. It was really easy and not really any different than my little tractor other than having to readjust to the different size of the equipment. I had a great time but more than that, I operated the backhoe! I may not be up to professional work on the backhoe but it's still another skill I can add to my list.
Bigger toys for big people. As much as we joke about "getting" to use these tools, it is fun and the skill to use them may be needed someday.
ReplyDeleteAnd besides it's a great diversion to other tasks at hand. Enjoy the dirt moving.
Serious, I love operating heavy equipment. I don't like forklifts, but can wheel a tractor trailer around just fine. Everything has a learning curve, just play with buttons and levers until you learn.
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