Sunday, April 17, 2011

The Road-Grader

Yep, as I mentioned earlier, Miracle Worker horse-traded again!  This time he really out-did himself!  This time the trade comes with a job already attached to it.  It is a ready made job!

MW connecting the fuel tank in the back of the truck to the grader's battery.

The bad news, we still need to pay off a reasonable balance even though trading was involved.  The good news, we only pay a small sum per hour while the grader is in operation.  Even better good news, we don't pay anything during down-time, repairs and maintenance.  The bad news, that's gonna happen.  Just not real soon if we're lucky!

The fuel tank is the L shaped, white box, with the red tool box sitting on top of it.  This is how he's getting fuel to the grader.

Miracle Worker agonized over the decision to do this, because he knows the grader needs maintenance and repair.  This is the biggest risk we've had to take with it.  Until we can get a repair-fund going, we are in operation only by the grace of God.  Well, ALWAYS by the grace of God!  But you know what I mean, we must do our part to plan ahead.

That's how tall these tires are when you compare their height to the level of the truck bed.

The top of the truck isn't even as high as the grader's engine.
So, what I'm sayin' is, "It's Big."

Would you believe me if I told you he taught himself how to operate this bad boy?  I asked him how he did that, and he said it is a life-time of observing how things work and watching the results.
So is that an indication of the sort of boys I'm raising?  COOL!

So there you have it.  An amazing trade, an amazing job, and an amazed wife.  Stunned actually.  But amazed too.  And surprisingly, this man wants me to learn how to operate it one of these days.  The way he looks at it, is if something were to happen to him, I could still run the equipment, making the money I/we need, and we could increase our chances of still being able to live right where we want to live!  Well I sure don't mind that!  Sounds good to me!  Besides, I think things like this are FUN!  It will always trump working in an office job, where I would die a slow, agonizing death, because I don't thrive in environments like that, AT ALL.

Thankfully, MW is the same way and doesn't mind teaching me these things!  It's a match made in heaven!

3 comments:

  1. My Dad has been a heavy equipment operator for all my life(which is over 40) He has always loved it, although it is hard work. I say go for learning to operate the machine. My dad has taught me some things on his, I can dig a hole with a backhoe, and pull my dad out of mud when he is stuck(had to do that a few years ago, it was really fun) I'm like you I have always loved being outside rather than sitting inside. I enjoy doing things that are not the norm, but at the same time staying true to being a wife and momma. Being feminine doesn't mean you can't run the big machines:) Have fun and God Bless

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  2. So... what you're really telling us...is the MW has a thing for all things TONKA! He collects heavy equipment. Well, not collects but likes to play in the dirt.

    I think that is so cool that you want to learn to drive and operate those things. I want to learn to sweat copper, and weld... but so far, I haven't been taught either.

    Well, like Happy Momma-- I say Have fun with it!
    Pat

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  3. I am glad you found my blog as well, and thanks for the post on schools banning from home lunches! I was on some Iowa roads that definitely need to be seeing a road grader! Welcome to springtime and dirt farm roads. lol
    www.crystalcattle.com

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