We found our neighbor fixing a road on our place. A 20 acre landslide on a STEEP slope above the boundary between our ranches broke lose from the rest of the planet creating a Dr. Suess landscape with tilted trees and road sections not connecting. This would have caused a lot of environmental problems if it hadn't been addressed. Our normal rainfall soaking into the crevasses and cracks would have kept the chunk of land sliding downhill to the ocean.... and forget about ever using the road again. He removed the logs and stumps and boulders, then trenched several places so no uphill water would run onto the roadbed, then created ramps so mark could get the dozer onto the site. As he left, he used the backhoe to pull the dead brush from above the road so the dozer could clear it off the roadway. He is always doing things like this and it isn't a minor thing. Fuel for equipment is expensive, not even considering the value of his time and years of expertise. He is an octogenarian and a born and bred Humboldt native. Driving equipment on these steep hills is second nature to him. We appreciate him immensely.
Sometimes he even gets Mark involved. Other-times, like last winter when a culvert plugged, he gets Eric. But most of the time he goes about his good will quietly. Have I mentioned that we really appreciate all the road work he does. I don't know how we would manage without him. He's a worker.
Unlike this calf who can't even take the time to get up to nurse. Also a Humboldt born and bred native, but definitely not our Gil.
A neighbor with heavy equipment and the knowledge to use it is priceless indeed.
ReplyDeleteBill
That's a modern youngster for you. Way too lazy. I know you cherish your good friend as you should. Those kind of friends are few and far between and most are his age who grew up in a time when this kind of friendship was more common. It's a great loos for our day. Maybe we can do a little of this in our own way.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. A good reminder for us all.
Dan