Havnt post much here this summer but been lurking as time permits. Back in June my BIL ( who owns the landscape/nursery that I have worked for, for the last 20 years) got sick and quit coming in to work. My wife and I were forced into running the whole show along with our other duties of getting the work done. Then about 4 weeks ago my BIL died. His wife was talking about keeping the place open for 2 more years and then closing up shop all together. Well, in 2 more years my wife and I will be 58 years old and much less of a marketable commodity in the working environment we are experienced in. Soooo, like a rat abandoning ship I put my boots to the pavement and started looking for a new venture in life. As luck would have it, or I think more by the grace of God, one of my suppliers was looking for a man and since they know me and know my work ethic they got me started on the road to becoming a member of the mining community. Not the below ground kind of mining though. This is a pic of the "mine" I am working at. The first thing I did on this big, big change in my life was to shave my chin whiskers off so I didnt look like a homeless vagabond any more and try to look the part. The company even supplies my cloths so I will never have to wash any dirty work cloths ever again. To be continued...
One of my duties at work is to work in the dried sand end of the operation. Most of it is destined for sand blasting operations but alot of it goes to other purposes. the big dark tub at the left is a huge blast furnace that dries and heats 14 tons of sand to a temp of 300° in under 15 minutes. It then gets screened and sorted into fine medium and coarse grades and put in the appropriate bins. Each of the bins holds around 80 tons. more to come.
I never had an office job before. This is the "shack" that I work in while the drying operation is going. Lots of switches and gauges to watch and lots of electrical stuff so it is on piers for when flooding occurs. Last week since the bins were all full I got yet another office job. From the seat of second office I can move mountains or quite possibly mess up some drivers dump truck but I am getting the hang of it. I am 3 weeks into this new chapter in life and so far I am enjoying it. My co workers are all great and the atmosphere is just super. The main company seems to put a high value on their employees and it shows. I hope I can make this deal work cuz I am to old to be job jumping. It has been a strange and VERY scary ride these past 3 and a half months but I got lots of good folks pulling for me and happy I found something that I dont have to completely demolish my body for just to earn a buck. Thee end.
Well Butcher that looks like a great job. Good coworkers make any day at work feel easier, and a company that values there workers rather than exploiting them is a great thing indeed. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sorry to hear about your BIL Butcher...sounds like you have landed on your feet though...have fun running that Cat
I hope everything works out well for you Butcher. It sounds as though you've found a great place to be in your new job. That second office you've got is SWEET!
I'll tell what my friend, Thursday I took a boat ride out to help Larry change out 6 huge V belts that couple a big Cat and a big Cumins together and I will say that I have a new found respect for the way he makes his living. 10 hours a day on the dredge with no air, listening to them 2 big engines run at 2000 rpm and making sure a 50 foot ladder is getting enough material to make production, and all that goes along with it. I think it takes a special kind of mind set to do that job for over 20 years. I will have to say that it was the first time in my 40 plus years of working that I had to put on a life vest and get on a boat to do the job at hand.
Sorry to hear about your BIL, Butcher. Looks like you're getting along at the new office just fine. Put it back! Put it back! Just kiddin' , brother! I guess sometimes we gotta look the part...
Wow, that is a lot to go through. You are a hard worker with ethics so you'll always land on your feet. Here is to a good working future for as long as you want it!
Sorry about your brother in law Butcher and wish you the best on the new job. Wife started looking for a new job 1 1/2 years ago at a few months shy of 58......4 jobs later and she is pretty happy now again.
