Working outside the wire at J&H’s this morning.
Whatcha doin’, Uncle Joel?
The hay and other stuff, old tumbleweeds and various sorts of flammables blow onto and through the fences over the course of a year. J, who has a perfectly reasonable fear of fire, likes a fat ten-foot dead zone between the fences and the forces of nature. So for the past two years he has hired me to rake it all up and make it go elsewhere.
I don’t like to price this sort of job by the hour, because I’m in competition with a whole bunch of Mexicans who are younger, stronger and faster than me. The only reason my neighbors prefer to hire me is they know me and are fairly confident I won’t be back later for their belongings. Took about four hours to fill the trailer once, and if I’m lucky I’m half done. Have to go back and finish tomorrow.
It’s not my favorite sort of job, he said with a pained wince. But hey, it’ll be fifty bux in my pocket that wasn’t there before. One thing I do have is lots of time. Days like this, though, I do worry what I’m going to do when I’m really too old. That day’s coming, and the way I feel right now tells me it may not be far off.
Speaking of money, thanks to all who bought the ebook. I haven’t looked today but have sold something over 30 copies just from the blog. That’s a couple of months of internet provider, plus everything I need to insulate the Lair’s floor. That’s the one bit of construction I definitely wanted to finish before next winter, because the Lair’s floor gets damned cold. I’d also love to finish siding the place before the OSB falls apart, but the cheapest solution to that will run over $500 and I don’t see it happening this year.
I’m also taking the chainsaw to the shop next time I go to town. That saw was a very fine investment. Bought it on consignment for $300 and it hasn’t given me a moment’s grief. But it’s gotten me through two winters now and needs maintenance I can’t give it. Every so often you need to have the bar ground, because even with careful use of bar oil they do wear. It’s probably time for a new drive sprocket, and I’ve got four chains that need a good sharpening. And it needs a new choke lever, since the loop broke off and I can’t work it with gloves. But the saw itself is strong like bull.
“fairly confident I won’t be back later for their belongings” Fairly? There is doubt? Looking at yer profile pic, I’m sure your neighbors are in good hands. I tried to be snarkier but don’t know how to do strikethrough text.
Would doubling the time taken for the task reduce the consequent misery sufficiently to justify the lowered efficiency? It’s not laziness, it’s adapting.