TheBanyanTree: What I learned how to do yesterday....(pics on Facebook)

[Sachet]

A few weeks ago I asked my neighbor if he would teach me how to use his
backhoe. (Well, first I asked his wife if I could ask him since it could
be viewed as an unusual request by some. But not by those that know me
really well <g>.)

I had wistfully watched him working on projects on his own property as
well as for other neighbors since he owns his own excavation business
and has all kinds of big machinery. The backhoe just looked like it
would be a lot of fun...kinda like a huge Tonka toy. So yesterday he
called me up and asked me if I wanted to come out and play. I was so
excited!

Our neighbors are building another house further up the mountain and so
there is a lot of digging to be done as they prepare the land. They've
chosen a beautiful spot near a spring, beside a ravine, behind a knoll
with a wonderful view. I'm kinda jealous of the added seclusion of the
knoll. I'd like to be behind a knoll, too.

First Eric answered all of my many, many questions about the engine,
transmission, gears and levers. Then he showed me how they all work
together and separately to move whatever needs to be moved. The front
loader can take down trees, scoop up 4000+ lb.s of dirt, dump gravel in
a dump truck, grade a road, level land, and all kinds of other things.
Eric explained the physics behind the abilities of both the front loader
and the back hoe.

The back hoe was my favorite! It can scoop up huge amounts of dirt, pick up
boulders as if they are mere rocks, dig a hole wherever needed, shift
the dirt, level ground to a certain degree, serve as a ballast for the
front loader, and other amazing stuff I can't think of atm.
It is the COOLEST thing to gently push on the levers (you
can work the thing with your fingertips, it's *that* sensitive) and
watch the huge bucket reach out like a dinosaur arm, scoop up the dirt &
boulders and then swing it wherever you wish, smooth as silk. It took me
awhile to get the smooth part down because I simply was not expecting it
to be so responsive. I always assumed that the big machine operators had to
muscle the machines into submission. Hydraulics are a wonderful
invention! <g>

Eric was so so patient as he explained everything to the nth degree,
(just like I like it!) making sure that I understood the reasons for
doing things a certain way, the safety guidelines and the incredible
power of the machine. I couldn't have asked for a more excellent
instructor.

Once when I snagged a huge boulder and realized I couldn't budge it,
he took over. Where I had to use one lever at a time, and finally graduated
up to being able to hesitantly using two at a time, he could use all
four levers (plus two levelers that I wasn't allowed to touch) and make it
look like a ballet of graceful, smooth precision. I was in awe even more 
so after I
had been working the levers myself, because I then more fully realized
the amount of mental acuity, manual dexterity, common sense, clear
understanding of physics at work, geology and quick reflexes that are
certainly needed.

Dang, it was fun!!!!!!

Plus, I get to help some more. Too cool or what?!?! Although, when you
compare my pace of digging and moving dirt to Eric's, I think "help" is a
relative term. <g> And after I told Kelli (Eric's wife) what a blast it
was, now she wants to learn to operate it! :-)


Have I mentioned lately, how much I love living here? <g>

....Sachet/Barb/Barbara/Babs <---although only Paul is allowed to call 
me the latter. <g>

(http://www.facebook.com/people/Barbara-Edlen/1074294432#/photo.php?pid=455203&id=1074294432&ref=mf)