All Good News

I get to work the other day and saw the coolest thing.

Ben (mason tractor) was down at the bone yard with the TD 15 so I headed down to check in with him. Turns out he is all the way at the bottom ware we have a spot set aside to dump broken up concrete and stumps. The flat area I'm talking about is the size of a basketball court and when it gets covered with concrete chunks like it is now Ben will take the 15 down and push all the chunks of concrete over the edge.

I guess it has been a while since he had cleared off the flat because it is covered with a 4 foot deep layer of cement blocks the largest of them would be about 400 lb I would say.

The 15 is no small dozer It weighs in at 20 ton and when it is moving the ground shakes 100 ft away.

It pushes a path through these boulders 12 ft wide. I am standing on a stump watching this huge machine do its work and this mountain of rock moves past me. A minute later at a higher speed the 15 thunders by in reverse following its own tracks on its way to push another load of rock.

From the corner of my eye there is movement and I spot a little mouse and I mean little, couldn't be more than 2 inches long this little guy. He came up on top of the rubble and was obviously wanting to get the hell out of there.

I am standing on this stump ten ft above the ground so I can see the entire flat. off in the distance Ben starts a new push and I watch as tons of rubble builds up in front of the blade and the diesel strains like a freight train pulling cars over the Rockies.

When I look back down at this little mouse he has climbed up to the top of the slab of cement that he was on and peeks over.

It was funny cause when he sees what is coming he jumped straight up in the air about six inches then bolts across this slab to the edge. It made me smile to see his reaction even though I knew his little life was coming to an end.

As Ben gets closer the ground starts rumbling and this must have frightened the little guy enough to make a huge leap from one slab to another ,a distance of about 8 inches. I say to my self good job little guy.

As Ben gets closer I start getting worried the little mouse isn't going to make it and I silently urge the little mouse on .now only 20 ft away this immense pile of ruble goes past me with a deafening sound and a cloud of dust and diesel smoke filling the air.

I was reluctantly turning to see if the mouse made it knowing it was un likely. I was Quickly scanning the area I last saw him but it was gone. I felt somewhat sad for the little guy as Ben rumbles by in reverse.

Suddenly the mouse emerges and is on the run again. I clench my fist and yelled out loud hell yeah he made it. Under my breath I say 'Damn that was close; I thought you were a goner.'

I lose sight of him so I climb down from the stump and start searching from the edge of the rubble. Ah their he is making these heroic leaps and fast dashes across these gaps of cement.

Time after time the little mouse escapes death. I have been rooting him on and jumping up and down when he makes it each time. The little fella is tiring out though and he isn't going to make the final 10 ft. I'm bummed cause that little guy has the heart of an elephant and deserves to live. I figure it is my turn to jump into action.

I climb up on the rubble and start jumping from piece to piece till Ben can see me and hold my fist in the air which means stop and Ben pulls on the levers bringing the dozer to a halt a couple minutes later the little mouse is in the clear and dashes into the brush. I make the signal for Ben to resume and he does.

For me that has a lot of messages in it I hope it does for you as well.