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He runs his massive-toothed monster,
gouging holes in the backyards of his neighbors, putting in their
pipes and even the occasional swimming pool, and does it with the
grace of a surgeon. At Bud
McFarland's place the other day, he was there to install Bud's new
septic tank. This was to be a massive septic tank, Bud said, "big
enough so if I want to put in a hotel, I don't have to worrry."
It was a balmy day in May, past
coffee time, and the backhoe master was at work. Bud was standing
there watching Jim work his digging magic in the backyard, along
with half a dozen others, including us. Now and then Jim would just
do something to show off his skill. At one point, when Jim's backhoe
cut through a buried tree root, there was about a foot-long section
of root lying alone at the bottom of the hole.
"Hey," Bud yelled at Jim
good-naturedly, "firewood!"
Jim grinned and reached his long
steel arm down into the hole, gently picking up just the one piece
of wood, lifting it out of the hole and delivering it to Bud's
outstretched hand as though it were the crown jewels.
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column in this article]
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As we watched, Jim lifted the
massive concrete vault of the septic tank and placed it gently in
the hole. Then his helper hooked a chain to the septic tank lid, and
Jim lifted this into the air and swung it over the hole. But instead
of lowering it, Jim stopped the machine in midstride and hollered at
the new septic tank owner.
"Hey, Bud!" he yelled, "Got any
bodies you want to hide?"
The perfect place for a murder
victim. Agatha Christie didn't even come up with that one.
You have to admire professionalism
wherever you may find it.
[Slim Randles]
Brought to you by "Raven's Prey."
Check it out at
www.slimrandles.com.
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