A Slice of Life
Bill Lites
Now the operator very slowly and carefully lowered the pole into the hole as the other three workers helped guide it perfectly into position. I couldn’t believe that small Altec machine could lift and position that heavy pole as easily as it did. There didn’t seem to be anything the operator couldn’t do with that mobile Altec machine.
Photo Credit: Bill Lites
The operator continued to hold the pole in place as the three workers filled and packed sand around the base of the newly installed pole. It didn’t take long for them to finish that task, and they stepped away to verify that the new pole was properly aligned.
Photo Credit: Bill Lites
Once the pole was aligned and secured, the operator unclamped the jaws and lowered the crane so the hoisting cable could be removed. The Altec machine support legs were retracted, and the machine was driven back around, thru the woods, and replaced on its trailer and secured. The portion of the field fence that had been removed to support this operation was replaced (better than before it was removed) and the job was complete.
Now it will be up to the power company and the telephone company to schedule the movement of all the power & telephone lines from the old pole and transfer them to the new pole before we can be connected to the new high-speed fiber optic system.
Photo Credit: https://images.yahoo.com/lineman
To our surprise, it was only a couple weeks later that the internet provider called to inform us that a technician would be arriving the next day to connect our new high-speed fiber optic system. I informed her of the status of the new power pole, and that no cables had been transferred from the old pole to the new pole yet. She said she didn’t know about that and that she would inform the necessary people to get that job done.
Image Credit: https://images.search.yahoo. customer-service/clipart.
I guessed it would be another month before we could expect someone to come transfer all the cables from the old pole to the new one, since I assumed it would involve coordination between the power company and the telephone company. But then a couple of days later we received a message on our answer machine that a technician would be showing up the next day to hook us up to the new high-speed fiber optic system. When he arrived, I showed him the poles and explained the whole story to him. He said he would need to assess the situation before he could continue.
Image Credit: https://images.search.yahoo.com/computer.technician
When he came back, he said, “I don’t know where that other guy got his information about going up that pole being a safety issue, but I have no problem going up that pole and connecting you to the new high-speed fiber optic system.” I didn’t argue with him, as we were ready for that new system. He proceeded to made all of the necessary outdoor connections at the pole, and then came into the house to run the high-speed fiber optic cable to my computer.
Image Credit: https://images.search.yahoo.com/telephone+repair/
—–To Be Continued—–
Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 65 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing. He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville. Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.
One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is: John 10:10
Old Things R New 
It was fun watching, not so much, maybe for the workers. But they did a good job.
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