Thursday 1 July 2010

Filling in Speech Balloons

It's been really quiet on the other side of the lake ever since a good sized landslide occurred about an hour ago.

Five men are gazing up at the spot where it occurred.

I can't hear what they are saying of course, and I feel a bit as if I am looking at a cartoon and waiting for the speech and thought balloons to be filled.

"Duh, do you think if we dig a little more out in the middle those trees up there will come down with the earth?"

"Yeah, and then we could just scoop everything up with the shovel and cart it away.  No need to dig any more or blast."

"Those are pretty big trees."

"We could get chainsaws and haul them away.  No problem."

"Yeah ... but look where the hydro lines are."

So they ponder the problems they have created on this Canadian holiday when they probably all wish they'd stayed in bed.

A Little Later:

Well, they've decided to go ahead and hope for the best.  A tree came down and hit the hydro line but did not break it and they were able to nudge it away with the shovel ... and that seems to be the plan ... uproot and guide.

Not sure what happens when they leave at the end of the day with trees in jeopardy ... but we will see.

They have an enormous pipe with them and intend to use it to build a tunnel on the inner side of the road.  They hope it will catch falling rock before it hits the road.  So far they have spent twice as much money as they thought they would and they are days, perhaps weeks, away from concluding the work.  The hydro men were supposed to move their poles and erect higher ones than originally intended ... and their visit has been postponed till July 17.  Maybe, just maybe, my peace of mind will be returned to me by the end of July.

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