I do not.
For someone who spent 10 days without power in Ice Storm '98, and 30 hours without power in that big North American power shutdown, plus three days without power in August, 2006, due to the hurricane...well, we love our hydro workers, as well as First Responders here in Ontario.
After the responses to Josephine Loves the Garbage Truck, I knew many would like to see this event.
On the upper left, the crew boss prepares the men before they begin to lift the new pole up to pop it into the hole. We all need a plan of attack!
Here in my small town of Bala, we are raising the roof on a new Habitat for Humanity Muskoka project. Of course, they need a new hydro pole.
I created a separate blog for this building event, as it is a short-term project, and one that I can check on every day.
I find it interesting to look at the photos from day-to-day. You might like them, too, as you can see how a vacant lot becomes a house, thanks to many hands.
Today's post, however, honours those who ensure that we have power.
On this day, Aug. 10th, 2010, they raised a pole after much hard work.
The prep is extensive. My father-in-law died in 1952, doing such work. I trust that we have learned much from industrial accidents.
These rubber thingies protect the wires.
For those who like trucks, and my male readers do comment on these! - you can click below and see the videos I made of the big event in Bala.
There had been a fire in the spruce tree the day before, and they had to install taller poles, since the adjacent homeowner would not allow the trees to be cut.
Acting chief, Schneider, deputy Quinton patrol the scene |
Habitat Bala #1 hydro truck
Habitat Bala #2 hydro pole arrives
Habitat Bala #3 Hydro installing pole
I created a video last year of Hydro crews:
Drilling the Muskoka rock - 2
in order to replace the old poles in our rocky Precambrian Shield. This isn't work for chumps!
Tricky work |
They corkscrew it in |
High wire act |
Dumping in sand at the base |
Wires and cherry pickers |
The homes have walls now |
Mother of all drills |
Lots of trees |
Attach part A to B |
Three poles to go in today |
Jenn's new buddy Frank and his pal |
3 comments:
I knew one of these linesman guys a long time ago. They work very hard in difficult conditions. I am scared to work on normal electricity much less thousands of volts 30 feet in the air! Nice post! W.C.C.
I have done a lot of training for hydro in the past. They are indeed hard working guys!
We were so lucky in the ice storm - power was only out for a few hours! But there was the tornado that went through Woodstock, Ontario, where I grew up in 1979. My young nephews wanted to know why my mother didn't turn on the lights when it got dark.
PS I love your technical language - the rubber thingies, indeed!
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