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Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Change of the watch

I've mentioned the road super retires the end of the year. Last January it was a bad joke; this December it's about three days away.

If you haven't followed those last several years, the road super is Tim, the poster child for conservation. Tim who guarded a sunflower in the crack of the township drive from the Memorial Day parade.



Tim who nursed several volunteer pumpkins in the gravel bin for the entire summer. When a full grown pumpkin disappeared, Tim put the rest in his "pumpkin protection program," until he could display them for the kids on Beggar's Night.



Tim with all the snapdragons growing last summer, in the gravel bin.



The weather has been so mild that all the snapdragons continue to grow out there, lush, green little bushes. I took my camera back after lunch to take a picture. I found:



The new road super, who's training with Tim this month, was in the building. I nailed him. Before lunch, he explained, he took a truck load of gravel to fill a washout on Major Road. 



A snapdragon, toes up. We'll see what we get next summer. I also have a new road super to educate.




Tim showed me his first pay stub, from thirty three years ago. He had a delightful story. His first job was on the road department in the village, Peninsula. One day at lunch time the super handed him a pink slip. No more job.

Tim was a volunteer fireman back then, too, and stopped at the fire station, which at the time was in our town hall. He saw Ed Hodges, the township road super, in the yard and told him he had just been laid off down the road, in the village. Ed told him to come back after lunch, he was now hired in the township.

"So," Tim added, "for my entire working career I have been unemployed for exactly half an hour, and that was unpaid lunch time."



Some pictures when I came home. From the world's coolest rain gauge, an inch of rain yesterday. Hence the washout on Major Road.




And, the garden thinks it's spring. There may be hell to pay next summer, but I am loving this weather.

30 comments:

  1. That Tim could grow stuff anywhere! I believe I started to follow you when the sunflower was doing it's thing. I hope Tim enjoys retirement. Things have changed a bit since that half hour he was without a job.

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  2. What an impressive record of Tim's to be employed that long without too long of unemployment! I hope he enjoys his retirement :) enjoy the pleasant weather as long as it is there; that's my motto!

    betty

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  3. I hope you can train Tim's "replacement." Some people can't be replaced.

    Love,
    Janie

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  4. I, too, hope you get Tim's replacement on the right track. You might tell him that there are folks all over the USA (or further) who are watching him and are behind him all the way! Wishing Tim the best!!!!

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  5. We know it is bad for the planet but we're loving this weather as well.
    May Tim have a wonderful retirement.

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  6. might as well enjoy it while we can, weather means constant change

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  7. Tim sounds wonderful. The new guy has big shoes to fill.

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  8. Train the new guy well. We've got stuff coming up that are going to be sorry too.
    Have a Merry Christmas.

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  9. Tim's world famous sunflower! Tim's shoes may be too big to fill.
    Jane x

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  10. Glad you are having good weather, we are having record rainfall and horrible wind

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  11. Your winter is mild, mild winters are so nice.
    Merle..........

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  12. Wow, your winter is very mild. Usually around here that means not enough water in Spring and Summer. I hope you get enough snowpack later in the season. That's a cool story about Tim. I hope he loves his retirement.

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  13. I can't say I was unemployed for such a short time. 2 layoffs but I'm not complaining.

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  14. I hope Tim has a deservedly wonderful retirement.
    I also hope that training his replacement isn't too arduous for you.

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  15. I hope Tim' replacement is a fast learner.
    I'm sure Tim will stop by often enough to help him along.

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  16. I am quite sure you have it in you to train one more road super! He is lucky you are still around to set him right.

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  17. He sounds such a nice man...you are going to miss him.

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  18. You've got some training to do if the new guy is going to fill Tim's shoes. the weather here is very temperate and the altheas think it is spring coming out in new foliage. I have yet to pull my potted tropicals in for the winter. I don't mind it at all but I'm not to thrilled to be batting at mosquitos in December.

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  19. Happy retirement Tim, I can thoroughly recommend it.

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  20. Happy retirement Tim, I can thoroughly recommend it.

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  21. It is hard to see such a talented kind man like Tim retire.

    No snow yet? Maybe the Arctic Vortex is skipping you this year! Merry Christmas!

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  22. You heard that one too - that one season foretells the next one. I do so hope we don't burn up and have a drought next summer. Have a wonderful holiday Joanne.

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  23. Tim doesn't sound as if he will be easily replaced. And I agree about the weather. I hope it stays mild for you for Christmas, and have a lovely celebration!

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  24. Tim doesn't sound as if he will be easily replaced. And I agree about the weather. I hope it stays mild for you for Christmas, and have a lovely celebration!

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  25. Spring has arrived in my garden too !

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  26. Merry Christmas Joanne, to you and all your family.

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  27. I am sure that you will miss him. This was a nice dedication to his years on the job! This weather is crazy isn't it? But I would rather this than piles of snow and ice like last year!!

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  28. What a great story about Tim's half-hour unemployment! All the best to him on his retirement.

    I'm sure you'll have his replacement whipped into shape in no time.

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  29. Hope you had a remarkable Christmas and that 2016 will be the best year yet for you and your family.
    r

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  30. Sorry about the new road super. Yes, you should educate him.

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