I took the photo above with my phone yesterday. Another one of those times when my camera was sitting at home and I was wishing I had brought it with me.
You can't see it very well, but on top of that hill, in between the hay stacks, is a tv tower.
As a trucky, Brett's carts chip from forests all over the region. Last week the chipper was operating at the top of the tv tower hill. Being so close to home, the girls and I hitched a ride for one run into the forest. It was pretty cool, and something completely different for the girls in the school holidays.
I wasn't leaving my camera home for that.
I sat up front, and the girls sat in the sleeper cab. They got pull down on the horn a few times.
I never forget growing up in a small forestry town, with trucks rattling past the house all day. Us kids would stand out the front, with our fists in the air, furiously pumping our arms at the drivers, for a horn blast. What fun that was.
There was a spectacular view from the top of the hill, one that isn't visible when the pines are there. I am going back on a clear day to try to capture it better.
A friend who grew up rambling through these forests on his motor bike, commented on the weekend, that I'd better do it now, as when they replant and the trees grow, that view will be harder to see.
I could see all of the wind towers, a great view of town, and Mount Muirhead looked like an ant hill compared to the mountain it looks from town.
Besides the views, the other thing that was uber cool was seeing how they move the chipper. It was a big remote control unit.
It was amazing to see the operater standing beside it with his remote control and this monstrous beast, which I expected to be bigger actually, moving on it's own. Amazing!
On a different note, the inside of the truck looks way more fancy than I imagined. Is that sound insulation or just decorative?
ReplyDeleteI think it is a bit of both. the girls are sitting on the mattress in the sleeping compartment of the truck, which is just a bit fancy with it's lining.
DeleteThe dash of the truck has some fancy panelling around the gadgets too. I think hubby was lucky, he bagged the flash bang truck. I should have taken more photos of the inside of the truck too!
What a fun experience! Great pictures as always too. Your girls must have loved this. They look like they are.
ReplyDeleteFascinating. It was an amazing experience just seeing it all unfold. Just showed my hub who works with timber and we both wondered about the next stage for the chips! Cheers, Denyse
ReplyDeleteI will find out more about that. I know these chips are headed for local mills.
DeleteHe used to cart chip to Portland wharf, where it is loaded onto ships for export, to make pulp overseas, which is imported back into the country to make such things as toilet paper!
Denyse, these chips go to Lakeside Mill in Mt. Gambier, where they are turned into panelboard :)
DeleteSo great for your girls to experience that! What fun!
ReplyDeleteAwesome photos Alicia. What a cool experience for the girls. I didn't do anything this exciting as a kid.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I did anything this cool either.
DeleteI was going to say the inside of the truck looks amazing too! Very comfy. The girls look like they had loads of fun!
ReplyDeleteThe girls sat in the sleeping compartment which is very fancy with a mattress for a snooze on the long trips. Hubby doens't use it much on the short trips he does!
DeleteThe girls must have loved going to work with dad! Interesting photos. I never thought about the fact that they would chip right there on the spot.
ReplyDeleteI think what is left after the log trucks have been through, the logs that are too small I suppose, are yep, chipped right there into the truck.
DeleteI've been looking at this post for an hour because my two year old will not let me change the page! He's obsessed with 'doggies' (any kind of large equipment) and trucks (which he uses an F instead of a TR) so I've basically been sworn at for an hour :P so you have a tiny fan
ReplyDeleteI can imagine this would be very exciting for a little boy, he would have LOVED it out there!
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