My Little Pony: Worker Birds
Chapter 2: Working Together
The rumble of the twin diesel engines of the shovel coming off the flatbed signaled our arrival to the site. A new apartment building was going to be going up here. Long Haul had two buddies on the job too, Rivet and Jackhammer. They seemed like likable stallions. There were other ponies on the job operating every machine needed on the site.
There were bulldozers and cranes, cement mixers and semi-trucks with dump trailers. The prides of these fore-ponies on the job was a mighty beast of a Bucyrus-Erie 500-H and two semi-trucks pulling dump trailers. Gilda and Gabby's eyes sparkled at the site of all the giant machines, "Alright, girls, let's do this," I said to my two worker-griffons.
We put on yellow hardhats, orange safety vests, and heavy duty leather utility belts and got into our machines. I was at the helm of the Northwest 100DH, and moved her into place with the other shovels. The workers looked happy to see a big hydraulic shovel with a lot of muscle left in her engines. I got my first customer within minutes of settling in.
The first truck was a Peterbilt 379 extended hood pulling a full frame, ox end dump trailer. With nine scoops from the bucket to the trailer, I filled it with ease, and made sure I didn't keep the other trucks waiting in line. The trucks kept the other shovels busy as well. There was a Kenworth W900L and International Eagle 9900I with dump trailers waiting.
"Way to work it, Big Bird!" cheered the driver stallion of the Peterbilt,
"Merci beaucoup, mon amie, I appreciate you and the nickname," I replied via two-way radio,
"This is fun!" cheered Gabby, I had to clean out one of my 'wing-ears' from her voice,
"I'm glad you are happy, Gabby," I replied, it's hard to be mad at Gabby, it really is,
Even the orange and black Bucyrus-Erie 500-H shows it is still majestic in her veteran age. Gabby and Gilda got the honor of having their dump trucks filled by the regal shovel. By noon, it was lunch time and there were a couple food trucks on the site for ponies and griffons. The cellar for the new apartment building were beginning to take shape
One of the food trucks served Indian cuisine, and I got myself some spinach paneer with a side of garlic naan. It was lamb korma for Gabby and butter chicken for Gilda. I sat with my two friends on the tracks of the 119 ton hydraulic shovel, and ate lunch. Our shift starts at around seven o'clock in the morning and ends at five in the afternoon.
Food just tastes better when you work for it. When the horn sounded, it was time to clean up and get back to work. With the help of two Liebherr PR-764 Litronic bulldozers, the ground was leveled out while the rocks and dirt were removed for reclamation needs. There are certain months out of the year when we come to work on a big building project.
The working months fall in the spring, summer and fall. Workers like us get to rest in the winter, and help with the winter wrap-up when the time comes around. It was out first day on the job, and the cellar was taking shape bit by bit and corner by corner. Every machine on the site has a job to do in order to see this new building reach for the sky.
"Good work today," said Rivet seeing a complete cellar dug from the earth,
"It seems we're not the only ones who still use these big ol' machines," said Gabby happily,
"That 500-H is our biggest shovel and our best shovel too," said Jackhammer,
"It does a lot of good to see these machines work, they are beautiful," I replied, smiling
"Indeed they are," said Rivet, it was time to clean up for the day with a cellar now complete. It was now up to other machines to do their part from pouring out the cement for the foundation to laying support beams. I like the name 'Big Bird' as I am nicknamed. Trust me, I am strong but I am a big teddy bear around the little ones and my friends.
"Good work today from all of you, we are happy to have you and your equipment on the job," said Jackhammer, "I don't believe any of the hoopla ponies are spreading about Griffons and Hippogriffs not being good enough, you birdies proved yourselves today, I'll be honest with you Heloise, you're the biggest hippogriff I've ever seen, no offense,"
"Actually I take that as a compliment, I'm not called 'Big Bird' for nothing," I chuckled, we will be back to finish the work tomorrow morning. Working these jobs made me proud to be a Mountain Hippogriff, it is better than some griffons calling me 'pony-bird', 'thunder-flanks', or just plain 'fat'. I am not fat, I am very well muscled and curvy, thank you.
Female mountain hippogriffs are the size of Big Macintosh. The males on average are little bit bigger in height and are just as strong. So I am about the average size. We are big, rugged, and strong folk but also warm and welcoming. We speak two languages in the mountains of the Griffon Kingdom where we make our home: French and German.
"So...we'll be seeing you ladies on the job tomorrow?" asked Long Haul,
"You can count on us," said Gabby with a wink, and thumb talon up to the stallion,
Long Haul smiled, "I hope so, we need all the help we can get around here,"
I patted his shoulder, good thing my big talons didn't scratch him, "That is what we do,"