As many know, I work for a power company. I spend my days playing with that one thing that you cant see, feel, touch, taste or smell, until its too late. Ive had transformers blow their top next to my bucket, fuzes blow at the end of an 8ft stick used to energize a circuit. Ive had meter boxes come apart and short as I attempted to pull the meter out. All of those instances make for interesting times in my line of work. Ive been very lucky not to be hurt in the past 25 years.
But today absolutely found me scared out of my wits...............
I had a job to hang around 250ft of wire across 3 different poles. I am a one man crew and this job was going to be the last I worked for this week.
I arrived at the site around 1PM and set up my work zone to begin the work. Pulled off the wire that I needed and got all the other materials laid out so I would not have to hunt anything once I began.
Safety gear..............check
Work zone.....................chec k
Materials ready...............check
Up in the bucket and up the first light pole.
Once at altitude( about 20ft), I pull the existing lines out of the way and get ready to bore a hole in the pole for an eye bolt I will use to hang the wire. I have a hammer drill and a 5/8 inch auger for boring the hole. One last look around to make sure I am clear of any dangers and I bump the auger bit into the pole......
Oh.......
My.......
GOD!!!!!!!!
WHAT THE HELL IS THIS FURRY THING ON MY LEFT SHOULDER!!!!!!!! Where did it come from?????????????????
I am NOT ashamed to say that I screamed like a little girl! My heart went to my throat and I am very lucky that the bottom of my bucket didn't end the week with poo floating in a yellow pond.......
Almost dropped my drill.........May have to stress test the boom after the attack.......I think the entire truck was shaking..........
The light on this pole was behind me. Apparently flying squirrels decided to develop a camp site in that snug, dark, transformer compartment on the light fixture. When I bumped the pole, one of them decided to visit my left shoulder to see what I was doing. When my scream caused his heart to race, he launched off 27 left without contacting departure for clearance. Gliding off to the nearest tree he took the time to look back and me and I swear the little bastage sat there with a smile.....
It gets better.....
So here I am up in my bucket....Ive just had a cute little furry mammal scare the bejeezus out of me and I am trying to calm down to get on with the work. As I said at the start of this note, Ive had transformers/ fuzes blow in very close proximity and not a time did it scare me so bad as this cute furry little terror.
After a few minutes of terror tremors, I once again get my drill up, bump in, NOT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Two more of the little bastages buzz close enough to each ear that I can hear their passing......... You guys that do memorial flights........you could really learn formation flying from these rodents............
I HATE squirrels.....not dislike...................... ..HATE!
I'm just glad there wasn't a police officer around to investigate the screaming little girl!
