Off the Wall

[Dave Dow]

The Friday after Thanksgiving I went into work early so I could get some snow removal done early( that is 4:00 am Eastern Time ). That night we got our typical 7" snow fall. I started to plow the snow into a big pile so I could get into my loader( 1956 model with a little heater and cab ) and carry the snow across the street and dump the snow over the hill. I own the property across the street it was a old gas station. The back side of the property has a great view of the portage canal with a 130 foot drop to the next street on the back side and about 70 feet on the side of the property. I had one of my wrecker drivers with me when I was plowing, he jumped into the loader and started to haul the snow across the street. He was making a big pile over there. When we hauled most of the snow he got out and started to wash one of the wreckers while I jumped into the loader to haul more snow across the street. Here is when the fun begins. I grabed the first bucket to bring across the street and started to dump the snow over the hill on the shorter side when I hit hte brakes and they went to the floor!!?? I droped the bucket down so it would stop me but I was too far over the hill to make any difference. The machine will go into neutral when applying the brakes also. While I was starting down the bank I tried to pull on the door so I could jump out but all the information everyone told me was always stay with the equipment. Haveway down the inbankment I only thought of the son my daughter just had and how sad it was going to be when he would only have one grandpa. The hill by the way has a 80 degree desent. When I was riding down it seemed like it was in slow motion when it accualy wasen't. I got down to the bottom the machine did't roll over and it stalled out. I started it back up to see if it was gioing to run and it did. I shut all the lights off and started to climb back up the hill it took me about 20 min. I looked like a snow man when I got to the top after falling several times. When it got light out I had to get a 80 ton crane to get the loader out from where it was. We were busy at work that day so it kept my mind off the machine. When I got home that night I had one beer. Thinking about it now there are more things in this world that Dave Dow has to do . Someone was with me that morning. I held my grandchild for 3 hours on the following Saturday. It was enjoyable. I had my first Jr High game that was enjoyable. I hug my wife with a little more feeling now that is enjoyable. God is Great!!

[Dan_ref]

Live each day like it's your last. One day you'll be right.

Glad to hear those kids still have their grandfather.

[Jurassic Referee]

What a great story.

Anybody that would make fun of an incident like that must be sick.

[crazy voyager]

Better sick alive and glad then boring pessimistic and dead

erhm, strange
who's got that signature?
"Optimists live longer then pessimists, so the pessimists have right don't they?"

Like that one

[JCrow]

Dave,

God was with you on that trip. Take it easy this winter.

John

[ChuckElias]

Hey Dave,

As Dan will attest, I'm not really bright enough to come up with funny stuff for busting on you. So I'll just say that I'm real glad nothing worse happened on that trip. Somehow, I think this Christmas will be a little extra special for you and the family. Glad you'll be around for it.

[rainmaker]

The most amazing part is that your sense of humor wasn't damaged. God is indeed with you!