Dirt Herder...

Yep, that's me. I've decided that this is what my new job title should be and not Grounds Maintenance. I herd dirt, much as Schroeder would herd cows or sheep. I use either a giant hose or backpack leaf blower to ...you guessed it...herd dirt where I want it to go. At 5:00 a.m. in a dimly lit area, sometimes it's a little tough to distinguish dirt or other types of debris from other things laying on the ground. I like it on the days when the other guy, in my area is off, and I am responsible for the whole area. Then I can set about my day, laying out the hoses and getting the job done, without just piddling around trying to find odds and ends to do. That is the case when there's a whole bunch of us scheduled for our area. And the area I work in is....Italy. I'm doin ya proud, Baldassari's....keeping the pavilion and piazza clean and tidy for all the pasta lovers out there. Hauling miles of hose, through terraced areas, finding all the spaghetti lurking under table bases and chair legs. There is something white that is served in that area that is nasty to clean up. Ranch dressing or some sort of ice cream, perhaps. That stuff is indestructible on concrete...takes a super powerful blast of water to cut through it and wash it away. Makes me wonder how good it could be for your body to eat it, if it's that hard to dissolve...ICK !
It's really cool when between 5;30 and 6:00 the wolves, in the park, start howling. At first it wigged me out a little ? But now I've grown accustomed to them hearkening sunrise to come for another day. Their exhibit is on the other side of the park...Scotland, I believe, but boy are they loud when they start in each morning. Then there are the Budweiser Clydesdale's...they are so pretty. They are located next to my area and I get to see them each morning as they have their breakfast, then they get moved to their area which is somewhere a little ways away from their overnight stalls. As the handlers were moving them the other morning, I was getting ready to start in with my leaf blower but had not started it yet (you don't want to startle them when they are being moved). As I came up the hill to see them proceeding down the path, I could see they had left behind "souvenirs" in the road. There was no way my blower had enough power to blow that out of the road...that would have to wait for the handlers to come back and shovel it up. But they sure are magnificent animals...reminds me of the pictures that my mom has of my grandfather's horses that he used to work on the farm. Big horses like these.
Today is my day off....think we'll go explore the area a little since Linda hasn't learned her way around yet. Then tomorrow I'll be back at it....herding dirt in Little Italy....ciao !