Last year, Hick went to a meeting of residents of our enclave, down by the mailboxes. The subject was the quality of the gravel roads. In the 25 years we've lived out here, some of Hick's buddies have moved away. They used to have a good rapport, and meet up every few months with their tractors, to maintain the roads. Back then, everybody contributed money towards gravel for resurfacing. I say "everybody," but it was MOST people. There were always a couple of freeloading holdouts.
Anyhoo... Hick's ideas were shot down at that meeting. His idea that if every family would buy one load of gravel, it would go a long way to keeping the roads in good shape throughout the year. Some of the new upstarts made the mistake of talking down to Hick about the type of gravel to put on the roads. They went for the fine grade, and not the 2-inch Plus that Hick espoused for going down first. Hick washed his hands of that group. Especially after they dumped a couple loads of the smaller gravel, which was immediately swallowed up by the muddy surface.
"They can do what they want if they know so much. They don't need my input."
The only thing Hick has done to the roads since then was a couple weeks ago, when he took (one of) his tractors down to His and Buddy's Badly Blacktopped Hill, and scooped up gravel that had washed along the edge, and put it into holes in the blacktop.
Last week, somebody filled the biggest holes in the gravel road with gravel. Hick saw a message on our enclave's Facebook page about it.
"Huh. They're saying they got a load of gravel to use for patching, and want everybody to contribute to pay for it. They say it will be $13 apiece, that the load was $180. That will pay for the load of gravel, and for their tractor gas. In all the years we worked on the roads out here, none of us ever asked for gas money. That one load of gravel for patching does nothing. It'll be gone the next rain. I still say the best way is for everybody to buy one load of gravel, and start down at the mailboxes, and work its way up here."
One of the other residents put on Facebook that he was going to suggest that in July, we go back to how it used to be. How we should get several loads of gravel and start spreading down at the entrance by the mailboxes. Hick says isn't that funny, how now it's that guy's idea. Also that if we wait until July, the roads will be almost impassable.
Hick called Buddy, who has a dump truck and hauls rock now that he's retired. He said that price was pretty cheap. That he charges $190 for a load. Hick says he's going to get a load of gravel, and have it spread down on the main road, by the mailboxes, where the potholes are the worst. He's not going to ask anybody for money. Just send out a notice that he did it.
I doubt anybody else will do that. They are so worried that somebody might drive on THEIR gravel... I told Hick not to expect anybody to pat him on the back for his deed. That most likely, the talk will be how Hick didn't pay his $13 for the road gravel.
Those people who don't appreciate Hick and friends and the work they do are fools. Really. Hick's methods worked well over the years. They are creating a literal mess with their squabbles over gravel.
ReplyDeleteThis is so true. I rarely recognize anyone out here any more, but when I come upon a guy on a tractor blading the road, I always stop and thank him for it.
DeleteThe roads are a mess by springtime, after the repeated freezings and thawings, plus rains washing the gravel off to the sides. Hick and his buddies knew that we need several loads at a time, starting with a base of the big rock, then the smaller on top. Ideally, on a day after a bit of rain, when the ground was primed to accept it.
The newer people might mean well, but they don't understand how a gravel road works!
It's a shame they didn't listen to Hick. $13 a piece isn't bad, even with the cost of gas added in but what's the point in paying for bad work, lol. No one told that person to spend $180 and then ask for it after.
ReplyDeleteThe $13 is not the issue for Hick, nor the fact that they want gas money. Even paying for bad work doesn't set him off. It's his hurt pride over being shunted aside when he KNOWS how to fix the roads.
DeleteSome people will refuse to pay the $13, just because they never pay. They think the roads are magically maintained, I guess. And they say, "None of that gravel ever gets put in front of MY house!" Forgetting that they use the lower part of the road every day to get TO their house. The worst sections used by the most people need the most work.
Hick and his buddies used to go door-to-door ahead of time, telling people they were willing to do the work on the roads on a specific weekend, and how many loads of gravel were needed. Some paid more than others, but most paid.
One person said people who own more than one piece of property should pay for each one. We have three, but only live on one. It's not like we make three times as many trips over the roads. We are also far enough along the road that gravel is rarely put in front of our properties, unless we buy it ourself. People are just petty, and not willing to work together.
Selfish "people" have been taken care of all their lives! They are adults now, not teens.
ReplyDeleteSomebody needs to tell them!
DeleteWhat you need is a team of Fairy Godmothers to lay fast drying concrete overnight along the entire length of that road.
ReplyDeleteThat would be great! I bet they work cheap.
DeleteKindergarten babies wash their faces in gravy...hey Teach, take the lead. I know you can set them straight.
ReplyDeleteThat road team needs a pitcher, not a belly-itcher! I don't want to get involved in Hick's battles. Unless maybe shooting one of them the teacher stink-eye in passing, when Hick describes their vehicles.
DeleteI agree with Hick! He has been there and managed to keep the roads passable for a very long time. His experience and wisdom should be honored and not pushed aside for others to later claim to be theri ideas. I know where they could shove the $13!!
ReplyDeleteThe thought of that $13 is ludicrous. In the past, when a load of rock was around $100-$125, the standard amount to contribute was $100. If people were having a hard time, they'd give $50. We understood that not everybody can come up with cash when the roads need work. Those who abstained seemed perfectly capable of donating, and their vocalizations pointed toward a lack of cooperation, not poverty.
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