Earth works and dogs recovery from emergency operation

Earth Works

In plantation life there is no such thing as a Sunday. There are really only days when things can be done and lousy days when nothing can be accomplished. When the conditions are ideal – the iron red hot, it’s usually struck decisively..there is seldom any delay.

This is especially true for earth works. Plan the work when the soil is too dry and all you are likely to accomplish is destroy a super expensive excavator as it tries to work against nature. Do the same if the ground is too mushy and it will just get stuck in the mud.

Today it’s just right. Can’t get better than this. Earthworks is usually scheduled in the first month of the rainy season. But I’ve had to bring the schedule forward by two months this year.

We have been very lucky to have a round of moderate rains for the whole of last week. This is very unusual as it’s supposed to be an El Niño year. So the ground is sweet, not to wet or dry, just the right consistency. It’s an opportunity for a spot of landscaping to smooth out my roads along with contouring the land so that it can retain water when the dry season bites.

I have an excellent relationship with people who work for me. They probably don’t know that I am autistic. But they all seem to know without to much difficulty – this landowner wants things to be done exactly his way….just follow his instructions, just say ‘yes’ and never argue with him or life will be miserable. Everyone who works for or with me is issued with a 50 cent 555 book. Where I give them very specific work instructions. I learnt this management technique from the fat North Korean leader. He seems to have a very effective way of managing things….in my simple understanding of the world, if things don’t go to plan and stuff which are supposed to work 24/7 like trains konk out for no apparent reason. Then it makes perfect sense to pack the CEO off to the nearest gulag or to use him as target practice.

I don’t see anything unreasonable about that holding that sort of zero tolerance attitude towards incompetence and gross dereliction of duty. But I am sure others do. As those who care for me dearly so often tell me to keep my opinions discreet for fear that I may end up in block 7 of IMH. So I seldom ever verbalize these opinions.

However this has never stopped me from holding to the steadfast belief Harvard Business School would certainly benefit immeasurably from studying some aspects of North Korean management techniques to deliver high corporate performance.

For me the most important thing is the work gets done exactly the way I want it to be done. I like my roads to run in a certain way…it just needs to be exactly right…otherwise it’s no good. I will get a headache. But when it is done right…I can spend hours marveling at how the palms are all neatly lined up for as far as the eye can see.

I like things to only run in straight and neat lines….it makes me happy.

Turbo returning to work….

Turbo seems to be making a speedy recovery from her emergency operation three days ago. This morning I was woken up by her at six. Plantation dogs are a very different category of breed from their playful and listless city counterparts – they seem to be able to intuit, they are working dogs and not casual pets who mope around all day doing nothing. Nothing gives a working dog more joy than to be purposeful to the farmer. They have a very strong work ethic.

This morning Turbo joined the rest of the pack to patrol the eastern flank of my lands. The rest of the dogs seem to be able to sense she is still very weak, so they take up her portion of the work and even slow down to a crawl and it takes double the time.

Sometimes when I observe the subtle arrangement of power and politics amongst dogs – I can’t help but wonder maybe the world would be a happier place if it was ruled by canines. The UN Security Council would be redundant. We humans don’t nearly have one tenth of their ability to cooperate and help each other out. We only think we do. But we don’t. They seem to have a firm grasp of the bigger picture and above all they value the power of being united, unlike us humans who can’t even step out from our respective bunker mentality.

Turbo has lost a lot of weight. Nearly half! Her ribs are showing starkly and she is weak as she has lost about half of pint of blood from the operation.

She needs to be fattened up. But the important thing is she’s no longer in the danger zone – as she’s well on the way to full recovery.

I am very happy. This is all I can ever ask for to make today one of those epic days. I am a simple man. Small blessings in life can make me happy. As only a few days ago. She was just like a lifeless mattress.

That was definitely touch and go. Yes….I am very happy.