This mine I went into today is up in the mountains. Well, I think they all are. My trip led me through a small town that I have been through many times before - but only on the main street. This time, I was driving on a narrow street lined with small and very old homes. The end of the street was the beginning of the mine.
Guardshack greeted me. I went in. There was a picture of a pickup truck and a notice about safety. Okay, it didn't look anything like a pickup truck, I just read the notice and found out through that that this was once, at one time, a pickup truck. A TV also on a stand. I dreaded having to watch a safety video - I have watched hundreds of them in my trucking career, I am a very safe driver and I don't take unecessary, dangerous actions in a semi-truck. I understand that a dump truck with a bed big enough to hold 20 cars can run me clean over and not even phase the thing.
Don't get in their way. Doing so will have worse consequences than getting hit by a train. Trains run into you and tear vehicles apart, these dump trucks will just drive clean OVER you and the vehicle you are driving in and you will be - stone dead.
I didn't have to watch the video. In fact, I didn't have to sign a bunch of waivers, either. I just had to sign a registration card that is good for a year, just like the other mine I was in not long ago.
Wait in the truck - 40 minutes until the man showed up to escort me in. I hadn't seen this foreman for a long time. I followed him and we immediately proceeded upon what I am estimating to be at least a 9% grade. Up and up. And up. Get to a cross "road" - all roads in the mine are basically dirt roads. Another cross road and then, a cross road with huge dump trucks rolling back and forth. We wait - they have the right of way and rightfully slow. Nobody in their right mind is going to try and beat one of those thing, to do so - well, if you lose the race? Good luck with that.
On and on - up and up. We get to the top. It's the top of a mountain that has been levelled. That's what it was. I had wondered if this mine was also building a lake and yes, I asked. One employee was all too eager to answer all of my questions.
Yes, they are building a lake - another lake to be filled with sulphuric acid. Yes, SULPHRURIC ACID - an entire LAKE'S worth. That is must mind blowing to me.
Then comes the real story of the completely flattened pickup truck. It seems that - only 2 months ago this occured - one of those huge dump trucks had stalled and wouldn't start. The operator of the truck called in mechanics. 2 mechanics showed up in a pickup truck, parking in front of the tires. Yes, I said in front of the tires, the tires on those things are at least 8 feet tall, much taller than any pickup truck. WHY you would park in front of such - no clue. I would never in a lifetime of lifetimes do any such thing, I would fear the thing rolling and crushing me.
Well, unfortunately for the mechanics, the operator of the dump got the thing fired up and started rolling, he had no idea those fellows were under there. The mechanics had violated a safety protocol that was designed for just that purpose: to keep them out of harm's way. They were supposed to announce on their radio to that operator that they were there, under the truck and please don't crush us. The operator, undoubtedly believing that extreme safety measures were being followed as these mines dictate that they are to be followed (infractions are followed up with people getting fired) just drove off.
One of the mechanics was flattened with the truck. The pickup? To see the picture, you have no idea that that used to be a pickup truck. None. It's just a flat piece of metal laying on the ground. The other mechanic apparently tried getting out - he was seriously injured - but he survived. The truck operator? No idea, but I can only guess the torment that must go through a mind and heart when thinking that you killed someone, even if no fault of your own.
The trip into the mine wasn't bad because of that, but it certainly has a sombering effect.
The giant, stainless-steel fittings that I took in there were to be used for piping that is going to be used to move the sulphuric acid. I didn't know stainless steel could withstand the acidic effects of sulphuric acid. I did know that stainless steel can withstand the attempted effect of many other substances - but not this stuff.
It was a great drive - until I started back to town. I caught up with a mobile home being transported down the 2-lane highway - meaning stuck behind this thing as well as a bunch of other vehicles for an entire 7% grade's worth down a mountain pass and many miles beyond that. DPS was escorting the thing because of the fact that it was imposing on oncoming lanes and oncoming traffic had to be stopped and stand off to the side of the road.
After miles and miles of this, we finally came to a 4 lane portion of the highway and I got into the fast lane as everyone else apparently thought that we should just follow behind the thing because Highway Patrol was escorting them. Bunk. Not disrespecting Highway Patrol, but I have passed that kind of stuff forever. I figured to pull up on the Highway Patrol SUV that was in the back and see if he waves me on - which he did - he stuck his hand out the window and started waving traffic to move along, please. I had no qualms with that, as we were going 15 mph below the speed limit. Passed them and left traffic behind.
That was my trip. I wish I could have more like it, but, they come along only once in a while. I was going to take my break time and get some rocks, but, I didn't want to potentially have a conflict with Highway Patrol and the U.S. Forest Service, I figure to call DPS (Highway Patrol) and find out what they say about a person stopping at designated stop points and taking rocks. Not off the side of the road, but well away from the road. The Federal Government is ownership of the Forest Service (who says it's okay), the State of Arizona is ownership of state DPS (of whom I haven't asked yet). Just look at Arizona's SB1070 to try and figure whether there are conflicts between the state and the feds.
Sure, I could win a court case - feds always supersede state, or so they say - but why bother? Just get a stance from them and be done with it. If it's a no, I'll find rocks somewhere else, already have that in mind.
Other stuff? Just a glimpse. Friday lands tomorrow. Kewl. However, tomorrow is Friday the 13th (in case you are superstitious). I fixed the manifold for my dripless system today. I had no choice, certain plants start to whither as they decide they don't have enough water. It was easy and only took a minute. I am going to try and get the hole finished for the pond this weekend - which does not mean the pond will be placed in the ground, I also have to lug home hundreds of pounds of sand to rest the pond bottom on and that may or may not get done. Probably not.
Fish are in good health, dogs are content, kids are kids and I am me.
G'day.
ben
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Friday/Judgement?
You know, I believe in God. I believe in the atoning blood sacrifice that Jesus Christ made at the Cross of Calvary. I believe in the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit. I also happen to believe that the prophetic - such as was in Old Testament times - is still alive and kicking and being brought forth, yes, today.
I believe that because I operated to some small extent in the spirit of prophecy for some time before I got divorced. I"m not saying I'm anyone grand or special, just saying what I believe.
So, when I start getting these feelings, inner speakings, whatever you want to call it, about something coming down the pike, I tend to pay attention to such things. I'm not even currently going to church - not involved in fellowship with other believers (my bad, long story, not going into that here, still trying to force myself to get into a church and soon) - and I am having these thoughts and things coming before me.
I heard some stuff on the radio yesterday that totally confirmed what I have been thinking and I wasn't listening to a Christian radio station. My ex-wife then sends me all kinds of stuff about terrorist cells being all around us. You see in the news about terrorists being "home grown" - right here in the good ole' U.S.
I do believe there is a lot more to this than the government is telling us. I rather believe, also, that they know full well what is going. I'm not saying the government is involved in any of this, to the contrary. When terrorist cells want to stay invisible, they know how to do it.
And if they decide to do something, how are they going to be stopped? There were also recent reports of Hezbollah coming through or stationed near the Mexico/New Mexico or Texas border. Other reports that terrorists are coming through the basically open border that it is down south (of me, anyway).
The picture starts to come together of why I am feeling what I am feeling. I'm less than 200 miles from the Nogales border entry.
If these cells exist, what are they planning on doing? Usually, modus operandi dictates destruction on mass level versus "just" killing af few people on the streets or something. Such as a giant stadium, or a large event where mass amounts of people are gathered together.
My senses are not failing me. It is a strange thing to suddenly come to all of these conclusions, but the pieces have been coming together for some time now in my mind, I just didn't recognize it.
Fear? The only fear I can have is of God Himself. HE is the one to fear, not man. If I am not ready to go to Him, that is fearful. I cannot stop man, mankind and it's inherent nature to destroy itself by destroying it's own kind. Wars have gone on from the beginning of time. Mankind is, generally, self-destructive.
No, the only preparation I can do is to make sure my heart is right - and I do believe there are areas lacking right now - that terrifies me more than any threat of death at the hands of other men through bombs or shootings or whatever. We are all going to go out of this world one way or the other. Where we end up is of eternal, utmost, grave concern.
Now, I do firmly believe in the right to bear arms and the right to defend your home. This goes without saying. But - against a group of men that are trained in tactical maneuvers and the workings of war? I would be mowed down in a minute. My head would be blown clean off and that would be the end of that. Oh, I might get one of them with a lucky shot, who knows - but reality is I am nothing compared to someone with military training and I am not about to go out somewhere and start learning. I don't really care that much. I believe my life is in God's hands and however I go out of this world, it won't be because some man decided to shoot me, rather, that the Lord allowed such to happen - or didn't. I can tell you (true) stories of when I was on the mission field and the Lord protected me from imminent hard. I could, but won't - not now anyway. First, you would have to believe that God WILL actually intervene in a situation if He does, indeed, choose to do so. Second, you would have to take my word for it. Third - work day approaches and I don't have time to write all of that out.
WHY men/mankind is so hell bent to destroy each other? Not a clue. I mean, I have a clue, it just doesn't make any sense, at all. These people would go out of their way to come into our society, set up camp and devise ways to kill the masses? It's just senseless.
I know, strange way to start a Friday morning entry, but that's what hit me this morning as I started thinking about all of this. No, I am not trying to instill fear into anyone, really, I am speaking to myself. This IS, after all, my internet diary.
Anyway, Sunday morning will come and I will face the same thing I face every Sunday morning: can I force myself to get into church? What will happen if I go? I do know WHY I have such a problem, I have written about it in my blogs for a long time now, it's nothing new or hidden. I feel the need to get back into fellowship, yet I have this inner wall blocking me.
Anyway, very little to do here, at work, today. So far, anyway, that can always change of course. I do believe I am going to seriously start picking back up on my food storage, I stop and start and stop - well, I think it's time to do some other things beyond what I have been doing.
This weekend? No idea. Work on the pond. Whatever is coming down the pike - if indeed anything really is - I am still going to have my little place of solace for however long it lasts. When it's gone, it's gone. All things in this world are temporal anyway.
With that I bid you a great day : )
ben
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