Spring Break
It was Spring Break this week. Our Spring Break trip to Disneyland will need to wait. Elaine is just too busy, both in the store and her other lives.
I have told stories about my construction life, but I don't remember telling a story about Elaine's other life. Elaine has another 40 hour a week job besides the store. Elaine (and her computer) draw electrical power lines and power poles.
For the last 22(+) years, Elaine has been drawing power lines, substations, and power poles. The robot looking power poles with the huge electric wires, Elaine draws them. She knows where to put guards so birds can't sit on the places that will electrocute the birds. She knows how tall the poles need to be. Do you want to know how far power poles are apart, ask Elaine.
With all the new wind and solar electrical generation farms being built, someone forgot to realize there are not enough power lines to get the electricity (when generated) to where the electricity would be used. OK, they did realize it, they just didn't tell us.
At any rate, Elaine is in the middle of designing 66 miles of power lines across the mountains of western Colorado. I guess this power line takes precedent over Disneyland.
Elaine was able to take one day off, for a family day trip. Most families would use a day off to go skiing or something like that. Not us, we went to Nebraska. Do you want to guess what we saw? Power poles and power lines! Oh yeah, and the Brown Sheep Fiber Mill.
Yes, over 110 miles of identifying power poles.
Elaine: Hey, that's a KVA-38 with raptor protection and a 3-phase transformer Me: Really? Ivy: ZZZZZZZZ Boy Twin: She's touching me! Girl Twin: I need to go to the bathroom, are we almost there?
We arrived at the Brown Sheep Fiber Mill not a moment too soon. The mill is located in the Nebraska panhandle between Mitchell and Scottsbluff. The setting is completely rural.
We were greeted by members of the staff. They were exactly the kind of people you would expect to find in rural Nebraska. Genuinely nice, "give you the shirt off their back" people. We chatted with the owner, Peggy, in the retail area.
Peggy invited us to tour the mill. When she opened the door to the mill, it took about a half a second to realize we were not in rural Nebraska any longer. This place is one of the most scientific, mechanized and technological places I have ever been seen.
The Brown/Wells family are in the second generation of yarn producers. The third generation is about to finish college, after learning the yarn business from the ground floor, sweeping floors and assembling equipment.
This family knows what they are doing. And they are doing it right here in America; with American materials. The owners of Brown Sheep have given thought to everything. They are cleaning and reusing water used in processing yarn. Did you know the plastic "Lambs Pride" labels are recyclable?. They should be very proud of themselves.
It turned out to be a great day trip, even the ride home.
Me: Is that a KVA-38 with raptor protection? Elaine: ZZZZZZZZ Ivy: ZZZZZZ Boy Twin: ZZZZZZ Girl twin: I need to go to the bathroom, are we almost there?
Our crazy lives!
Monner