Construction and other equipment

Heard from Mel

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Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Construction and other equipment
Forum Description: everything else with orange (or yellow) paint
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=174211
Printed Date: 04 Dec 2024 at 5:23am
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Topic: Heard from Mel

Posted By: JohnColo
Subject: Heard from Mel
Date Posted: 08 Sep 2020 at 4:24pm

I think he may still be too busy to post for a while so will post what he wrote to me.

John...Great to here from you! Thanks for checking up on us...Yes we've
been on the lightning complex fire in Napa..Lake...Sonoma county. 24
days straight..24/7...that's doubling shifting the tractor between David
and I . You never have any idea how long an assignment will take when
you start it. Septic tank deliveries were a little slow..so we thought
we would take the fire job. So naturally now everyone wants there
septic tanks....Typically August can be slow for tank sales...but picks
up in the fall closer to the rainy season...we don't plan on taking any
more fire assignments for a while.....literally "burnt out". And of
course yesterday we had a new fire start in our home ranger unit 12
miles up the road from us....so I'm not sure what's going to happen. We
consider the worst part of fire season to be Sept 1 thru the end of
October...so like last year we hunkered down and stayed close to home
for our own welfare. As you know my family's "been there..done that''
in the 2017 event that got my house.

So a side note...as people think that the fire work pays very
well...yes it does...but typically in our case if we have a slow work
season with tank sale..it just becomes enough money to help you get
through the winter...which still makes it nice. So we're watching our
financing real close...looks like were going to be able to finish the
septic tank season with good sales now that we can go into Sonoma County
to our south. If that's the case...then I will be placing an order for
roofing for the 100 x 150 foot building that is still unfinished..you
know the post I started about 5 years ago...yes the one that's suppose
to house our so called "Allis Chalmers Tractor Museum"...we're pretty
stoked that we might pull that off.

Replies:

Posted By: truckerfarmer
Date Posted: 08 Sep 2020 at 10:11pm

Thanks John!

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Looking at the past to see the future.
'53 WD, '53 WD45, WD snap coupler field cultivator, #53 plow,'53 HD5B dozer

Duct tape.... Can't fix stupidity. But will muffle the sound of it!

Posted By: DMiller
Date Posted: 09 Sep 2020 at 6:27am

Thanks from here as well!

Posted By: JoeM(GA)
Date Posted: 09 Sep 2020 at 7:54am

Good to know he’s ok! Fire line plowing isn’t for the faint of heart!

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Allis Express North Georgia
41 WC,48 UC Cane,7-G's,
Ford 345C TLB

Posted By: shameless dude
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2020 at 11:51pm

thanks John...glad to hear all's well with them.

Posted By: LeonR2013
Date Posted: 22 Sep 2020 at 7:54pm

Hey Mel, I was wondering how many acres at estimated to have burned, and I assume a lot valuable timber is gone too. Thanks, Leon

Posted By: Ray54
Date Posted: 23 Sep 2020 at 10:43am

They keep saying the most ever, because of climate change. Was thinking it was 2.5 million, but I checked. I was way low 3.627,000 acres in 7982 fires as of Sept 22.Nothing to do with climate change in my option. Just need to clear out the old to grow new things.

Most of the fires burns plain old brush. All the species that are classified as chaparral evolved to where they die off in drought years waiting to be burned. With in days of burning they will start pushing new growth out of the crown of the roots. The young tender growth deer, rabbits, any browsing animal likes best.

Most of the timber that has valve that is burning is in areas that the greens have prevented from being cut. Not much chance it would ever be cut before rotting. The area of the Creek fire in the high Sierra has been devastated by drought and then bark beetles so more dead trees than live ones. Probably doing the world more good than harm, as long as it is not your or mine vacation cabin that burns.

Not to speak for Mel, the worst fires of the past have been Sept and October so Mel could be very busy for some time yet.