I hear truck roar in distance and discomfort sets in. Then its quells, maybe track in repair stall. I hear generators , other trucks.Thinner engine accelerates – must be 50 ton lube truck. I don’t even notice 550s anymore. They’re small sly creatures, sneaking upon you with foremen or safety inside. Paper towel, face, brown sand.

Truck roars apparoach, sound 85 or 89. I fucking hate them. Tone changed? Maybe smaller truck. Then it quits, its probably just the storm. We curse, we wait, we peel dried mud off the tank, Luke types on phone.

I pass by Trey’s truck, he intercepts:

-what’s going on

-I was looking for Mr. Lavoy, Lavoye, I thought that’s his truck, operators told me he’s somewhere

-He’s setting new job, he just pushed out of parking 2 minutes ago. Hmmm okay? (Dismissively) and rolls up the window.

A melody to Fort Fireweed, if there was a theme, should you’re my everything by Santa. When I kiss your lips, I feel the rolling thunder to my fingers. Sand cemented my face into a mask. 4K on credit card, 2 ½ k in bank, but on 20th payday, should be enough. Upon return, Costco, fuel, take kids somewhere, 1k easily.

Deep within, my love. People here trade meaning their life for opportunities, often for other people. Meaning given by love and presence, but they’re not present and hence not loved. Most people here have been divorced twice or thrice, some four times.

Luke in the return bus, in row in front of me, studies pictures of his cats on phone.

Morning

Carl looks as beat-up as we are. Toolbox.

- Rick, on 6001, hydrolic filter, was so much comtamination there

- If we don’t, I will be shocked

- Front def roller, behind idler fucked, severely damaged. Yoke assembly, one roller left. I tripped it off, bolt trigger on crane

Argh – Ken climbs into 22005. He’s alone until the end of the set, Evan took off early, he’ll probably do 10-12 units in the field by himself, filters, leaks, screens.

Fuel run

Morning fuel run, rolling to lower section, excavator. Has been there for days. No red tractor. Wiggle pipe drag and big black guy in evil green tractor. That tank is easy to overflow so I watch it.

Four wiggles in a row. Driver asks if we have a battery charger. We don’t. I roll out hoses, but its Volvo,diesel on drivers side, DEF on blind. Volvo puts a little wrench to open two preset valves, to lift the hood, but not one of wiggles has this wrench in place.

Fuel neck is narrow with filter inside it. Might splash back, nozzle shuts down automatically, and underfill. I struggle to put fuel cup back. We curse Volvo design.

Before leaving, I trade battery with driver – I took spare this morning from shack, wasn’t sure if it was charged, blinked green and red. Driver can’t believe it – you got a battery? Oh, you’re a savior.

Fuel bay

Eddie: morning, LJ.

Eddie curses at weather. Apparently, rain is good for sand, holds trucks better. Fuel nozzle when I wasn’t watching choked, I flip it.

- We don’t’ do benches, just subsoil, garbage soil. In the mine they have it. Did 3 rounds, pretty slow today, they don’t show us designs, list, just who is in what truck

- Do you do slope, grade? Are you shown geodesical design of the mine?

- No, foreman just. Sunridge gives layout of what it wants Nanton to do, we get line-up, Wheatway, engineer who plans work at Nanton. Do about 10-12 rounds a day. Too many. Thanks, boys!

Tucker’s heavy truck shakes the ground. I used a wrench before to open valve handle, now I just pull it with my fingers.

Hoses leak real bed, but its Metal Haul, so fuck it. Tucker and Luke, lovebirds. Tucker’s pants are half off, crotch and underpants seen, he’s ready for bathroom.

-I know your like mint, cuz you’re squishy. Luke giggles. Well you’re not that wet for outside people, you’ve been worse.

-I know right, then Luke asks – are you reporting that oil?

-oh yes, it was there when I got it, it was small, but yesterday, when I parked its’ gotten real big (shows with his hands). I don’t’ know, they ran it all night

- Cuz I posted it

Fist bump. Two more, boys, two more.

Haul truck drivers get 35-36 dollars an hour. Problem, not full hours. Ops shutdown – rain. There are operators who can run graders, hoes- multi-operators. They get 41. Some operators can do it, most of them.These operators are saved from layoffs. Birds nesting season – have to wait for 2 months. Last year, everyone was laid off for 2 months. April, May.

Nanton Construction is family company.HQ in Nanton, Fort Mac is son’s. Local outfit is a partnership with local band, plus another guy. Mechanical shop is owned by Greff, head of maintenance.

- Isnt’ that conflict of interest?

- It should be

Grader. Up close, high school cute, but here at the camp she is whoever she wishes.

Warmth remains , infatuation gone. She asks for wash fluid, points to DEF intake, wanted to pour there, but I got it. Perfume. Off you go.

Jun comes over .

- Bri – would you fuck her?

- I am married

- She is beautiful

- She OK. How long you’ve been together with your girlfriend?

- fifteen years

- Why don’t you propose?

- My parents split. I don’t believe in marriage. I am waiting for her to propose. In our culture (bows in reverence to his culture), woman proposes first (I laugh so hard)

Return to Rundle, Dick brags he took away bus from operators. “Oh, you can’t take our bus. Fucking right I can. They didn’t lick the windows clean in this one. Operators are stupid.”