Something crazy!!!!

[Andy4639]

I retired from my job almost 3 years ago already. I'm only 60 years old and had my 40 years in. Well today I did something crazy!

Today I started helping my friend and old co worker who ended up quitting D/E after I left. He started his own company and he has been after me to work with him so today was my first full day.

Precision Earthworks in Liberty SC. We worked in a gulley all day cleaning up tree's that the last storm took down. Brandon did the clearing and I did all the hauling off. That little Deere earned it's money today. That thing is strong. I would never believed it if I'd not seen it with my own eyes.

7 loads of tree's and brush hauled today and we still have another full day there. Driving a 3500 Dodge ram diesel wasn't to bad. The trailer has electric lift so it's not a bad job so far!

[FleetsidePaul]

If you enjoy doing it. It's not work.

[weq92f]

.

Some folk can't cope with retirement...I'd say you're doing just fine!

-klb

[1976gmc20]

First day and you're already a Branch Manager

[LS short box]

June 17th 2021 will be four years of retirement for me. Close to 40 years at the company for me. I was 59 when I pulled the plug. Don't regret it for minute. My wife was 6 months after me. She was 35 years at her company. She helped start a company from 4 people to over 300. Very cool.
I was in international sales for 25 plus years and had many offers of "consulting projects" after retirement but I just wanted to be home. I traveled 2-3 weeks per month. I really enjoyed meeting customers but couldn't do justice to their projects if I was only around 2-3 days a week.
I really enjoyed training or pay it forward with the guys that took over my position.
Now I spend 3-4 hours a day on car or non car projects and like it a lot.

[LT7A]

Congratulations on your new gig. 3 years off and then unretiring sounds like a pretty good deal.

[LT7A]

Originally Posted by 1976gmc20

First day and you're already a Branch Manager

I'm not much of a play-on-words guy, but you got me with this one, haha!

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Branch manager ↑↑↑

Full retirement is another way of saying you're pampered or dying.

[Getter-Done]

Glad for you.

Enjoying your work is the key

You will never work a day in your life if you enjoy what you do.
















.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by LT7A

I'm not much of a play-on-words guy, but you got me with this one, haha!

That fit here quite magically, eh?

That ain't such a little track hoe either

[Andy4639]

Thanks guy's, this is a temporary thing for me til he finds a young person willing to work and he can trust. His other friend pulled the plug on him after only 5 months as his partner.

Anyway I'm glad I can help him out and I did enjoy it. Today the weather has us down but we will pick back up tomorrow. I'll post some pictures of the gulley tomorrow.

My next crazy thing we have done but had to was we have full custody of our 4 year old grand son. I now have to raise another son. But with Gods help we will do this and we will be filled with some great times and memories ahead. Our world is our grand son so we know he is going to be spoiled but he will be very well behaved also.

[GOPAPA]

I miss doing this sort of thing you did helping a friend out with great toys to do it with..Brings back memories Andy ,, I sure had fun with my case back hoe in the woods back at my old place in Oregon ..great story thx

[LT7A]

It's good to be needed, and even better to be wanted. Your buddy and your grandson are blessed to have you.

[Sheepdip]

Originally Posted by Andy4639

My next crazy thing we have done but had to was we have full custody of our 4 year old grand son. I now have to raise another son. But with Gods help we will do this and we will be filled with some great times and memories ahead. Our world is our grand son so we know he is going to be spoiled but he will be very well behaved also.

This will be the most important thing you will ever do. Kudo's to you and the wife!

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by LS short box

June 17th 2021 will be four years of retirement for me. Close to 40 years at the company for me. I was 59 when I pulled the plug. Don't regret it for minute. My wife was 6 months after me. She was 35 years at her company. She helped start a company from 4 people to over 300. Very cool.
I was in international sales for 25 plus years and had many offers of "consulting projects" after retirement but I just wanted to be home. I traveled 2-3 weeks per month. I really enjoyed meeting customers but couldn't do justice to their projects if I was only around 2-3 days a week.
I really enjoyed training or pay it forward with the guys that took over my position.
Now I spend 3-4 hours a day on car or non car projects and like it a lot.

I "shrugged" when I turned 62 at the end of 2015. S/W engineer jobs were getting harder to find with all the <cough> folks coming in from another country, so I said the heck with it. I didn't want to move away from our place for the last few years of work, and I just couldn't find another project where they would let me work from home most of the time as I had been doing for 15 years.

I was going to just find some sort of local minimum job to fill in but then my mother had a stroke in May 2016 and that changed everything. Now I'm almost done with the estate stuff after a year.

There's lots of stuff to do around here, when the weather is such that it's possible. I don't feel as good as I used to, either

But it would be fun to go out and run a nice piece of equipment a couple days a week, or drive a truck like you're doing. I've even thought about buying a grader.

[72c20customcamper]

I feel i work more in retirement than I did working a steady job . Last year I cleared 6 acres of land all wooded for a friend . My compensation was firewood got at least 30 cord of hardwood and about 1000 board feet of oak maple and hickory . All cut to 6/4 and various widths most 18 to 20 ft length .

He needs another 8 to 10 cleared loggers have already been in and took all the big straight trees .

But I get to play with my toys

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by 72c20customcamper

I feel i work more in retirement than I did working a steady job . Last year I cleared 6 acres of land all wooded for a friend . My compensation was firewood got at least 30 cord of hardwood and about 1000 board feet of oak maple and hickory . All cut to 6/4 and various widths most 18 to 20 ft length .

He needs another 8 to 10 cleared loggers have already been in and took all the big straight trees .

But I get to play with my toys

I've got this crazy idea for a little logging crane that mounts to a hitch receiver: A horizontal pin yoke that fits in the receiver with a square tubing extension 2-3 feet long that culminates in a horizontal tee-piece with fixed legs on each end. A vertical mast would come up from the tee with a little boom that could swivel 360* and an electric winch.

On the road it would tip forward and clear the closed tailgate with the top of the mast resting on some sort of cross-support behind the cab. In the woods it would tip down until the legs rested on the ground and the tailgate could be opened. Winch in a log from some reasonable distance and then heel it on the boom and swing around into the pickup bed. I haven't yet figured a simple way to keep the whole thing from tipping forward when the log swings around over the bed (?)

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by 1976gmc20

I've got this crazy idea for a little logging crane that mounts to a hitch receiver: A horizontal pin yoke that fits in the receiver with a square tubing extension 2-3 feet long that culminates in a horizontal tee-piece with fixed legs on each end. A vertical mast would come up from the tee with a little boom that could swivel 360* and an electric winch.

On the road it would tip forward and clear the closed tailgate with the top of the mast resting on some sort of cross-support behind the cab. In the woods it would tip down until the legs rested on the ground and the tailgate could be opened. Winch in a log from some reasonable distance and then heel it on the boom and swing around into the pickup bed. I haven't yet figured a simple way to keep the whole thing from tipping forward when the log swings around over the bed (?)

I use chains to keep it tilted out and when the log swings in the chains stop the arch from going into the bed.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by LT7A

I'm not much of a play-on-words guy, but you got me with this one, haha!

x2 @ 1976gmc20!

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by 72c20customcamper

I use chains to keep it tilted out and when the log swings in the chains stop the arch from going into the bed.

Yeah, my idea is more like one of those rear mounted self loaders, if you've ever seen one of those - only a simple mast/boom like those HF loaders for the corner of a pickup truck.

It would be designed for tipping forward for travel, hinging off the receiver with an extension that would be long enough to clear the top of the tailgate when it's folded down/forward for travel, and then folded back in the woods so the legs (adjustable maybe?) sit on the ground and the mast is vertical.

The main idea would be to use it as a mini-yarder to pull in log/tree lengths that can't be reached with the truck. Mostly I would just cut the logs into stove length and load by hand. I might not even use a boom, just a swivel block at the top of the mast with the winch mounted down about waist level (when vertical).

I just get tired of carrying blocks of wood up a bank to the truck, or having to just leave a tree to rot.

[toms68cst]

I was "Invited" into early retirement last summer after 36 years with a Fortune 250 company. I will turn 61 in a few weeks.

The higher-ups purged many of the the older, longer serving employees after the COVID economy downturn. The local branch team wanted to keep me on so I've been working as a contract employee since then. Starting next Monday, I am taking a 3 month break from work. I plan on helping out with another major project starting mid summer. I will permanently retire in about a year or so when I am no longer needed for this major project.

It's been a good run. Luckily, we've been saving for this day. My work stress may end up (for a while anyway) getting replaced with "How are we going to get through the next 30 years" stress.

All I can say to you younger folks, live modestly and save all you can for retirement. You will be glad you did when you get to be an old fogey like me.

[Andy4639]

No problem with money yet. You never know what the markets will do though. My biggest concern is being able to go and keep up with him. I don't move as fast as I did.
Yes invest all you can while you can.

My dad gave me 2 good pieces of info when I went to work.

#1 Invest all the money you can afford to.
#2 Get all the free training your company will pay for no matter what it is.

You never know when it could help you down the road.