A study in skill.

The city is fixing some old sewer pipes locally and the pup and I needed no encouragement to watch the action on our evening walk.

Komatsu Digger operator. iPhone 4S, processed in Snapseed.

This enormous digger was replacing the old sewer pipes and it was truly a fascination to watch the operator move the pieces into place, manipulating the huge bucket and hydraulic arms with the delicacy and precision of a surgeon wielding a scalpel. As he finished work for the day he placed the heavy, steel cover plates – probably 8′ x 20′ in size – over the trench with such sureness that they abutted perfectly, yet never quite touched. His equally skilled colleague was operating a backhoe with exquisite precision, demonstrating that he could move a single pebble of the crushed rock filler along the road without damage to the surface, using a nine cubic yard scoop. Incredibly impressive.

It is never less than totally satisfying for this observer to see a skill expertly demonstrated, regardless of the occupation involved.