Today I’m feeling proud as a father. Yesterday Noah has his first real full day of work.
A couple of summers ago we hired my friends son, who had started a landscaping business, to replace our front lawn. Since we put it in it was terrible. The hydro seed never took and it was mostly weeds with dry dirt patches as well.
He took care of arranging the materials and tools and the two of us worked together to rip up the old lawn then lay new sod.
He is a hard worker and did a great job so it doesn’t surprise me that his business has been growing and this year he’ll be hiring help. The idea had been floated around previously but now it seems like Noah will be some of that casual help. He’s someone I’m glad for Noah to have as a mentor and first boss.
The business has not only grown but expanded beyond mostly mowing lawn and now has a contract to help out in a vineyard. That’s what Noah did yesterday.
Up early on the Saturday ending March break. The day started off crisp where I had to scrape the frost off the windows of the car before we drove out to Starrs Point. It’s a beautiful area and part of the local marathon route where I ran the half marathon last year. It’s one of my favourite local areas. Lots of farmland up against the Minas Basin that rises and lowers with the huge tides of the Bay of Fundy. The land is fertile, some of it reclaimed thanks to the dyke system.
It was a beautiful morning. The sun was up, one of first real nice days as winter dies down. As we drove our past fields through the winding roads the sun gleamed off the frosty branches of apple orchards.
On my way home from dropping him off I stopped along the Cornwallis River for a short break to drink some of my coffee. As I was driving an owl being chased by several crows flew directly in front of my car. A contrasting side of nature to the serenity I had just spent time in.
Noah’s day was in the rows of the vineyard pruning the vines. He learned the proper way to do this taking into account this year and next. Trimming so that there are two branches one pointing left and one right.
There were a couple of other people helping as well, including my friends younger son, one of Noah’s best friends.
I was never scared for his work ethic. Although he doesn’t do much around the house to help out, and I have to bribe him to do things like mow our lawn. But when he decides to do something he does it and puts in the effort.
As he was leaving the boss asked him how he felt and if he wanted to do it again. So it seems like the first day was a success.
Noah was proud of the work he did as filled me in on how much he completed and the techniques used. In his mind the first six hours of the day had been easy. But for the last two he was counting the minutes.
I feel with him. I know what a grind some of the hours of a work day can be. This seems like an excellent introduction to working through. Most of it will be in the summer, but not every day. So he’ll be able to have some responsibility and earn money, but still lots of time to have a summer and have fun.
I miss those days.
Sandy McFadden 