Dirty Birds

by TheFlyingHippogriff

Rock and Stone, Iron and Steel

It's said you can do anything you set your mind to, and put in the effort to accomplish it. In Equestria, there are plenty of ways to make a bit. My name is Wilhelmina. I am a hippogriff. My friends call me 'Billie' and you can too if you like I don't mind. Get your hardhats on when you come to my workplace. I work in construction and mining.

I've always been told that I can't do anything better than a pony can do. I don't let those words get to me. I just refuse to believe that. I believe a griffon or a hippogriff can do anything just as well as a pony can do. With that, I started the Golden Eagle Excavation and Mining Company with the intention of offering work to griffon immigrants.

I graduated from Griffonstone University with a double masters degree in mechanical engineering and environmental science. I then went back for another year to pick up a degree in business. When I started my business, the thing I wanted most was versatility. With my first earnings, the first thing that I purchased was a truck and trailer.

I needed something big and powerful to pull machines around to the construction site or a mine. What I bought was a 2000 Peterbilt 379EXHD with a 620hp C-15 twin-turbo Cat diesel engine. I am the kind of mare that will do the kinds of things most Westland nobility wouldn't think about, and thus I earned my nickname 'The Quarry Countess'.

I purchased a dump trailer, and a gooseneck trailer for transporting goods and materials. Transportation can only go so far. I needed machines for my business, and griffons to operate them. The second-hoof market was filled with machines. Most had seen better days, but I wanted to make run like new again. It began with my first machines.

My first purchases were for the company were two majestic Northwest 100DH. These are 119 ton crawler excavators. My first task was to get my talons dirty, and make these machines run again. For many months, I cleaned up and refurbished every part of the machines from their twin diesel engines to cleaning up the tracks and paintwork.

It's not an easy job. I have lost count of how many times these machines spit oil in my face or how many times I hurt myself trying to put in new parts. Other construction ponies have told me to give up trying to rebuild these beautiful machines. I refused. I looked at my bandaged talons, and at the machines proudly. Then the moment arrived.

"We're going to make things happen," I said to the resurrected hydraulic excavators. In their own way, I think they are beautiful, "your glory days are here again,"

It filled my heart with joy to hear the rumble of the diesel engines, and the creaking of the tracks as I brought these old hydraulic excavators back from the dead. I looked at the paintwork of the two machines, and chose that as my company paintwork, and a logo of a simple eagle head with a square background. A simple logo, and not too flashy.

Now I needed qualified workers. I went into town one day to pick up some bread, and I saw my first opportunity in two of my best friends that recently moved to Ponyville. They're two griffons named Gilda and Greta. Nopony wanted to hire them for even the simplest of jobs. They both sat at a bench in the town square, tired and out of any luck.

"Rough day, oui? And slim pickings when it comes to finding a job, no?" I asked, Gilda looked at me and nodded, turning her head away dipping her head down in shame, "what if I told you that I can find you a job, it pays well, I just need to know if you ladies are ensured by a healthcare provider," Gilda's eyes lit up at my offer like floodlights.

"What kind of work are we talking about?" Gilda asked, "it had better be cool, for both our sakes and yours," I nodded 'yes' to my first hired workers. I needed to make sure they had healthcare in case anything happened on the job. This kind of work can be very dangerous, "alright, we're in, and it better not be lame!" said Gilda shaking my hand

"Trust me, you ladies are going to get to play with some of the biggest toys around, bring your hardhats, you'll need them," I replied, Greta tilted her head bemusedly at the word 'toy', "I'll be seeing you both at 7:30 on the site," they nodded and flew off. That morning, I knew I could count on these griffons as they arrived fifteen minutes early.

"I'm glad to see you two, more so that you're all early, you might have played with matchbox toys when you were fletchlings, let me tell you, it's time to use the real thing," I said to my first workers. Gilda and Greta's jaws dropped at the mighty machines, "these two are our Northwest 100DH hydraulic excavators, I rebuilt both of these machines,"

"You rebuilt these?" Greta said in astonishment as she and Gilda looked around the giant machines. Greta looked at the copper-colored Peterbilt truck and smiled, "do you need somebirdy to haul?" she asked, I nodded 'yes', "you just got yourself a driver," said Greta, and now I have to show Gilda how to operate one of these graceful ladies.

Gilda was a natural with a hydraulic excavator. She can work that big bucket with the best of them, "Alright ladies, we've been hired by a firm for a mass housing project in Baltimare, it seems somepony is willing to give us a chance to prove ourselves, work starts in two days, we leave today to get our equipment set up, we can do this, ladies,"