Dirty Birds

by TheFlyingHippogriff

Hires and Wires

I have always loved giant construction machines since I was a hatchling. It was my love for these big machines that got me through college, and made me want to start this company. Today, I bought a Caterpillar 245 hydraulic excavator, but this one has the cab with the three angled side windows instead of the single window, a lovely machine.

I often purchase my equipment at auctions so I can fix them up, and make them run like new again. Speaking of new, I also got a new hand to work on the building site. It was Gabriella or 'Gabby'. It seems she wanted to earn extra outside of being a mail delivery griffon. With her round cheeks and curious eyes, she looks like a good student.

She is the do-it-all type of griffon, and gives service with a smile, "Good to see you, Gabby," I said giving her a hug, and nuzzling her beak,

"Is this the machine I'm gonna be working on?" Gabby asked seeing the new arrival on the construction site. I nodded to her to tell she is right,

"Oui," I said, and within no time she was working it like a professional. Gabby truly is a fast learner. I also purchased another Peterbilt 379EXHD dump truck to help haul the debris. I put the new dump truck through it's paces. The bucket on the 425 can hold almost a ton of rock and dirt with every scoop. We were digging out the foundation today.

This was our first building project. A new hospital is being built here. It may look like we are digging a giant hole in the ground, but we need every machine to help with the work. Excavators dig out the hole, dump trucks haul the rock and dirt away, and bulldozers make sure that the ground is nice and level for the other phases of construction.

It is hard work, the bulldozers actually push the dirt up to make a working area for the excavators, Hours passed like clockwork, "Gabby, let's call it in for lunch,"

"It's noon already? I guess time really does fly when you're having fun," said Gabby joining Gilda, Greta, and I at the local diner,

"It feels great that we are building a hospital, I've always wanted to work with machines since I was a hatchling, and here I am! I am just as any griffon has ever been about anything, I just so excited I could just EXPLODE!" Gabby said with the utmost enthusiasm. Even if everybirdy in the restaurant is looking at us, Gabby is fun to have around.

Gilda held Gabby's beak closed, but her excitement can not be contained, "If you're gonna blow up please do it outside," Gilda groaned, "I swear Gabby ate a megaphone as a hatchling," Greta giggled at her joke. After lunch and a couple hours of rest, it was back into the machines and back to work. We have to get this hospital built on schedule.

I ruffled her top feathers, and went into the cab of 'Kaiser', "Let's do this ladies, we need the cellar to be done by next week" I reminded them,

"Got it, we can't be cutting corners on this job," said Greta via radio from one of the dump trucks,

The thing is we are all college-educated griffons. When we got our degrees, we have to go back to school to learn how to operate machinery. You name the machine on a construction site, and we can tell you we've taken classes on how to operate them from bulldozers to the front end loaders and the hydraulic excavators which are my favorite.

I have known Gabby since she was a hatchling. I was a little older at the time, and going through my training to become the next head of the House of Faucon. We even went to school together. She was a little bit rusty at first when she started to learn how to work with construction equipment, but that's something that comes with being a student.

Now she can work a machine like playing a piano, with a few slipups, "Gabby! Lower your bucket more, every griffon in Griffonstone could've heard that!" scolded Gilda.

"Opps...Sorry!" she called back to apologize to her, safety is the number one concern on a construction site. That's why everypony and everybirdy wears a hardhat.

"Don't worry about it, Gabby, just learn from your mistakes, and get the job done, that is all that matters," I said to cheer her up, a few days later we had finished the hole that will be the cellar and the beginning of the foundation for the building. It was perfectly square as it is to be intended. We finished a big part of the job, but we're not done.

"Digging a hole! Digging a hole! And playing in the dirt!" Gabby cheered, I ruffled her top feathers with a smile. Gabby once questioned me on why I could get a cutie mark and she couldn't. We hit a rough time in our friendship since I am half-pony, I earned my cutie mark. Gabby and I patched things up when she became a Cutie Mark Crusader.

"These big girls may not be able to fit in there now, I think we need to go back to the auction block," said Greta,

"I will purchase a few more of those 245 excavators, I love those windows on the cab, I'm thinking we need some smaller machines for the next job," I explained,

A month later, I had purchased two Caterpillar 245 excavators with the same cab design as the one Gabby operates. All our machines get the custom paint treatment after we fixed up the engines and the hydraulics. After the machines got their orange and black paintwork done and the logo painted on the boom, Gabby gave them their new names.

Thanks to Gabby, our new excavators are named 'Kitten', 'Scoop', and 'Princess'. I could not help but laugh. Still, we will keep the names. These griffons are my family.