Tractor Master

I've heard stories about this legendary man who would get up at 4 in the morning, work a full 8-hour day here in the valley, drive 2 hours up to Christopher Creek, work another 8 hours on his cabin, and then drive back home only to wake up and do it all again the following day.  If I'm doing my math correctly, that only leaves 4 hours to sleep!  It can't be true, can it?

If I were asked to describe Jeff in 2 words, they would be "Hard Work."  As long as I have known Jeff he has been the hardest working man around.  I think Jeff's only complaint about the world would be that we rest on the seventh day.  On a serious note though, he has been such an inspiration for me for the last 20 years.  His dedication to his craft is remarkable.  Can you imagine if everybody worked as hard as Jeff?   I had the opportunity to witness this tremendous quality when Jeff built my family's home.  I was amazed at how much of the home he built all by himself.  I'll never forget the day that Jeff needed to place an extremely heavy beam on top of a framed wall.  It was very high in the air and only Jeff and I were around.  We lifted and placed the beam on top of the front of the tractor.  I then climbed on top of the beam and up into the sky the beam and I went.  Jeff drove the tractor up a small hill and carefully set the beam down on top of the wall.  Unfortunately, the tractor didn't have any brakes and as Jeff went to turn it off so that he could climb up there with me to fasten the beam, the tractor started to roll backwards down the hill, bringing the beam and the wall and myself with it!  My life truly flashed before my eyes that day as the 20 foot high wall I was sitting on started leaning further and further. Thankfully, Jeff quickly restarted the tractor and pulled it forward returning the wall to it's vertical resting place.   Jeff is truly a master with that tractor.  He can do tasks with that thing that I don't think the tractor makers ever dreamed of!