Heavy Metal

Living on the dock is a delight for the senses.  I spend much time watching the undulating water in the bay and the majestic ships that make their way in and out of Galway Harbor.  I feel the breeze and sweet-smelling fresh air it brings.  I hear the call of seagulls as they glide by my window.  And the taste of the seafood! 

This is why I was surprised on Monday morning when several dump trucks emptied loads of scrap metal onto the dock outside my window.  The trucks came and went all day.  They came again on Tuesday.  And Wednesday.  

On Wednesday I asked a neighbor about the growing pile of scrap metal.  I said, “I’ve been watching it grow for three days.” 

He replied, “And you’ll be watching for three more days.  Or three more weeks.” 

He told me the metal will be shipped away and I asked him where it will go.  “Spain.  Maybe Japan. “

Meanwhile, the trucks keep coming. 

The pile of scrap is oddly fascinating in appearance and it smells like an auto-body shop. 

The first evening I thought the pile could not get any bigger.  What a failure of imagination!  While I have some interest in seeing how big the pile can get, I find the noise associated with the endeavor assaulting.  Back-hoe-like equipment unloads the trucks with a claw-like attachment.  The metal-on-metal sound is jarring; it sounds like a car accident. 

I look forward to watching the metal get loaded onto a ship and waving it goodbye.   Hopefully that will bring peace back to the dock during the day.

The beginning....

For a sense of scale, note the person to the right of the pile...

Up close

and personal

and that's close enough....