Many people have summer jobs. Babysitting, mowing lawns, retail or waitressing in their hometown, camp counselors, and the list could go on forever. But not many teenagers and young adults spend their summers hanging out with their dad, getting an awesome farmer's tan, and being exposed to more threatening plants and animals than you ever thought possible.
Every summer for the past four years, and the past two winter breaks, I have worked as a surveyor's assistant. Anytime I tell someone I work as a surveyor's assistant they look at me like I'm speaking a foreign language. So for the sake of clarity, here's a dictionary definition:
Land Surveying: the measurement of dimensional relationships (as of horizontal distances, elevations, directions, and angles) on the Earth's surface, especially for use in location property boundaries, construction layout, and mapmaking.
And my operational definition:
Land Surveying: either freezing your butt off or sweating like a pig, while battling brush, animals, and insects to provide clients with legal documentation of where their property begins and ends.
Now that we are on the same page, I'll give you a look into my job as a surveyors assistant.
Equipment Essentials
No, this is not a camera! Dad is using a Total Station to set corners in the trees where GPS cannot get a signal
No, this is not a camera! Dad is using a Total Station to set corners in the trees where GPS cannot get a signalBefore you can do your job, you must have all the essential equipment. Tape measures, pins, caps, lathes, ribbon, plumb bob, nails, machetes, GPS poles, total station, data collector, pin finder, shovel, and the list could go on and on.
Bugs, Plants, and Animals! Oh My!
Our work requires us to be outdoors. And with the outdoors comes bugs, plants, and animals. I should have bought stock in anti-itch medicine. From mosquito, horsefly, and chigger bites, to poison ivy, oak, and sumac, to irritated skin from cedar trees, you are never not itchy. As I learned the hard way, always wear jeans. Otherwise, you’ll end up with scratches, rashes, and even pieces of sticks stuck in your leg. Always check yourself for ticks, even in you don’t think you got into any. Also, always wear your hair up, but watch out for tree limbs that pop out of no where and try to rip your hair out!
Along with bugs and plants, you also have to contend with animals. Most are harmless. We see rabbits and squirrels often. But we also have to worry about snakes and the occasional angry dog. At one job, we were riding the four wheeler through a property and a dog come out of no where, bit my pants leg, and tried to pull me off the four wheeler. Thankfully I stayed on. Dogs can be crazy!
Murphy’s Law
Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. This is so true when it comes to land surveying. You made it all the way to the job site? Too bad you forgot to print the corner references. Dug a hole two feet deep in packed gravel? Too bad the pin you were looking for is bent and completely useless. Thought you could use the GPS on the entire job? Too bad three of the four pins you have to set fall in the trees. Looks like it's the total station for you!
Accessorize
On some days we get to accessorize. If we’re working off a major highway dad wears a reflective vest for safety. I don’t have one, but I am usually wearing a brightly colored t-shirt. Just this year, dad pulled out his old flashing orange light, which he says, “takes our coolness level from 0 to 0.5.” We put the light on top of the truck, forgot about it, and drove 65 mph down the highway. That was the last day we used it. RIP flashing light.
Disputes and Deputies
Sometimes our job is to legally settle land disputes. Out in rural Oklahoma, land is a big deal. There has been exchanging of harsh words while out on the job. Dad has worked in some pretty intense situations.
One job in particular was strange. We were working for the railroad, surveying the properties that would be affected by the new railroad. We had driven by the property several times, and after getting permission from the owner, went under the barbed wire fence to do our job. Upon completion of the job, the next-door neighbor approached us, asking us what we were doing, if we had a permit, etc etc. Letting dad handle the situation, I climbed back into the truck. Then I head, “Look over here sweetie!” The man took my photo. I was caught off guard and weirded out. Then a sheriff’s deputy pulled up. The neighbor by then was convinced we were good people and told the deputy all was well. Still the weirdest job I’ve done.
No Escape
Even when not at work, it seems like you can never escape work. I am forever seeing survey markers on the side of the road, and even in the sidewalks of downtown OKC. I also spotted pins on campus! The most extreme example happened this summer. I travelled to Corpus Christi, Texas this summer with two high school friends. I spotted a survey crew, complete with a total station, in Waco. I had been excited to get away from work, only to be reminded only five hours after leaving town!
Perks
It’s not always hard work. Sometimes you get to have fun too. Picking wildflowers, catching Pokemon, riding the four wheeler through a buffalo herd, and even meeting Jack, the most friendly donkey.
Although I don't want to go into the field of land surveying, I enjoy working as an assistant. I wouldn't trade my summers of working for my dad for anything. It teaches me the value of hard work, perserverance, and adaptability. It also helps that my boss is pretty cool too. (wink wink)
