Productive Production

The Machinist and the YA YA YA's have been extremely productive. They have been welding, cleaning, buffing and polishing stainless steel frames for a local kitchen fabrication company These frames are referred to 'sleigh frames'. It's monotonous work, but someone's got to do it. I find if there is joking and larikan-ing around, it helps. Not too much, mind you, otherwise the YA YA YAs could get carried away. Everything's competitive. The Machinist hates to leave his post in the welding bay, as he doesn't want the others to be ahead of him. The YA YA YAs have their own inter-sibling competitions, too. It is quite the study on human nature, although sometimes, the competition isn't human!

During the morning coffee break, I took a few close-ups of the Machinist hard at work. He shouldn't have been working, as his coffee was going cold, and the froth was 'dying' as his daughters call it. They should know; they're both baristas. I just love to watch the Machinist at work, and I especially love it when he welds. It's the sparks, you see. They're mesmerising. The Machinist, aware of my looming presence always tells me not to stare at the arc, as it gives you 'welder's eye'. I assure him that it's not me looking at the arc, but the camera.

I move over to the YA YA YA's, who are debating who is going fast, who can't keep up, who does the best finish on stainless steel. Blah blah blah. I ask them to pose for the camera (not me, the camera. The camera with character!) They oblige, and each of them grab a sleigh frame, hold it up, single-handedly, and frame their faces.

The Machinist and I - we love putting the YA YA YAs to work!