Yesterday was a good one..I toured the Subaru Auto Plant here in Lafayette for the third time in 20 years it has been in operation. I was totally impressed with this tour given by our guide named Tom. It was great and in this day and age of depressed everything this plant and Subaru in general is a shining light of what we can do if we just decide to 'get it on'.......
Maybe I paid better attention this time but my heavens they are doing it right there. I have to say that if I were in the market for an automobile I would have to consider this companies products at or very near the top of the list...And if Subaru is too hard to say they also make the Toyota Camry there also. About 800 Camry's a day as a matter of fact and about 850 Subaru's also. 3000 men and women are enjoying employment there at this time. I am proud to say I live almost within the shadows of this plant, well I am 2 miles south, but I can if I climb up my TV tower I can see the smoke stacks on the plant. But without smoke, they do a terrific job of holding down emissions and re-cycling at this plant. Nothing goes to a land fill, it is an absolutely clean, lean impressive place here in Lafayette Indiana.
A couple stats I remember hearing on the tour that impressed me were the average auto purchased in the US gets traded by the original owner in 2.5 years...The average Subaru owner keeps his car 7.4 years and 95% of the Subaru's sold are still running on the road 10 years later.
The work force is non union making 22 bucks an hour to start and moving to 25 after 3 months. Health care is provided with 0 deductible. Is it any wonder they have a 3.1% turnover in employees each year? I suspect you take out the retirees and it don't leave a whole lot leaving there for a better job if any. So I proved it again the slow learner mode of this writer, it took 3 tours over 20 years but I finally got it....Subaru is one fine auto and auto manufacturer and one I will definatly someday consider heavily and most likely own and see if I can help add to that stat of owning it for over 7.4 years.
If you are contemplating a new car, I would recommend strongly that you take this plant tour and look at the cars in the entry way to the plant. They do tours about everyday Mon-Friday and although most are scheduled groups if you were to call and talk to Tom Elger 765-449-6250 and explain your looking before you buy I know he would let you tag along on one of these tours.
But you can go on line and see some of the things on the tour by clicking on plant tour and taking a look...here that is,
www.subaru-sia.com
Now after that excellent part of my day I called sweet pea and said, "hey lets go pa pa hunting, as it's got to be about the end of the season for it"...She called a friend she works with Sharon who along with her hubby "Lar" own a 40 acre heaven on the middle fork of the wildcat creek.
Friend Sharon allowed us to tromp her woods near the creek and shake a few of the Pa pa trees that grow there in the flood plain of said creek. We had a great time, got a few burrs on our clothes but that comes with the territory I guess. But we each had a 5 gallon bucket and when we finally tired of this we had them half full and they started to be a little heavy to carry for too long a period. So we called it quits for this year but the picture to the right shows what 129 Indiana Pa Pa's look like as they ly there for a couple days ripening just a bit. Then when they are soft to touch we will eat a few but most of them will be wrapped in newspaper and put into the freezer for winter off season treats. And treats they are we thaw them cut them in half at the belt line and with spoon in hand proceed to scoop out the wonderful custard like insides. Working the large seeds around inside your mouth as you enjoy the fruit then very professionally spitting the seed back onto the spoon to be deposited in the trash can or saved to be planted next spring if your the Johnny Pa Pa seed type like someone I know.
Right under my pa pa picture is a link to a private citizens assesment of the new health care bill being shoved down our throats...I tell you what boys and girls if you have not taken the time to watch this video your missing something worthwhile...nuff said...
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