New tractor!

"Oh hey look at this. If I sit here long enough I'll turn into a snowman" Roy thinks.

"Oh my gosh! Roy is soo slow. Doesn't take much"

"Owh! This shit gets in your eyes"

"Good thing I got my new tractor delivered" thinks Colleen.

Yeah, Yeah, the blue one, the new one. The '72 International one, that's the current one, without breaks and doesn't start in the winter.

Perfect timing on the delivery. I get to use it this winter to plow my driveway.

I had the dealer take the International back with him to the shop and check the brakes...and I didn't have to pay the transport charge. Yeah.

Here's the new kid on the block. In the spring it is going up to Boundary Creek to live with its older brother, a HUGE 2002 New Holland I have up there. Yes, I have TWO awesome New Holland tractors at Boundary Creek, and a '72 International with no brakes at McArthur. Hm, different funding sources.

But like I said, I get to use it at McArthur over the winter to plow. However, that's a 60 mile trasport between the two areas. Like the enclosed cab, ...heated, with a radio!

porked out

I just cracked up when Roy and Reena came back the other day, I couldn't get over how fat they were.

Like I always say, Roy loves his roadkill. The only thing he loves more than me. Whenever he is not at me feet, it is always only roadkill that will take him away. Comes back as fat as a stuck pig, see for yourself.

And this time, Reena decided to take part. She never has before. It is just too hilarious to me how fat they both are. Compare the fat coma photos to the skinny photos. You might also notice, it was hard to get them to lie still when they were skinny. However, after their pig out, its ohhh, I'm so full. I can't move.

Fat comatose Roy. I think I'm gonna have to barf!
OMG so this is what Reena would look like if she were pregnant with like 30 puppies?

Skinny energetic Reena.

I'm bored, when is our next run?

Skiny nervous Roy, I don't want to lie down.

Christening my truck

Katy, I did it. Is this what you had in mind :)

Katy thought my new truck needed some attitude, and rightly so. Something like "FEAR THIS" across the front windshield. I might have went with that. She apparently decided to go just a little more feminine, and got me a pink Superman sticker. My favorite song ;)

So..... here's my girl with her new spangles. When I was getting duplicate keys, I found a matching key chain which hangs from the rearview mirror. Like it?

I haven't found her name yet; I think I have to get to know her better. She did make it up my driveway through a foot of snow no problem. She's got a big heart in that V8 engine. The Super Girl image fits.

I need to get one of those bumper stickers "Silly boys, trucks are for girls".

Praise the Lord!

I made it Home!! And safe and sound!! Amen.
So after my week stuck in Boise, I made it home. I was is Boise a week becuase .....well because first, I rolled my truck on icy I-82 driving down to Boise the day before Thanksgiving. Luckily, and becuase God loves me, everyone in the accident was unscathed, including my dogs. (For a while I thought Reena might have been killed under the truck as she was no where to be seen after the accident, turns out she must have jumped through a broken window and ran off. And amazingly she came back to the accident scene hours later. The officer was able to drive me back to the scene that evening after I had been to the hospital and I was able to find her.

I made it to Boise Thursday night for a not-yet left-over Thanksgiving dinner at Jaenna's. It was all still on the table and wonderfully yummy yummy. I spent the weekend at the GSH Trial. Even ran Reena twice...and she did really well in my book. Better than the last time I worked her 12 months ago :). Guess she can continue to learn, even when I don't train her!

Maybe I won't train her anymore. And we'll continue to trial. And she'll continue to get better and better. And then we'll win! And I will say "I owe it all to you Reena" "You are my hero and inspiration. I couldn't have done with out you, while sitting on the couch every evening watching TV."

No problem, Reena says. "Just continue to leave the door open every eveing from 5-8 so I can take off to the woods to be free and run around. Don't worry, I'll be back."

I soon find out herding lessons are held in town at 6-7 pm, M-W-F.

The other days, I'm pretty sure she's running around the woods.

Yes, I've heard the rumors about a red wolf hanging out down by the local bars near the Chic-N-Chop. But really, the witnesses are hardly credible, either drunk or over 90 yrs old. And with the wolf scare around here, big-bad wolves are every where and blamed for everything. I just don't buy it. And Reena would never do such a thing any way. I'm sure she's in the woods.

I also spent the weekend shopping for a new truck! I ended up getting a really nice Toyota Tundra.

Then, once I had aquired wheels and was ready to head back home, which was already Tues, Boise had a really bad storm and the roads were just impossible. Boise State even closed for the day. Then following day I again tried to leave. The roads were still quite bad, but better. I made it slowly across the states, thankfull for every hour of driving I made, thinking I might have to get a hotel. I was white-knuckling it the whole way. At the begining I thought it was because the roads were questionable to bad, and I didn't think I should really be on the roads. At the Tri-cities I was sure the roads were good, just wet, and no ice since it was 38 degrees. An hour north of that the roads were even dry all the way to Spokane. But I was still white-knucking it and couldn't make myself drive faster. Not sure if that was me being smart or me being terrified to drive.

Anyway, I came home to a driveway with two feet of snow and ice all over the place. Here are some photos. And all kinds of wildlife had been hanging out around the house all week that we were gone. Wild turkey tracks by my front door, elk and deer tracks on the hill by the firepit. Guess with my dogs around, I don't get to see all the wildlife around me that would otherwise be in my backyard.

I had a great time in seeing you all. Till I make it down next time! Best keep your kareokee vocals warmed up.

Front porch


Back porch

Turkey tracks.

My way awesome new truck! A Toyota Tundra with a topper!