The last laugh

[Hobcobble]

Hi John,

We came in from the country about five or six years ago when I got sick. The old place would have been too much for Momma and Colt to take care of.

Things being what they were, it seemed to be the wise thing to do for my family's sake. I still believe it was. Times were hard enough without adding more weight to them.

Things are different now. I've been cancer free for quite some time and the future seems to be wide open. Colt is a sophomore in High School and the plan is to go somewhere different after he graduates.

Kevin,
Sounds like a very wise decision.
John

[Chewie]

Kevin

How are your neighbors doing this morning? The drifts down here are substantial. It's going to be another long weekend.
I should have grabbed that plow when I had the chance.

[Kevin Mienke]

How are your neighbors doing this morning? The drifts down here are substantial. It's going to be another long weekend.
I should have grabbed that plow when I had the chance.

Same thing here. The blowing and drifting was bad enough yesterday that most people didn't go anywhere, so the big dig-out is going on today.

[Bruce]

We either missed/or Dodged the storm, or it's still coming? We woke up to a pittance of less than 1/2" of dry powder. :~}(

[Gordon Maney]

Hi John,

We came in from the country about five or six years ago when I got sick. The old place would have been too much for Momma and Colt to take care of.

Things being what they were, it seemed to be the wise thing to do for my family's sake. I still believe it was. Times were hard enough without adding more weight to them.

Things are different now. I've been cancer free for quite some time and the future seems to be wide open. Colt is a sophomore in High School and the plan is to go somewhere different after he graduates.

The country is a great place. I will leave the country when I am hauled away dead in an ambulance.

In recent nights I have hear the great horned owl hoot, and coyotes howling.

[Kevin Mienke]

The country is a great place. I will leave the country when I am hauled away dead in an ambulance.

In recent nights I have hear the great horned owl hoot, and coyotes howling.

I miss many things about the country. I think that is why I venture to ice fish and hunt. I might get skunked in the hunt, seeing not one single pheasant, duck, or goose…catching not one single fish, yet still come home feeling as though the world is mine again. I have been back to where my heart is and that is enough to satisfy me.

Sometimes I don’t pull up my gun even when I see the most spectacular duck cupping his wings and floating directly into my decoys. I will watch him instead, and go home feeling all the better for having watched him.

I know the feeling of waking up and being thankful for one more day.

[712edf]

Sometimes I don’t pull up my gun even when I see the most spectacular duck cupping his wings and floating directly into my decoys. I will watch him instead, and go home feeling all the better for having watched him.

I know the feeling of waking up and being thankful for one more day.

My cousin just last week took 2 long hikes (same day) on her property in eastern Oklahoma. The first time she took her camera and got some shots of the snow, trees, wildlife,etc. The second time she took a gun. On that second hike she ran across a beautiful fawn, then some more deer. She said she wished she had the camera then instead.

Bucky

[Blisters]

This last storm (for us, 6" of snow is a storm) I took my '41 Army truck up a hill to get a few pictures of it on snow. For me, this is an unusual opportunity.

It is equipped with the stock drivetrain, which includes a 95 h.p. flathead-6, a 4-speed (granny low) transmission, a single-speed transfer case, 7.50-16 military NDT tries (narrow tread with an approximate diameter of 33") and no lockers of any kind.

As I drove up a single-lane paved road on a ridge, I came to places where the snow had packed from previous "adventurers" and my Dodge started to slide around a bit. Now, I am quite confident on sand, rocks, and mud, but snow was a new thing for me. So instead of pushing the limit, I settled on a nice big oak and parked in front of it for a background.

After I had finished recording my green machine in the white glory, I tramped back into the cab, started her up, put her in reverse to get back onto the road, and promptly slid sideways. "Gee, that's not good" I thought to myself. I did it again. And again. I had now slid sideways about 5 feet. And back none.

Along came a couple of men in a lifted, older Toyota truck. I got out, motioned for them to stop, and when they did, asked the driver if he would be so kind as to wait a minute until I got my Original Meaning Of The Phrase, "Off Road Vehicle" back onto the road. He squinted at me, looked at his friend, looked back at me, and querried, "You didn't get that Power Wagon stuck, did you?" Note that there was a certain tone to his voice, possibly of disbelief?

I replied that, no, I wasn't stuck, but you know, wait a minute just in case. Oh, and I have a tow rope.

Well, that was that. I was either gonna get out, and get out quick, or I was gonna bury that thing and have to come back for it in a day or two (after all the snow had melted).

I tried once more- I slid sideways. I realized, by paying attention to my posterior affixed to the seat, that there was no traction once I started up the slight embankment. So I rocked it back-and-forth and got out.

Waving to the Toyota driver, I headed back to the house. And breathed a bit easier.

As I descended the hill, people in mini vans were getting stuck on the packed snow. None of them appeared to notice. I stopped and pointed it out to a couple of them, and they both just shrugged, one of them saying he'd just call an Auto Club tow truck after his kids were done playing.

Well, that's life out here in La La Land. Hope you all enjoy your REAL weather! And REAL driving challenges!

-Ken J

[NNICKB]

It's the tires, my man.

Military NDTs are "original," but no one I know likes driving with them in the bad stuff. I think it has more to do with the compound in the rubber than anything else.

Modern snow tires have specially engineered rubber compounds combined with specific tread patterns. They do wonders for snow traction, even with minivans.

Incidentally, the best snow tires are lousy in mud. And they wear out fast on dry pavement.

"You pays your money and takes your choice."

[Blisters]

NNICKB:

Thanks- I was thinkin' it, but had no experience about it.