Luc and Galahad are running head first into a shinny new year! Click on the photo to make it larger
“The new year lies before you like a spotless track of snow,
Be careful how you tread on it, as every track will show.”
We’re planning to make many tracks and you should too. So off you need to go to the new blog site at;
www.2012teamdonk.wordpress.com
to share a wonderful New Year with Teamdonk and friends!
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 5,900 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 5 trips to carry that many people.
Painting by Martie B from the Draft and Drive Yahoo Groups List Thanks Martie, we love it!
September had some spectacular driving weather which I was not able to take full advantage of. The drives we did have were wonderful and will be long remembered.
My total driving mileage, since I started keeping track, is now at 649 miles of sitting in the box and driving those donkey boys. Luc and Galahad only had one drive this month adding to their totals of 184 hours and 513 miles. Hank and Merlin now have 23 hitches together as Teamdonk#2. They have logged 43 hours/25 minutes with a total of 95.77 miles of first year driving. These boys are working well as a team and absolutely enjoyable to drive.
Here’s hoping October is kind and gives us a few more days of enjoyment before it’s time to clean, oil and put the harness away for winter.
As always click on the picture for a larger view.
It looked like today’s drive was going to be another mundane report. Reporting on things like the beautiful autumn weather, the awesome country scenes, watching a doe with fawns run the canyon walls, driving the boys nearly 8 miles, even putting them into a new wheat field and being out for three hours. It was in the mid 30’s last night and it was almost noon by the time it warmed up enough to get us out on the road. It heated up to 74 degrees on our return trip with off and on breezes that couldn’t decide whether to be cool or warm definitely fall type weather.
The Department of Environmental Air Quality Control had given the green light for field burning and we had seen big smoke from the fires all over the prairie while out driving. The field smoke doesn’t last long especially with light and variable winds. Everything is tinder dry so it doesn’t take long to burn a stubble field.
This is a good example of what a field fire looks like from a distance. Click to enlarge the photo
I could see from a distance that it looked like Jim was able to torch our field by the house to kill the awful weeds that had taken over the landscape. I was hoping it would be smoldering by the time we arrived. Unfortunately our timing was off and it was a blazing inferno. Hank would not hear of taking the long way home or waiting for the fire to die out. The long way around was also being started on fire so that really wasn’t much of an option either. I decided to take a chance and drive them past it. Before we got to the fire we could hear it roaring, see the flames, feel the heat, smell the smoke and dodge the ash that was flying all around us.
About the time we got to the core of the blaze, Hank decided to become scared and did his best to put Merlin and me off the side of the road into a steep ditch. I was able to get us safely back where we belonged. I did remembered to alternate tension back and forth on the lines instead of a steady pull on both, which I think really helped, as well as talking him out of departing the scene in a hurry. It took a lot to get him past the wall of flames coming straight at us at a walk. He is my calm as a cucumber mammoth donkey so this for sure was not his usual, but then we don’t drive right next to blazing infernos everyday either!
I could see a water truck with a flashing yellow light approaching from behind as the driver watched the perimeter of the fire lines for hot spots that needed extinguished. I knew Hank had to see that truck before it popped into his line of sight or he for sure was going to leave the scene at a ridiculous amount of speed. I stopped and turned the team back towards the fire so he could see the truck and that worked! We were by the lane when the truck came whizzing past. Hank soon settled down and was able to stop long enough to watch Jim who had been setting the fire on his four-wheeler. He stopped to talk to the water tender driver and that flashing yellow light still had Hank’s attention.
I guess you could say this team is going well enough to drive them through fire, if you’re foolish enough to try! YEAH, TEAMDONK #2!
This was reported in our local newspaper, what is left of the combine can be seen from our farm. The fire burned alot of acres, jumped a road and with the high winds that day it must have been a horrible sight. It was too smokey for us to see exactly what was happening.
Combine Fire Ignites Field — As of press time Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 27, Grangeville Rural Fire Department crews were battling a field fire in proximity to Zumwalt and Kube roads north of Grangeville off Old State Highway 7. Reported around 2 p.m., the field ignited from a combine fire and was threatening a residence. Crews were on scene in both structure protection and firefighting roles.
Click on all the photos to enlarge them
Before the rainy season hits again Jim and his trusty tractor were able to focus on the boy’s domain. It’s been awhile since he was able to get the pasture slicked up and it was in need.
First came the pick up of their manure piles and then the pasture was harrowed.
For once, this does not happen very often, the fellas were left to free roam while Jim fed them a round bale. Luc snuck in for some extra suck-up time and to get the first bite.
They ended their day bellied up to a bale and happy as can be.
This was taken just north of Stanley, Idaho not far from the 8,701 Galena Summit, the Galena Peak is 11,153 ft.
We have returned from a fabulous adventure driving thru the Sawtooth Wilderness dropping into the recreational paradise known as Sun Valley, Idaho. Here are just some of the vistas that we had a blast driving through as always click on the picture to enlarge them.
The rugged peaks north of the Galena Summit. Not far from where we drove you can step across the mighty Salmon River Head Waters.
Stop by for a visual tour at http://woodrivercarriage.com/ we were able to make a connection with Wayne resulting in a couple of great hours touring his facility. It was an unbelievable treat to touch and drool over his latest amazing restoration, a 1903 Dr’s Buggy with strikingly beautiful and interesting features. What a treat to hear the stories of how it all came together.
We were able to view his private collection and were really impressed with what we learned about his Mountain Wagon and its features. Future restoration projects were also discussed. Turning someone’s old piece of junk into a historically correct museum piece is Wayne’s specialty and a perfect outlet for his many talents!
Wayne was helpful in teaching me all about poles and what would be best for the big team on our buckboard. I think we are going to be able to finally get it set up for Teamdonk #2 and a future four-up. It was a great stop and I’m hoping to get back again before next driving season.
This is our favorite sign, I guess you would know why we just had to stop and get a photo.
I think the sign says it all, and what a great picture!
I’ll leave with another favorite scene.
Still Standing Strong
Here are two more photos taken on the September 13th drive.
Hank checking out what lies ahead
Hope you enjoy our driving photos as much as I did taking them! Don’t forget you can make them larger with a single mouse click.
