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!

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=x91rBzNKvlc&; 

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.

Click here to see the complete report.

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.

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

Taken from the field I was driving in. The mountain is about 12 miles from where we were

This is our last drive for the rest of this week and all of next so we made the most of it!  We took yesterday’s drive and added more road time to it bringing up our mileage total to 7.45 in over three hours.  We had a super slow trot past our driveway that registered 5.8 mph and the fastest recorded was 7.1 most of them were around 6.5 which is a nice slow jog trot and that is what I am working towards.  The weather was nice and cool for most of the drive and Teamdonk #2 were wonderful!  We met some extra large traffic which did not faze the boys at all.  With over 13,000 acres of wildfires burning the landscape is surrounded in haze. I took the camera today and will finish up with the pictures from this morning’s drive.  

This is Day Canyon, a favorite driving road Click on all photos to enlarge them

The green is next years canola crop. What a splendid view this is

Don’t forget to click on the photos to make them easier to view

I’ll be back to write about my next drive around September 26^th if all goes well.  Luc update; swelling is down from the fetlock joint and he is walking much better.

Check out Kristi and Teamdonk at http://66.49.173.199/MODEL.html

Before dropping into Day Canyon we spooked two nice bucks one with a darn nice set of antlers who we have seen before.  The boys have developed a jog-walk going into the steep canyon that is 3.3 miles per hour that helps to up their walk average to 3 mph.  The Pacific Carriage Show Cart does not have brakes and they have to hold it back on their own which they have no problems doing.

 Their trotting improved immensely on today’s drive!  It helped when we got to the T at Longhaul and Day Roads the boys wanted to head north.  That is the best trotting road around, which they now know all about.  By the end of our drive they were started together better and pacing themselves around 6.3 to 6.7 mph and traveling longer distances.  This is a great start to a pretty trotting career!

Teamdonk #2 Out Standing In Their Field!

 We found the perfect stubble field to go play in.  It has a wide flattened out grain truck road without a high stubble center that goes all the way thru the center of the field and out the other end and it isn’t steep where the road goes through.  I loved listening to the swishing sounds their hooves make as they made their way along the flattened wheat stubble roadway.  I hope to play there again tomorrow.

Field Driving Teamdonk #2

 It got real hot real quick today.  This is supposed to be our last ninety degree day, our normal highs range in the seventies this time of the year so it is quite un usual.  But the sun felt great and I was not complaining!  We were out for 2 hours and 25 minutes and went six miles.  I love these longer fun field and road fall drives.

 Today’s photos were part of yesterday’s collection.  As always click on them for a better viewing size.

Tomorrow is our last drive for this week and possibly all of next week.  Luc is still limping and enjoying his applesauce bute sandwiches three times a day.  He’s definitely a donk in pain.

Our morning started off with the most unusual weather forecast it wasn’t sunshine, nope not rain or snow or wind the National Weather Service was calling for smoke today.  Before the smoke rolled onto the prairie we had a terrific photo session that you’ll be able to enjoy as you keep us with Teamdonk #2 on their next two drives.

Not only does this look great, it makes the Pacific Carriage Cart ride smoother when they are together like this! Click to enlarge all the photos

A good strong road trot started us off and that was our focus during the duration of our seven mile journey, lots and lots of trotting.  It stayed cool for a long time so we just kept going.  We drove into our west soft white wheat field and Jim was at the house with the camera.  These are very long distance shots and we hope you will enjoy them.  By the way the bees loved my yellow and wanted to be my new best friends.

Stopping for a brief rest as we climb the hill into the field

 After our field drive we drove through Day Canyon where for the first time that I can remember the creek that flows thru the bottom of the canyon is dry.  This was a first time event for Teamdonk #2.  I don’t know if it was the cool crisp morning air or just the idea that we were going someplace they had never been but their walk speed went up to 3.3 mph, which was really bookin’ it for these two.  We stopped for a long visit with a local cowboy and of course that is great for them!  He thought they looked awfully good trotting together. 

Leaving the field and off for another driving adventure!

Galahad really wanted to be part of today's team drive!

Other than listening to their foot falls the only other sound was the aircraft hauling Boride flame retardant to the wildfires.  The mammoth donkey boys and I watched them coming and going from the airport flying directly over us to the fires and back to reload.  Hopefully they were able to get a handle on the fires as there is no rain in our long term forecast.  Smoke was laying heavy on the horizon even before the smell reached my nose.

Our trot speeds were all over the place.  I even had Hank loping once to keep up with Merlin.  I finally decided I needed to shorten Hank’s traces up one notch as it looked to me that Merlin was the only one pulling.  That did help but Merlin’s needs moved up one tomorrow and then I think we’ll be spot on.  This has been an ongoing problem with these two.

Merlin and I saw a deer and Hank got to watch baby calves.  Hank loves cows but more than that he thinks bouncing baby calves are the best!  The prairie is full of deer we see them everywhere.  Deer often herd the barn cats out of the barn so they can steal the cat’s water and of course they love the sweet apples in our yard.  I love seeing and hearing them so close to the house. 

Today’s stats: 7 mile drive, 7.3 to 8.6 mph trots, 3.3 walk speed and 2 hours and 48 minutes. 

Luc was limping this morning but I think that is because he went flying over the pasture shelter bridge and never slowed down till he slammed into the back wall of the pasture shelter.  Jim saw it happen, thought maybe he had bees or wasps after him.  Luc got a special Applesauce and Bute sandwich. He was doing much better this afternoon.