Bella, Reba and OMG!

Thanks for all the good wishes for Bella...now, who wants her? LOL! She's so back to her old self. Still has some pounds to drop (no pun intended!) but she's absolutely maniacal about the frisbee again. Like the jack russel in Dr. Doolittle? The one with OCD who keeps saying, "Throw the ball! Throw the ball! Pleeeaaassseee God! Throw the ball!" Yeah, she's back!

Though, in this photo it was "Throw the frisbee! Throw the fris...oh hell there's that damn camera again!"

Well, we've been getting rain, rain...dry's up a bit, then rains a bit. I just thought I wouldn't have to haul a load of silage this season...that I was SEMI-retired. Was making plans to get a hair cut tomorrow when SE called and informed me we would probably start chopping north of town tomorrow. YIKES! I'm nervous! Me and Lulu got along great. I can say I know how to drive a semi, got the CDL to prove it...but the truth is, I know how to drive MY semi...Lulu.

SE has been working hard to get "Reba" ready. Sunday I "test drove" her. And dammitall if I didn't remember how to do it! It was weird though. Reba is a 9 speed and Lulu was an 18. You'd think 9 would be easier but it's not. At least for me! SE drove her down the highway (couldn't do any dirt road testing...too muddy!) and I drove her home, into the driveway and into the shop...that's it! I haven't taken the bed up or down, backed her...nada! I'm sure I'll be fine...just nervous, it's been awhile!

She's 20 inches longer than Lulu, there were a lot of places Lulu and I couldn't go that the other trucks could because Lulu was long. So I worried about this one....SE assured me that this truck will turn shorter. Makes no sense to me how a LONGER truck can turn SHORTER! He said it had something to do with pi. I'd like to see Sara Lee take this puppy to the feedlot! But I trust him. Cross your fingers that I don't have another post with Reba laying down on the job! (You'll see why I named her Reba in a sec!) It's just that Lulu had that sleeper, shorter base, I looked in my mirror and there was my trailer, around corners...backing up...we were cool. In Reba, no sleeper, longer base...it's just awkward to turn a corner and get out my binoculars to see if her ass is clear! Here's the new addition and my workstation tomorrow!

Lotta daylight between me and that trailer! By the way...that's the same trailer that got laid over with Lulu. They fixed her up and painted her and she looks durn near brand new! Lulu is still in out-patient status. She'll go in this winter. We're going to have to do a hysterectomy (remove her sleeper) and straighten the frame, among other things...hopefully she'll be back in action next harvest.

Just in case you're wondering...this is how these trailers operate....

Yeah, when you put that thing 40 feet in the air and you got 20+ ton of silage pushing you off. It pays to know what you're doing. See? I'm nervous! I've only done it a jillion times...but in Lulu...not Reba. Ah well, it's like riding a bike!

I just wish writing a book was that easy...right!?!?!

Working on a rant, by the way. Was dying to post it this evening but I want to do more research...another "observational" post that is cracking me up. It's right in front of us day in and day out and I, for one, am questioning the wisdom of it. Would you? It's not political. It's advertising...see if you can guess before I post it! Hopefully I will in the next day or two.

SE is sure we are chopping tomorrow. But I'll bet when the third truck gets stuck beyond stuck...we quit! Feedlot has agreed to "pull us" but sometimes even that doesn't work! They hook my truck up to a 4-wheel drive tractor and pull me through the field until I am loaded, haul me to pavement and then hook up to the next truck. Not very efficient, very hard on equipment...we'll see how it goes but I'm thinking, uh-uh! Definately will take pictures of this fun though! I have been hauled through a field hooked up to a 4-wheel drive tractor, that was hooked up to another 4-wheel drive tractor...and they couldn't get me out! So SE hooked up the Chopper to both tractors, and me....it took about 80,000 horses to drag me to pavement! But hey, if the crops ready to go...it's gotta go! That sucked, I hope we never have to do that again! Do wish I had pictures of it though! But now that I have my new camera...I won't be without it!