View Toward the Big Sandy High Country Across Leckie's 
1955 International Stock Truck
Mechanic King Again
Joe's working on his old yellow stock truck. He's taking out the drive line, I think he said. He has two tractors and four trucks to maintain. Between his mechanic-king on all his equipment and irrigating he's been spending a lot of time outside in the nice weather. Then its watching the NBA playoffs, but most of that is with his eyes closed.
Yesterday afternoon I spent some enjoyable time working in my photo program and printing out a lot of prints for painting reference. Now to see what I do with them.
Yesterday I gave both dogs a bath and then brushed them out, the entire day of spa treatment. What an improvement and I bet they feel lots better. Raven is not lady-like at all and gets totally muddy, full of dirt and filthy, frequently snacks on horse manure. Sparky wasn't a lot better. It was a new experience because for the first time I bathed them in the bath tub. This is because I can no longer lift them into the utility room sink. The double sink is the perfect place to wash them because, once they are in there, there is no bending over. But the bad part is I have to lift them in and out. Also the hose with a sprayer I had wore out and I've never gotten another one, so it was the tub or the hose in the yard. Sparky was first into the bath tub. And he didn't want to get in but with encouragement he did and we got the job done. He loves to have a bath. Raven came in a few times to see what was going on. Draped with a towel to catch any unallowed shaking off, Sparky carefully jumped out of the tub and I led him with the leash to the back door and turned him loose outside to dry.
Later... after I rested... it was Raven's turn. She never comes in the bathroom much, and was scared to death of the prospect of getting into that white "pond". It took about 10 minutes of encouragement and me in the tub sweet talking and trying to get her to jump in. She weighs about 70-80 pounds now, (and Sparky is 65). Have you ever tried to move an 80 pound dog who doesn't want to budge?? She was glued prostrate to the linoleum saying "Mom ask me to go in any bottomless mud bog full of anacondas and I will go, but pulleeze....not the white pond!!" So at one opportune moment when she stood up from cringing on the floor, I grabbed her around the middle and got her front legs in and cutting her off from getting out, shoved her back end in too. Oh..... that wasn't so bad after all.... and of course she loves the scrubbing and attention. I couldn't believe the icky dark brown water and all the floating hair in our tub. When she was all rinsed off, and had the towel draped over her she daintily stepped out with never a shake and out the back door. So maybe there is hope that next time she will jump into the tub for me.
Well of course the whole bathroom needed to be cleaned and mopped up. I think I clogged the drain and have to work on that today. Then a washer full of sopping towels and the rug was run. Wish I'd gotten photos of them being bathed, but I had my hands full, so maybe next time. Later that evening I brushed out big wads of loose hair from them both. They fight over whose turn it is for that procedure and I have to keep ordering one of them back from trying to get under the brush so I can get the first one done. And Raven just cannot hold still. She is more wiggly than any dog I've ever had. I just sort of keep taking swipes with the brush as she passes by and eventually have brushed the whole dog. Still to do is to clip Raven's toenails, which also scares her to death. She shakes like a leaf through that whole horrid operation.
Yesterday evening I was invited to go to a dance recital in town tonight, but not sure I'm feeling up to going and driving home about 10 p.m. I'm spending the day considering what exactly to do, so that's iffy. Connie, who bought the lodge from us, called and invited me or us, as her granddaughter is in the recital and she wanted me to come and see them. What are the chances of Joe going? I'll let you know.
