Montana
Last weekend I had a bad time with keys, heading to Montana to visit my dear friend on her ranch.
The first dumb thing I did was not to check that Darth Vader ( the big black Dodge diesel) had working AC. It has been a problem before and it is hot, hot, hot here. So we got all hitched up and only then did I try it. Nada.
So we switched trucks which involved much bolt moving on the hitch with huge wrenches. Don's truck pulls a 5th wheel and the trailer plug for the 5th wheel up front works, but when we plugged into the outlet at the back bumper, no brakes. Circuit tested OK, but intermittent. I noticed that the prong for brakes was corroded, and when I was cleaning it, it was loose. Inside we discovered that the whole prong and its screw were one big mass of blue corrosion, in fact the screw was eaten completely. So we put on a new plug.
Finally we take off, and drive to our overnight stop in Broadus MT. And where are the keys to the trailer? Nowhere to be found. On our return, I found them on the dash of my truck back in Rapid City, just below where the spare trailer keys hang on the visor. After I shed a few weary tears, and a phone call to a locksmith didn't work, we decided to see if we could get in.
The lock on the door latch opened with another key that went to I don't know what. So much for security. The dead bolt that I installed would not submit to our feeble lock picking attempts. I began to check the windows, and discovered that the front window was latched but not locked ! We stuffed a hacksaw blade up in, turned the latch, pushed in the screen and I climbed over the tanks and in. I was praying that the table would hold my teeny body, it did, and that got me to the back of the dead bolt and we were in!
The next day the chief engineer rigged a door bar with the handle to his 5th wheel hitch two bungee cords and some string.
We had a great weekend and came home without a problem. ( well, actually, the 15 year old water heater is toast, but I've been expecting that )
Moral of the story ? Redundancy. There is going to be a set of keys in a hide a key on the trailer. I'm told it is safer if on a horizontal surface. There will be another set in his pickup too. and the latch on the front window will never be locked !
We made it to Hardin MT without further difficulties and had a grand time. Our friends there are very funny and feed us way too much food. The dog gets to run loose with the two other dogs and she is thrilled. Their big log house made of really big logs over looks the Big Horn River below and you can see for miles. One night on the big porch we watched a mad spray pilot putting something on a field in the near dark, very dangerous. Spray pilots were the original barnstormer pilots, and still take terrible chances.
You may remember that last year Don helped Harry bring up the two halves of an enormous earthmover’s tire, 12’ in diameter, that had been sliced in half to make tanks for cattle water. This year we got to see one just built, as well as watch the process of getting water up into the dry hills.
Apparently, the Feds will pay for a lot of this water project, but one of the requirements is a bird bath. Like most ranchers, the wild ideas of the Feds are viewed here with at least skepticism and more likely derision. A standard cattle tank is hard for birds and smaller wildlife to drink out of, and they sometimes end up drowned instead, since they can’t get out. So next to a regular, half tire water tank, which is fenced so the cattle can’t stand around in it, is another tire. This one is set at an angle so it won’t get too deep, and has some artistic rocks stuck in the cement in the middle. I guess it will get a ramp too, and will also be fenced so the cows can’t go stand around in it either. (Cows do love to stand around in the water, but they tend to poop in it too).
The lady Fed hasn’t come to inspect yet, but she is already thinking Harry is pretty good because he put up a fence to keep the cattle out of a corner and calls it the Pocket Creek National Wildlife Refuge ( it is probably 20 acres- laughable around here) and he also rescued a wounded Golden Eagle and actually got a plaque for that tree hugger gesture.
Although all this makes everyone giggle pretty much, ranchers have to be good stewards of their land and the creatures there or they will go bust. And also, during the winter when the cattle are in the smaller home fields with their hay or up at the feed lot getting really fat, guides pay the ranchers to take hunting parties back into the hills. We can see the deer and elk fattening up on the alfalfa, they are a sort of crop themselves.
It was sad to leave, we both love it there, and it was a relief to get away from the resort.
The first dumb thing I did was not to check that Darth Vader ( the big black Dodge diesel) had working AC. It has been a problem before and it is hot, hot, hot here. So we got all hitched up and only then did I try it. Nada.
So we switched trucks which involved much bolt moving on the hitch with huge wrenches. Don's truck pulls a 5th wheel and the trailer plug for the 5th wheel up front works, but when we plugged into the outlet at the back bumper, no brakes. Circuit tested OK, but intermittent. I noticed that the prong for brakes was corroded, and when I was cleaning it, it was loose. Inside we discovered that the whole prong and its screw were one big mass of blue corrosion, in fact the screw was eaten completely. So we put on a new plug.
Finally we take off, and drive to our overnight stop in Broadus MT. And where are the keys to the trailer? Nowhere to be found. On our return, I found them on the dash of my truck back in Rapid City, just below where the spare trailer keys hang on the visor. After I shed a few weary tears, and a phone call to a locksmith didn't work, we decided to see if we could get in.
The lock on the door latch opened with another key that went to I don't know what. So much for security. The dead bolt that I installed would not submit to our feeble lock picking attempts. I began to check the windows, and discovered that the front window was latched but not locked ! We stuffed a hacksaw blade up in, turned the latch, pushed in the screen and I climbed over the tanks and in. I was praying that the table would hold my teeny body, it did, and that got me to the back of the dead bolt and we were in!
The next day the chief engineer rigged a door bar with the handle to his 5th wheel hitch two bungee cords and some string.
We had a great weekend and came home without a problem. ( well, actually, the 15 year old water heater is toast, but I've been expecting that )
Moral of the story ? Redundancy. There is going to be a set of keys in a hide a key on the trailer. I'm told it is safer if on a horizontal surface. There will be another set in his pickup too. and the latch on the front window will never be locked !
We made it to Hardin MT without further difficulties and had a grand time. Our friends there are very funny and feed us way too much food. The dog gets to run loose with the two other dogs and she is thrilled. Their big log house made of really big logs over looks the Big Horn River below and you can see for miles. One night on the big porch we watched a mad spray pilot putting something on a field in the near dark, very dangerous. Spray pilots were the original barnstormer pilots, and still take terrible chances.
You may remember that last year Don helped Harry bring up the two halves of an enormous earthmover’s tire, 12’ in diameter, that had been sliced in half to make tanks for cattle water. This year we got to see one just built, as well as watch the process of getting water up into the dry hills.
Apparently, the Feds will pay for a lot of this water project, but one of the requirements is a bird bath. Like most ranchers, the wild ideas of the Feds are viewed here with at least skepticism and more likely derision. A standard cattle tank is hard for birds and smaller wildlife to drink out of, and they sometimes end up drowned instead, since they can’t get out. So next to a regular, half tire water tank, which is fenced so the cattle can’t stand around in it, is another tire. This one is set at an angle so it won’t get too deep, and has some artistic rocks stuck in the cement in the middle. I guess it will get a ramp too, and will also be fenced so the cows can’t go stand around in it either. (Cows do love to stand around in the water, but they tend to poop in it too).
The lady Fed hasn’t come to inspect yet, but she is already thinking Harry is pretty good because he put up a fence to keep the cattle out of a corner and calls it the Pocket Creek National Wildlife Refuge ( it is probably 20 acres- laughable around here) and he also rescued a wounded Golden Eagle and actually got a plaque for that tree hugger gesture.
Although all this makes everyone giggle pretty much, ranchers have to be good stewards of their land and the creatures there or they will go bust. And also, during the winter when the cattle are in the smaller home fields with their hay or up at the feed lot getting really fat, guides pay the ranchers to take hunting parties back into the hills. We can see the deer and elk fattening up on the alfalfa, they are a sort of crop themselves.
It was sad to leave, we both love it there, and it was a relief to get away from the resort.
posted by Thistledown24 at 5:19 AM
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