Deuce Comes South

After what seemed like hundreds of emails and numerous phone calls the deal was finally sealed for us to get Deuce, our newest Tennessee Walker, all the way from Wisconsin. For the past couple of years we have been vacationing the week of Thanksgiving at our time share in Pigeon Forge. In order to make the pickup, we took our horse trailer on vacation with us and scheduled the pickup to coincide with our trip home. We met the seller at a rest stop just outside of PF, on I-40.
It was a smooth exchange with no problem loading him on the unfamiliar trailer and we were on our way. No doubt is was a long hard day for Deuce. I'm sure he will be in for some more long days this spring as he begins to acclimate to the southern climate. He come to us with a thick winter coat which he will certainly need to get rid of, sooner than later.

Close to Home

Regardless of where you live, every region of our great country brings its own specific hazards when it comes to Mother Nature. Living here in the immediate coastal region of North Carolina is no different. Hurricanes would be our most prolific threat, followed by heat/humidity and sand nats (no-see-ums). Tornado watches are not that rare here, but the actual occurance of a seriously damaging tornado is pretty seldom and is typically only a threat in the early spring when weather patterns are changing, or in the summer when severe thunderstorms roll through. I guess its one of those things you think about as always happening to someone else, that you're glad you don't have to worry about. The idea of a tornado occuring in these parts in the month of November would be about the furtherest thing from one's mind. This week that mindset changed for us and our neighbors. At 6:30 in the morning, an F-3 tornado touched down less than three miles from us and tore a path through an area of rural farms as well as the main highway that serves the area. In fact, I had just passed through it's glide path only 30 minutes earlier on my way to work. C came through on her way to work only minutes after it happened. Eight people perished in the storm, including a family of three. One of the fatalities was a local fire fighter who was leaving his home to man the fire station when the warning had been issued. As the twister missed the heart of town by less than two miles, it could have certainly been much worse. But then I'm sure you would have a hard time convincing those who lost loved ones of that fact.

Help Arrives

Facing our first spring/summer on the farm, we knew a tractor was going to be a must. We did a great deal of shopping around and debating over what size would best suit our needs but fit within our budget. We finally decided on a compact Massey Ferguson with a Hardee Panther bush hog and front end loader (FEL). This model has hydrostatice drive which makes manuvering a cool breeze. Time to start putting in alittle seat time.

First HACC Show

B competed in her first show at the NC Boy's and Girl's Home arena. Her and Captain faired very well. Many thanks to our trainer Mary Miller for all her help and direction before and during the event. We stayed overnight on the ground in our camper which made the show even more enjoyable. This is a convenient venue for local shows with plenty of facilities for overnighting. We look forward to many more shows here.