Wait! What Happened at the Truck Stop?

I thought he might be kidding when Cowboy told me that I would have to drive the semi at the farm.  He baled hay while I was back at the Patch of Paradise (aka home), and because Ranch hand called in sick, my help was required in picking up the hay bales and moving them to where they will be stored. 

 

big hay bales....they look like loaves.   Hay loaves.

Ok....let's be clear...  Me vs. Machine has whipped me up one side and down the other lately.  It's apparently my lot in life to drive vehicles and operate machinery that have heretofore fallen in the "uh-uh ain't never gonna do that" category along with sky-diving and bungee-jumping and bug-eating... and snake-handling.  (the list goes on)

So...there was that chance encounter on Sunday at the truck stop....(no, not that!!)....we met a lady trucker who hauls supplies all over the country for a national sandwich chain.  Cowboy was impressed with her:  she drove a semi, owned horses and dogs....what a gal!  He's thinkin' "if she can drive a semi, my wife can."

Well, first thing Monday morning, I'm gettin' truck driving lessons.  O Mg (Oh Magnesium)!  Push in the clutch, push these buttons that have something to do with the air brakes, shift it into low or first, blow the air horn (I came up with that---he didn't even have that on the lesson plan).  All I had to do was drive the semi and trailer around to different fields so that Cowboy could load the hay on the trailer.  Good thing I'd learned to drive a stick-shift in my early days...I wasn't prepared for the humongous steering wheel, though....like steering a ship.  Ahoy, matie!   Let's sing.....The love boat soon will be making another run!  

No, more like..."East bound and down, rollin' up and truckin'"   

So it didn't look like that big a deal...at first.  Over one hundred bales...16 at a time.....all day!  I also was forced to learn how to drive the skid-loader....but me being a rookie and all, I wasn't allowed to pick up the bales.....

Cowboy used an attachment called a "squeeze" to grab the bales and move them to the trailer and also from the trailer to the hay storage area...for lack of a more professional sounding name.

Cowboy loading hay on the trailer with the skid-loader

 We talked over 2-way radios.  Better than hand-signals...It became obvious that I don't understand Cowboy's version of sign language....is it me?


Here's a valuable tip:  when talking on a 2-way, push the talk button and hold it and THEN start talking...this will save you from a humiliating lecture.

See this hill?  Doesn't look like much in this shot, but try sitting at the top of it in a skid-loader heading downhill....







At day's end, I've got the hang of truckin'.  I'm clutchin', shiftin', doin' air brakes....CHshhhhhhh!   AND I'm maneuvering that skid-steer like a ....well, like a  rookie.


Cowboy put his arm around my shoulders and said,  "I'm proud of you.  I couldn't have done this without you.  That old gal has nothin' on you."

What's next?  I'm afraid to know!