There is a MOOSE on the LOOSE!!!!

I can't believe this!!! Several people reported seeing a "Moose" out in Custer State Park. Someone got this picture of it......this has never happened before that anyone knows of. This picture has made front page news on all of the local Newspapers. The closest Moose to this area would be located in Montana and Wyoming. I understand they do travel long distances. It will be interesting to find out if he stays or passes on through.. Now if he likes it here as well as most folks do, he may be here a while!!!LOL, Next I suppose it will be a BEAR!!!!!

We have been keeping busy. We shipped out 7 PressurePro systems this week. We had to go to Rapid City Wednesday and had a lot of stops to make. It was a LONG day. By the time we got back home to Custer, we had received orders for 4 systems. Now that's a good day, maybe we should go to Rapid more often. It is about 45 miles, so we don't go but a couple times a month. We have 2 good grocery stores in Custer where we can get groceries. Plus we have an extra Frig in the shop, so we can stock up.

One gentleman that ordered a nice large System from us was Keith Green, from Lufkin, TX. He has been following our blog and is a friend on Facebook. Nice fellow!! The next day I was reading his Blog and was startled to find out that he had a FIRE in his house!
Here is his Blog: Green2GoRV

We were so sorry to hear of this. What a mess, thankfully neither Keith nor his wife Donna were injured. But look at their house! What a shame! Fortunately they have a nice Motorhome to use. Keith and Donna, our hearts go out to you in dealing with this tragedy. I wish we were closer and could be of some help. Please keep us advised.

Our good friends, fellow Tetoners and Blog followers, Roger and Diane Smith stopped and said hello while they were in the area. We sat outside and watched a big rain storm skirt around us.

While Roger and Diane were here they got a glimpse of the famous Ms Megabyte2. Although it had to be a quick glimpse, because she had to get back to "work" helping Ms Pat with bookwork. She spends hours here and in all kinds of hilarious positions.....She has been doing real well and gets so rambunctious around here that she gets worn out. I sure had NO IDEA that cats were so entertaining.....:-) She is a JOY!!

Yesterday we took the 4X4 out for a 25 mile ride in the Forest close to our place and ended up down at Broken Arrow Campground. We went up to the top of Cicero Peak...it's about 5 miles south of us. We were able to ride all the way to the top.

Here we are at the top near the Forest Service communications tower... Cicero Peak is only 6,168'. That's nearly 1000' lower than Harney Peak the highest in the area. However, it's a nice view of the surrounding country side.

This is looking down to the East....

Now we are back down at the base. We had a nice rain here this morning...you can see the water puddles in the road.

These valley's are Beautiful.......and so Green!!

It was a Fantastic Ride and we stopped in and said hello to Larry and Geri Gustafson, owners of Broken Arrow Campground....before heading back home.

It was a GREAT WEEK!!!!!!!

Travel safe and thanks for dropping by..

Mike




This Blog is published every Sunday and Wednesday...

WHAT,,,another Lottery winner in South Dakota!!!!!!......

I can't believe it,,,,,,,another lottery winner in SD. This one was only for a "mere" $200,000. and was in Rapid City. This gentleman only picked 5 of the 6 numbers and didn't get the Powerball number. This makes "5" $200,000 Powerball winners in SD this year! Guess we better start buying a ticket! Here is the newspaper article: Rapid City Journal

Most Rv'ers are quite power conscious and like to monitor the power coming into their RV at all times. We and several of our friends use the Progressive Power Management System. I love it and it tells me what the Voltage is and also tells me the Amps being used on each leg. I have two monitors with my Power Manager, one upstairs and another in the basement.. It's a super set up and if you don't have one, you really should. Ours is built right into the RV. I don't have to plug it in at the post. I prefer that....plus you don't have to be outside by the power post to know what your power is doing....but others have other ideas, and use the post mount.

Another handy gadget that I have had for quite a while is the "Kill-A-Watt". Many of you know what it is; if you don't, you might want to look into one. It will monitor your power at each outlet inside your Coach. Plus, it does a lot more!! I go more by the amps that something uses than I do by watts. The Kill-A-Watt will give you the Amps used by any appliance that is plugged into it, plus more. If you want to see how many Amps your little heater uses (or anything else) just plug it into the Kill-A-Watt. Neat gadget!! It's all part of our POWER MANAGEMENT. Check it out here: Super Media Store I have bought a lot of "Gadgets" from this outfit. They are trustworthy and give good service.

We have been having some kind of BEAUTIFUL weather here in the Black Hills of South Dakota the last few days.....lows of 48* and highs in the mid to upper 70's*, clear skies and a gentle breeze.......You can't beat that !!!

Sturgis Bike week will be in full force in just over 3 weeks AND my Harley Heritage Softail should be showing up in EXACTLY 3 weeks!!!! Hallelujah!!!! Lots of Bikers come a week early and many stay a week late, so it will soon be wall-to-wall Motorcycles.....all types, brands and sizes! We probably won't do a lot of riding until it clears out a little.

PressurePro Tip of the week.

PressurePro will soon be coming out with a MOTORCYCLE Tire Pressure Monitoring System. They are sending me one of the Beta systems to test. Stay tuned for the results and to see the final product. Rest assured, PressurePro WILL NOT put it out on the street until it has been "tested and re-tested".

DID YOU KNOW: If you purchased a PressurePro System within the last 2 years, your system will have the HIGH pressure Alert. That means if your tires get hot from some unknown reason, such as dragging brakes, bad wheel bearing, etc. the PP System will give you a "HIGH" pressure alert. Check your manual to see if you have this feature. They come with the high pressure alert set so it will alarm when the pressure gets up to 24% above the initial pressure set at installation. The manual instructs you how to change that setting to your own personal preference (10%, 15%, 19%, 24%, 28%, 33%, 40%, and 45%), or leave it at 24%... I leave mine at the factory setting of 24% and I've never had it alarm. However, we have had a few customers that have !!!!

It's a GREAT WEEK!!!!!!

Goodbye Jim and Ellie.............Travel Safe!!!

Mike

This Blog is Published every Wednesday and Sunday..

It was a COOL 4TH of July!!

Mt. Rushmore has their Famous Fireworks display on Friday July 3RD........it rained almost all day and was very foggy. We were sure it would be cancelled, but all day the TV and Radio kept saying they were waiting for a break and a decision had not been made. Thousands and thousands of people come from all over to see the Rushmore Fireworks display. The parking lots and most of the roads in the area are filled up by Noon!!! The display doesn't start until 9:20 in the evening. Lots of tour buses are scheduled to bring folks to the display. They have quite an elaborate program going on all day. Over 30,000 people are in and around the vicinity to view the Fireworks.


Most of us locals wouldn't think of going into that crowd. We just watch it on TV. Finally 9:20 came and believe it or not,,,the Fireworks began. We were watching on TV. However, there were so many clouds and so much low fog it was impossible to even see more than just a colored glow in the sky above the clouds.... Several of our friends that are staying at campgrounds around this area were at the display and advised us that it was unreal. They didn't see a thing!! Over $200,000.00 of Fireworks set off and NO ONE could see them!! This article from the newspaper will give you an idea why this decision was made.

Mt Rushmore Fireworks

I'm glad I wasn't the one that had to make the decision,,,,it would have been a tough one. However, there are sure a lot of people that thought they should have been postponed. But you know how that goes. If they had cancelled and postponed them just as many people would be complaining about that. I did find out that it is funded by Mt Rushmore privately and not public funds (so they say).

So many places, like Custer, have their Fireworks Display on the 4TH. We can sit out in our front yard and watch them, if we can stay awake. :-) They have quite an impressive display. The Booms shook the ground under our 5th wheel and Megabyte2 was very nervous. The sky would light up as if it was a war zone. I tried to comfort her as we both drifted off to sleep. I don't know how long they continued on into the night. Ms Pat could see them from the bedroom window on her side of the bed. The weather turned out fine for their display, even though it was only about 60 deg. The high for the day was only 69. It has been a cool and rainy summer so far. I love the cool weather and the rain is really good for everything. However, it sure puts a crimp in a lot of our plans.....but warmer weather is forecast for next week. I'm sure we will soon be wishing it was cooler, although it very seldom gets too hot here in Custer.

Last night we had a big 4TH of July Happy Hour and Cookout with a lot of old and new friends down at the Broken Arrow Campground. It was rather breezy and at times cool, but with long sleeves and a few jackets, everyone stayed warm. All the food was delicious and everyone had a great time. Thanks again to Larry and Geri Gustafson, owners, for hosting the event. There was a nice crowd.

(click on pictures to enlarge)

There were people from all different parts of the country. Several love this area so much, that they keep coming back year after year... Just like us!!!!:-) If this isn't Heaven, it's pretty close!!


This is Jim Meacham "slaving" over the fire. Jim loves to cook and he is good at it!


Here is Ms Pat proudly wearing her "colors"..... We are all PROUD to live in such a GREAT Country and are so thankful to those that fought so hard to make it the way it is!!!

GOD BLESS THEM ALL and GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was a GREAT WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Travel Safe!!!

Mike

This Blog Published every Sunday and Wednesday..

It's JULY already!!!!! FIREWORKS!!!!

YES,,,,,can you believe it,,,,,,4TH of July, 2009 is almost here!!! Time sure flies,,,but this is going to be a LONG month.. It will be a MONTH from today before my HARLEY gets here all the way from Florida. Delivery time is August 1ST or 2ND.......I can hardly wait!!
Here is a picture Roger sent to me so I can drool over it while I wait....Yes, its gonna be a Long wait!!! Hurry up August!!

(click on all pictures to enlarge)

Here is our friend's NEW TETON,,,,,,Actually, this is Tom and Sally's 2001 Teton with a NEW FULL BODY PAINT JOB......... Isn't it BEAUTIFUL??

As I told you Sunday, we were looking forward to Tom and Sally Gierisch stopping by for a few days. They came from Phoenix, AZ. where they had their Teton painted...

Sunday afternoon they pulled in just in time for Happy Hour....... Their Teton was painted by Variety Paint and Body, 5134 N. 51ST Ave, Glendale, AZ. They did a spectacular job!!!! You have to see it!! I was impressed.

While they were here, their new awning fabric arrived and we decided to change out the fabric on all 7 of their window awnings. So we all joined in. Here are a few pictures of the progress..


First we took the awnings off and replaced the fabric on the ground.

Then we put them back on.

Now that looks mighty sharp. Much better than the old turquoise ones!!

We wish they could stay longer, but unfortunately they have to move on and will be leaving this morning. They are headed to North Dakota for one of their many Arts and Crafts festivals. They sell Potpourri. Take a look at their website: S&T Potpourri, Etc. Hurry back you guys,,,,its always great to see you....

It is a GREAT WEEK!!!!!!

Thanks for stopping by. We hope everyone has a SPECIAL happy July 4TH Holiday!

Travel safe and remember, tell your kids you love them, they may not be around forever...

PressurePro Tip of The Week.

NOTE: When installing Sensors on Aluminum valve stems:

PressurePro uses a Brass thread and Brass and Aluminum can chemically bond. The Sensors can "Weld" to the Stem locking them on. When installing the Sensors on Aluminum valve stems put Teflon tape on the valve stem before installation. PressurePro is not responsible for damage to Aluminum valve stems..

After installation of the Sensors on the valve stems, they should all be tested for leaks with a soapy water solution.

Mike

This Blog Published every Wednesday and Sunday...

We're back home!!!

That was a quick, long trip. 800 miles in 2 days....Whew!!!! I'm sorry we took off and left you all in suspense Wednesday morning. Here's what happened. I have been looking around the area for a 2-wheel Cargo Trailer. I always have something to haul and needed something to haul it with. Plus, we were also looking for a good Polaris 4x4 ATV....

Much to my surprise as I was doing my usual check of the "For Sale" ads, I ran across a guy that happened to have a nice cargo trailer and a Polaris 4x4. In talking to him on the phone, he sounded like a reputable person and the pictures of both units looked good. Only problem was, they were completely across the state near Sioux Falls. I wouldn't have driven that far to check on just one, but for both we decided to do it.

We took off shortly after 5am Wednesday morning. It was a nice day and the weather was perfect......by 2pm our time we pulled into Chuck Miller's place in Brandon, SD. We looked at both units and they were just what we wanted, so we did a little bargaining and made a deal!! We hooked up the trailer, loaded up the Polaris and headed back West... made it about 80 miles to Mitchell, SD, where we stopped at the R&R RV park. By then it was HOT & HUMID!!! Clouds started gathering and a storm was brewing. There came a "knock" at the door and we were advised a Tornado was spotted North of Town. We could come into the office bldg if we wanted but we were both so tired, we just crashed. The storm stayed North of town...that was good! You know some times you are just too tired to worry....ever been there?

After a nice evening of rest, we came on home Thursday. It was GREAT to be HOME.... even Megabyte2 was HAPPY to be back.

Anyhow, here is what we bought:

This is Chuck Miller and behind him is the 6x12 Cargo trailer.

(click on all pictures to enlarge)

Here we are parked at a Rest Area headed for home. The Cargo Trailer pulls Great!

This little pop-up Camper comes in handy,,,,,Pat is making some lunch..

We were so busy, we didn't get any pictures of the Polaris until we got it home. Here it is in the Shop right after we unloaded it....out of the trailer. It is a Sportsman 500.

Trailer is finished off inside including a Line-X finish on the floor and several tie downs.

Yesterday we took the Polaris out for a short spin across the road on some National Forest land. Here is a picture of Ms Pat taking her try at it. The Polaris runs out good and we are happy with both units....More toys!!! We are filling up that new Pole Garage! :-)

We have so much to be Thankful for !!!! Praise the Lord!!

Today we are looking forward to our Great Friends Tom and Sally Gierisch arriving and spending a few days with us.. They have just had their Teton 5Th wheel painted with a FULL BODY paint job! We are anxious to see it. I'll get a picture of it and show you how it looks Wednesday.

God Bless you all...

Happy Birthday Scooter!!!!

It was a GREAT WEEK!!!!!!

Mike

This Blog is Published every Sunday and Wednesday.

Taking a TRIP!!!

I don't have much time to Post, as this morning at 5:00 am we are heading East from Custer to Brandon, SD. That's nearly 400 miles East across the state, close to Sioux falls. We plan to be there hopefully by 4pm.....we lose an hour changing from Mountain time to Central.

I didn't want to take off and leave all my faithful readers wondering.. This is not an EMERGENCY in any way!!!!....Nothing is wrong. It's a trip to check out something that we have been looking for, for a while. I will leave it at that and you can guess....????...... NO, it's not a Motorhome!!!!:-)

We are driving our Chev Pickup with the camper on the back.........it will take a day over and a day back. We couldn't leave Mega2 here by herself, so she is riding along with us!! We'll see how that goes. LOL

I want to thank all my great Friends and Family that sent and called with the Birthday wishes...I had a GREAT birthday....went fishing!!!!!:-)

We have GONE CAMPING!!!

Please drop by Sunday and I'll tell you all about it....Maybe, I'll have something to show you....

It is a GREAT WEEK!!!!!

God Bless You All!!! Travel safe.

Mike

*PressurePro tip of the week:

Do I need to replace my rubber valve stems with metal valve stems?

PressurePro™ recommends the use of metal valve stems in conjunction with PressurePro™ Sensors. We do have a few customers that install the sensors on rubber stems temporarily until they can switch to metal. If the rubber valve stems are relatively new, in good condition and not too long, you can probably get by with them for a while but you should inspect them on a regular basis. We do recommend, however, that you change the rubber stems to metal as soon as you can to avoid possible problems.

This Blog is Published every Wednesday and Sunday.

Cowboy COOK OUT!!!! UmmUmm, GOOD..

(click on all pictures to enlarge)

Friday evening we had a great Cowboy Cookout Supper at the Broken Arrow Campground.

Our great friends and owner operators of The Broken Arrow invited a local Cowboy cookout specialist into their Campground for all the folks staying with them. They are nearly full, but give them a call and they will get you in if they can.

This young local Cowboy "Clayton" will bring all his fixings to the campground and puts on an ALL you can eat Steak Supper. He brings all his own stuff right down to the fire and all the plates and utensils. He does this at many of the local campgrounds in the area....It is SUPERB!!!

As Clayton begins cooking the meal, folks start gathering.

The Fire is HOT and the Steaks are lookin good!!

Potatos are cooking...

Cowboy Baked Beans are steaming...

More and more Campers are congregating and watching Clayton and his wife slave over the fire...Over 60 people showed up for this Cowboy Supper.

Ms Pat managed to get a shot of me telling some of my "secrets" to Jim (another Jim) who is staying in the campground.

Our good friends Jim and Ellie Meacham were there to enjoy the great Cowboy Supper with us. We had been hiking earlier that morning with Ellie in Custer State Park.....Ellie is showing us how Geocaching works......We found two this morning!!!!

Everyone got all the steak and fixings they could eat and for those that so indulge, Clayton had also prepared a Peach Cobbler. Ms Pat and I don't do desserts....but it looked and smelled pretty good!

Great Friends, Great Food, Great Weather,,,,,We have so much to be thankful for!!

Yes,, it was a GREAT WEEK !!!!!!!

Only thing missing was YOU!!!

Thanks for stopping by, hope you all are enjoying life. Be safe!!! AND HAPPY FATHERS DAY to all you Fathers out there.

Mike

This Blog is Published every Sunday and Wednesday..

Suzuki FOR SALE,,,,

(click on picture to see more)

Suzuki Marauder

My 1998 Suzuki Marauder 800 Motorcycle is still for sale. I haven't really been trying to sell it, but now I'm motivated... I see a HARLEY in my future.....A Heritage Soft Tail Police Officers Special Edition. It is a BEAUTY and like NEW!!! Owned by my best friend and buddy Roger Haddix. Roger told me he had it sold and I almost cried..... He called the other day and said "the guy backed out for some financial reason"..... I jumped with JOY!!! Praise the LORD! I procrastinated on it first time around and I won't do it again. I don't know how I will pick it up as it's in Florida, or if it will fit on my Truck without modifying my Rampage. But where there is a will, there is a way,,,right? RIGHT!!! We'll MAKE it work!!!

So, if somebody wants a nice LIKE NEW (only 3500 miles) Suzuki Marauder, I'll make you a deal....It is a "jewel",,,,,,I just put a new battery and new front Dunlap tire on it.....It runs Strong, Loud and FAST!!! I have had several people ask me what kind of a Harley it is.

Give me a call or email,,,,,,,I've got to sell it, sure can't use 2 bikes...Ms Pat says she is NOT interested in having her own bike, so it's GOTTA GO. $2500.00, or make me an offer.

Wanna see a picture of the Harley,,,,,,OK..... hang on a minute I'll get one

Here it is,,,,,,,Click on the picture to enlarge it and take a close look......It's a BEAUTY!!!! I sure wish it was up here in the Hills right now! I can't wait to get back in the Harley corner. I have been sorry ever since I sold my Wide Glide and my Hugger when we went full timing. I have had dozens of Bikes and I enjoyed the Harleys most. A Harley will "spark" a whole new interest in my life and in Motorcycling......Can you tell I'm excited?

Well, friends that's about it for this Wednesday. If we aren't traveling, building something, remodeling something or repairing something, it limits what I have to talk about. The STORMS are starting to move in here in the Black Hills, so I hope I don't have something exciting to tell you about them!! We had a "smidgen" of HAIL the other day and my heart quickly jumped up into my throat!!!

Our GREAT friends Jim and Ellie Meacham went by our place yesterday in their beautiful Phaeton,,,and tooted there air horn. They were headed south to the Broken Arrow Campground. Yesterday they stopped by for a visit and brought us some of Jim's homemade "Salsa". It was great to see them. We already have a BIG cookout scheduled for Friday and we're planning a few "Geocaching" trips in this area.

PressurePro Tip of the week...... What causes erratic pressure readings ; i.e., pressure reads higher than the actual tire pressure, then bleeds down to a pressure lower than the actual tire pressure?

This can be caused by a "weak or worn" dill valve. When the dill valve is depressed by the Sensor, a small amount of air could release into the area between the Sensor insert and the dill valve while not depressing the dill valve far enough to keep the air passage from the tire open continuously.If the dill valve closes off air from inside the tire, then the air caught in the above-described area can be compressed to high pressures (i.e., 150 PSI). It would then stabilize at a pressure lower than the actual tire pressure (i.e., 20 PSI). If the dill valve has closed off air from the tire, then the Sensor cannot read the air pressure inside the tire. A possible solution is to replace the dill valve. Tires and valve stems should be carefully inspected prior to installation of the PP system to ensure that they are in good condition. Defective valve stems and Dill valves must be replaced.

It is a GREAT WEEK!!!!!

God Bless you all!!

Remember to tell your kids you love them,,,they may not be around forever....

Mike

This Blog is Published every Wednesday and Sunday..

Finally,,,,we went Fishin!!!!

Dad Gum,,,we have only lived in the Black Hills for 14 Summers now, and this is the COOLEST spring we have seen.............Plus, it's been rainy and dreary for days on end!!! Yesterday when we got up it was 34 deg.....burrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.... Now I like cool weather, better than HOT, but this every day of fog and rain has me with cabin fever....This morning it is 46*.... now that's much better! But it rained hard most of the night. The drought has "shore nuff" ended!

Watching the weather closely, it looked as though FRIDAY might be a break. I told Ms Pat "we're goin fishing". She never turns down a fishing trip. So we got up,at the usual time (you know what that is:-) and we were FOGGED IN......OH NO!!! not again! Shucks!

But I could tell as the sky began to lighten up in the East, that the sun was gonna shine! I told Pat. "Let's get ready, this will burn off in a couple hours". So we got all hooked up, lunches packed and we were READY TO GO!! We were outta here by 0700 and on the lake by 0815. It looked like a good day.

.
When we go Fishing at our favorite lake at Angostura Recreation Area, we have to go right through Wind Cave National Park. They have a herd of a couple hundred Buffalo. This morning they were right on the highway (US385). I just had to stop and take a quick picture to show you..... We usually see Deer, Antelope, Coyotes, Prairie Dogs and sometimes even a heard of ELK on our way to the lake...

We had a GREAT morning Fishing, the weather was beautiful. We quickly caught 5 fish,,,,,but as of June 1ST all Walleye have to be 15" instead of 14". WOW, the BIG ones took the day off!! We had to release everything we caught. By noon the heavy clouds were building in the Northwest......I was watching it closely, nobody else was catching anything.....So we decided we better call it a day. We were home by 3pm. GREAT DAY, but NO FISH. No big deal, like they say there is NO BAD fishing day!....... besides we didn't have to CLEAN fish!!!!! Incidentally, it did rain on us on the way home....

OK, I have had lots of requests and I'm sorry I have been neglecting posting any pictures of MEGABYTE2.........But she is doing well,,,,,,,and has been entertaining Ms Pat and I like you can't believe.... Here are some recent pictures.


She says "Is dinner ready, I'm hungry"!

She still LOVES to watch the "BOIDS".......We don't have as many "boids" here as we did in AZ. But when we say "BOIDS" and look at her, she immediately looks to the back window and her bird feeder. Then she sneaks up on them......


She can't wait each morning for us to get "HER" bed made up.....Sometimes she helps!!! Sleeping is one of her favorite pastimes. She is the QUEEN!!!!


Now isn't she just about the most beautiful Kitty you ever saw?

Here is Ms Megabyte2 in Texas the day after Christmas last year, just a few weeks after she and I met. We made friends quite quickly,,,but it took Ms Pat a while to see how much she meant to me.

However, we still decided that we wouldn't take her with us. Now, she and I kept becoming more and more acquainted and getting to know each other.... I could tell it was a "Special" friendship. I couldn't quite understand it. This had never happened to me before......she and I spent a lot of time together. Ms Pat still wasn't quite sure. She wouldn't let me take her into our Coach House and definitely in NO WAY into the TETON!!! She had been living under an old shed out behind our lot and each morning I would go outside about 4:30am and look for her. Sure enough there she would be, appearing out of the darkness. We were always so happy to see each other.


In a few weeks we would be leaving and I stated to Ms Pat that I didn't know if I could leave her and that I would worry about her. But I agreed, that we best not take her. We had never had a pet with us before in the 14 years we had been full timing. We didn't even have a pet before we retired and sold the house and hit the road....


Then,,,,,,Ms Pat started melting,,,,,she too started becoming friends with Ms Mega2. She is such a friendly Kitty. Soon it was OK to let her in the Coach house!!! Even on the Sofa. WOW, WHAT!!! :-) One day,, just for the fun of it I said, "Can Ms Mega2 come in the Teton? Oh, OK, but not for long", was the answer. Much to my surprise, I was shocked!


It was getting close to the day we were leaving, heading to our place in Arizona. Friends were saying "You can't leave her"! But we still thought we would. We were madly getting ready to go. The last 2 days Ms Mega2 must have sensed something was up, because she spent an awful lot of time at our place and most of it was perched right on our front step. Ms Pat said, "She knows we are going to leave". I said "Yes, she must, it's gonna be hard". I couldn't sleep, thinking about how she would be there all alone. Would she miss me? I was sure gonna miss her.


It was about one day before we were to leave and Kathy Detweiler sent me an email and it stated "You can't leave Ms Megabyte2, she is an ANGEL KITTY". WOW, Kathy you will never know how that email struck home......., it buckled me. I told Ms Pat what Kathy had said...that she WAS an ANGEL KITTY. I told her that our son had sent us the Kitty. He had a cat named Megabyte that was with him for 19 years and had died just 3 weeks after he passed away. Megabyte was a special cat to him. For 19 years, they were very close....Hummm, heavy stuff. So, Pat and I made the decision that evening before we left that Megabyte2 was now part of the family and she was going!!!!


That was almost 6 months ago.......Both Ms Mega2 and we have made a lot of adjustments. Most of you know of all her problems and how traumatic it was for us all. Her being an expectant mother really complicated things. But we survived and so did Ms Megabyte2. She is a happy Kitty now and I would like to personally and publicly thank Kathy Detweiler for her email. It was an email from Heaven!..... This little Kitty has given us more joy and pleasure in the last 6 months than I can ever tell you about....Who would have ever thought?? She is the joy of our hearts and neither of us have ever been sorry we made the decision...... God works in strange ways and further confirms my Faith.


God Bless you all................


It was a GREAT WEEK!!!!!


Mike


This Blog is Published every Sunday and Wednesday.

Do You Remember these?

(click on "old gas pump" in lower left corner to go to my Web Album)

This Old Gas Pump and Tanker Wagon are on display in my neighbors yard. Both he and his Father were in the Gas and Fuel distribution business.

This type gas Pump really brings back old memories to me. When I was a young boy these were the common pumps in use at all service stations. As I recall, gasoline was about 0.19 per gal.

The pumps had a long handle on the side that would hand pump the gas up into the glass chamber at the top. The numbers you can see behind the glass are the gallons. That is how you could tell how much gas you used. Just fill the chamber to the top, then use it down and it shows how many gallon you used. You would use 10 gallons, then if you needed more, fill it up again and fill your car or truck on up. However, back in those days "self service" was not even heard of. The attendant filled your tank, washed your windshield and checked the air in your tires. Plus, they would check the oil, water, battery and anything else you needed done. All part of the service, no charge. Ah, those were the days. I don't suppose many of you were born at that time.....were you? Do you remember these? Let me know in comments below...

We have been having some kind of weather lately.... cold, rain and fog almost every day for a over a week. Again at 0330 this morning, I was awakened by the pitter patter of rain on the roof. Gee, I'm in need of some SUNSHINE!!! Every once in a while we get a couple hours of sun, but then the clouds start rolling in and first thing you know it's raining again.....but it sure is great for the grass, it's growing like mad!

The weather forecast shows a possible clearing Friday, so we are hoping to go fishing again. Other than that, we've sure been shipping out the PressurePro systems. Sent out 4 systems yesterday and 2 Monday. So not all is lost as folks continue to see the great safety advantage of having the No.1 Tire Pressure Monitoring system watching their tires as they drive down the road.

PressurePro Tip of the Week: You can unplug the Monitor and it will not lose it's memory even if it is unplugged for an extended time. However, when you plug it back in, it will take up to 5 minutes for it to display the pressure readings. During that time, it will display 3 dashes (---).

It is a GREAT WEEK!!!

Thanks for dropping by...

Mike




This Blog Published every Wednesday and Sunday..

Good Friends and not so Good Weather...

The winner of the $232.1 M lottery steps forward. My congratulations to this young Cowboy. Sounds like he and his family can really use it. Read the story:

A 23-year-old South Dakota rancher whose family has bought and sold scrap metal to make it through tough times claimed a $232.1 million Powerball prize Friday, the ninth largest jackpot ever won in the multistate lottery game. Neal Wanless works with his parents on the 320-acre family ranch about 11 miles east of Mission in Todd County, an area of rolling green pastures, grazing cattle, fields of crops -- and some of the deepest poverty in the nation. For more of this story, click on the link below:

RAPID CITY JOURNAL

Roger and Susan Haddix from Tallahasse, Florida got here Tuesday about noon and spent until Saturday morning with us. We had one pretty decent day out of the 3. So we took a hike out in Custer State Park.

(click on all pictures to enlarge)

That's the Cathedral Spires on the Needles Highway right behind them. I like to hike up, under and around the base of them but unfortunately we didn't have time.....maybe next time.

Roger wanted to see an old Gold Mine Site and we remembered where one was...... just up this road...


Ah, Ha, we found it.....right over here.

This is the base of it. We didn't want to get to close as those old wood pilings and beams aren't very safe.

The shaft went way up......a long way....

...... all the way up to this old building.....

Then we stopped by this old Rock Quarry....

Next was the Needles Eye tunnel... (hard to believe Tour Buses make it through this isn't it?)


Then of course the Needles eye!

Sooner than we were ready for them to leave, they had to load up and "Move On".

Off they went yesterday into the fog and mist........Goodbye Roger and Susan. We sure enjoyed your visit, sorry the weather wasn't better and wish you could have stayed a few more days or weeks.....

Hurry back.......

We're sure hoping this weather clears up. Hopefully it will in the near future and I'm ready.

Many thanks to all of our friends that made comments on my last Blog,,,,,,and contacted us direct. It was very helpful for us at a troubling time.....

We have so much to be thankful for........

It was a GREAT WEEK!!!!

God Bless you all.

Mike

This Blog Published every Sunday and Wednesday..

In Loving Memory. Scott A. McFall

Todays Blog is dedicated to My Best Friend, our Beloved Son.

SCOTT A. "SCOOTER" McFALL

Scott, the weeks and months since you left us have been hard. You left a very, big hole in our world, one that can never be filled. All we have are Memories, but they are beautiful Memories. We thank God for the 47 Years that we got to enjoy you.

We miss you everyday Son. However, we know you are in the Lord's good hands now and helping him with his work. The influence you had on our life is cherished forever ...

We Love You,,,,,,,,,

Carry on my Man!!