First of all, my sister Rose has a new post on the TexAltaRescue website. Response has been positive to the stories of animal rescue and there will be many more to come.  There are still a few days left to take me up on my offer and donate a few more of my dollars to the animal rescue cause.  Just go to http://grumpyoldtrucker.com/animal-lovers-unite/ and leave a comment.  I have pledged to donate a dollar for every positive comment, to TexAltaRescue efforts.  Of course I would love to see folks adding donations of their own to this worthwhile endeavor as well

Second thing on the agenda today, is to invite all my readers to see my wife Marilyn’s new Nature Photo site.  She has been working very hard to add more photos of Nova Scotia’s natural beauty, as well as photography tips, in her blog.  I must say though, she has had more visitors to her site in the first month of it’s existence, than any of the dozens of other websites I’ve built over the past few years.  I’m sure anyone who visits will happily spread the word among their own friends and acquaintances.

Honorary Grumpy Old Trucker Ross St. Quintin

Last, but not least by any means, I wish to welcome a brand new Grumpy Old Trucker.  A good friend of mine from Perth, Australia, Ross St. Quintin ordered a Grumpy Old Trucker T-Shirt and joined the ranks of official Grumpydom.  Ross was a public accountant in Australia, now retired.  He has several websites, of which my favorite  is Travel Western Australia. His site includes some great pictures and fascinating information about his favorite parts of Australia.  Ross and his wife Jan travel extensively, including a trip they took to British Columbia and Alaska this past spring.

Now back to things happening in three’s.  Last post I told about the speeding ticket, the rock in the windshield and the blown tire.  Little did I know that was just the beginning of things to come.  A couple of days later I was picking up a load in Brandon, Manitoba to head back to the east coast, and the check engine light came on.  I tried to get into the Freightliner dealer in Brandon but they were booked up, so I headed onwards to Winnipeg after a call to Waterous Power Systems, where I’d had such good service in the past.

Well Waterous service hadn’t changed, but neither had my luck.  It turned out that the DPF unit (part of the emission control system) had reached the end of it’s serviceable life and needed to be changed.  The closest one was in Calgary and it had to be shipped overnight.  Luckily my load didn’t deliver in Moncton till the following Monday so I spent the night and returned to Waterous in the morning.

Well, about 24 hours later and $855 lighter I was back on my way to the Maritimes.  I delivered Monday morning as planned, then headed home for the first time in 30 days.  I was only home about a day and a half but that was sufficient time to spend another $650 on changing oil in the transmission and rearends on the 300,000 mile service requirement, get the stone damage repaired on the windshield,  mow the lawn, wash the truck (with Marilyn’s help) and a few other minor chores.

I had spent so much time sitting, waiting for loads over the past month, I simply couldn’t afford to stay home longer.  I had to try and get another 3,000 miles on the books before the end of the month.  Then, on Friday in Northern Ontario, almost exactly three days after paying for stone damage repair, CRASH!  A passing truck threw another huge rock at the same windshield and it now needs replacement.  Another $300 to the cause.  The only thing I have to be thankful for is that I didn’t decide on replacement instead of repair a few days earlier.

So all this just goes to prove, that, in my case at least, bad things happen in whatever frequency they feel like.  I’m holding up the white flag of truce now.  I really need a break. Anybody listening?

It started last Thursday in Calgary when I got a speeding ticket. In the first place, I never speed. I’m not saying I never exceed the speed limit. When one averages a thousand kilometers a day, speeds tend to fluctuate due to conditions. It can be over or under the posted speed limit by 5 or 10 kms. at any given time.

What I mean is, I never knowingly or purposely exceed the limit by any great amount for any length of time. Usually I just set the cruise at or about the limit and leave it there.

What happened Thursday was, I was late for an appointment, I was on a road I’d never been on before, I hadn’t seen a speed limit sign, and I was matching the speed of the vehicles around me. Some of the 4-wheelers were actually passing me.

Of course the nice policeman targeted the biggest vehicle in the herd and awarded me the prize. Aren’t I lucky?

Number two incident happened in Manitoba on Saturday. On Highway 5 a few kilometers north of Neepawa, a car going the other way threw a rock at me and took a divot out of my windshield. To put it another way, I’ve got a hole in one.

Number three happened after midnight, my time, Sunday night in Alberta, on Highway 1 west of Medicine Hat. I blew a drive tire with a bang loud enough to wake the dead. Well it sure woke me up anyway, right in the middle of a Green Hornet episode on Oldies Radio.

I proceeded to make a couple of life long friends by waking, first the duty night dispatcher, and then the duty maintenance manager. Aren’t cell phones wonderful? They make it so much easier to tick people off. Sorry Barb and Gordie.

I then got to meet another nice young fellow, Rylee from Kirk’s Midway Tire in Redcliff. We had a lovely little tire changing party on the side of Highway 1, and I was soon on my way again looking for another great adventure. Of course I get the dubious honor of footing the bill for the party.

I don’t know if things happen in three’s.  Maybe we just stop counting there and start on a new batch, because it would be much too depressing to think that they happen in tens.

After many years of pursuing her artistic side as a painter, knitter, crocheter, quilter, and all-round artistic person, my wife Marilyn has turned her artistic ability to the field of photography.

Of course she didn’t just start taking pictures yesterday. For over a year now I’ve watched her gradually hone her skills and apply her artistic talents to the camera lens.  Of course no one is a tougher critic on an artist than the artist herself. However, she has gladly accepted help and advice from many people who’s opinion she valued.

Now finally I have managed to build her a website which I feel is worthy of her craft.  A venue to display her work in it’s best light, and allow us to share her art with friends, family and strangers alike.

Please take time to browse though some of the beautiful photos Marilyn has added recently and will continue to add in the days ahead.  (You should see the thousands she rejected)  If you like what you see, please vote for your favorites. Click “more” on the thumbnail,  then click the appropriate ratings star above the photo.

By all means leave a comment or question if you wish, or a criticism if you must.  All comments are welcome.  Bookmark the site and come back often, I’m sure you will find something delightful every time.

Click Here to Visit    Marilyn’s Photo Shoppe

Dobie is mostly Dachshund with a little something extra mixed in for good measure. Once you’ve read this story you could be forgiven for thinking he might be part cat. He hasn’t used up all nine lives yet but he’s working on it.

Dobie, the talkative dog.

Dobie started out as a beloved pet of a man who lived in town. The only fly in the ointment was that every now and then this man and his wife would have a bit too much to drink.

Drinking usually resulted in fighting and the fighting would lead to throwing things. This didn’t affect Dobie too much at first. He would just lay low and try to stay out of the line of fire. The next day things would calm down and the air would once more be free of flying objects.

However, one day Dobie himself became the flying object of the moment. In a fit of alcohol induced rage the wife launched poor Dobie right out the door.

The dog catcher soon found Dobie and because he was wearing tags his owners were contacted. Soon, having sobered up, the pair showed up to claim him and vowed to take better care of him.

Just one week later, the couple got to drinking again. However, this time they took the show on the road so to speak, in the family car. Apparently they took along a supply of missiles including the reluctant Dobie. By now I think he recognized the signs.

You guessed it, Dobie ended up getting launched from the moving vehicle. Several locals witnessed the launching and this time the dog catcher decided, tags or no tags, Dobie wasn’t going back to his owners.

When the dog catcher called to see if Rose and Bill had room for one more dog, they dropped everything and went to the dog catcher’s home to pick Dobie up.

On the way back to the farm it was discovered that Dobie is a talker. Whenever a person speaks to him Dobie tilts his head to one side, looks at the speaker and makes one of a variety of sounds in response.

Well needless to say, Dobie’s flying career is over. He has now been at TexAltaRescue for about five years and has made himself Bill’s dog.

Dobie is getting up in years now so no attempt has been made to find him a new home. He spends the summers outdoors and the winters curled up in his bed or at Bill’s feet whenever possible.

When Marilyn and I were on our way back from our trip to Alberta, we spent a couple of nights in Winnipeg awaiting a reload. Due to seasonably warm temperatures I was forced to run the truck both nights so we could keep it cool enough to sleep.

Now anyone who has one of these environmental engines will know how much they hate to be idled for any length of time. As much as I love this DD-15, all the problems I’ve had with it involve environmental mechanisms.

On the second morning, while picking up my load in Portage la Prairie, the “regen” light starts flashing at me. While that in itself is not too serious, I know from experience, that to ignore it for too long can result in complete engine shutdown.

I tried to do a parked “regen”, following the directions in the manual but the light continued to flash tauntingly at me.
My first inclination was to take it to a Freightliner dealer since that is what I’m driving after all. Turns out there are only two of them in all of Manitoba but one is in Winnipeg and it wasn’t too far out of our way.

The first thing I noticed upon arrival at Freightliner was a lack of parking. Not a good situation when your primary customers drive big trucks. So I parked in the yard of a warehouse across the street and walked over.

The first person I encountered was a sour faced woman at the service desk who was having an unpleasant encounter with a customer who soon left in disgust and frustration. From this I figured my best approach would be a low key one, with a little humor and empathy thrown in for good measure.

“Looks like I’m not the only one having a bad day.” Says I with a little smile.

“Wouldn’t be so bad if I could get a few things caught up” she replied, not even looking up at me. She continued what she was doing for a few minutes while I waited patiently.

Finally she looked up and said in a grumpy voice, “What can I do for you?”

I explained my problem, to which she immediately responded, “We couldn’t even look at it till later in the week.” As if I’d told her I had a picture of my truck I wanted to show her.

The lady (and I use that term loosely) did me one huge favor though. When I protested that I had a load of frozen food with a desperate need to be in New Brunswick by Thursday, she said, “Why don’t you try Waterous Diesel?”

She even went so far as to give me an address and look up the phone number for me. I marvelled that their shop was doing so well they could afford to send business elsewhere, but thanked her politely and left.

Now this is the point where my Winnipeg experience made a definite change for the better.

I went back out to the truck, told Marilyn what had transpired and called Waterous Power Systems on my cell phone. The man who answered was friendly and polite. Told me, “Sure come on over. We’re a bit short handed but we’ll fit you in.” He told me how to get there, where I could drop my trailer and said he’d see me when I got there.

I was already feeling better about my situation than I had since it started.

I don’t want to drag this out any longer than necessary so just let me say this. I encountered, and spoke to, six different people during the time I was at Waterous Power Systems. Every one of them was friendly and helpful and treated both Marilyn and I with nothing but respect.

Most importantly they solved my problem in about an hour and we were on our way. Well maybe that wasn’t quite the most important part. When I asked how much I owed they said, “Don’t worry about it. We didn’t actually do enough to make it worth printing out a bill.” Then they gave me a two page printout of my fuel consumption data and bid us a good day.

Now you tell me. Where do you think I’ll go first if I ever have engine problems in Winnipeg, Manitoba again?

Thank you Waterous Power Systems. You’re tops in my books.

Now some of you may have thought a dollar wasn’t worth your while, but let’s look at it this way.  If posting a comment took you three minutes it would be like earning $20 an hour.  If you accomplished it in two minutes it would be like earning $30 an hour.  Has anyone offered to pay those kind of wages recently.

I know, I can hear you saying, “It doesn’t do me any good.”  Well of course it does you good.  That is if you care about the well-being of animals at all.  Just think, if just fifty of my readers post a comment to that article and cause me to donate $50, that means over a months worth of hay for a horse this winter, or enough to feed all 50 cats on the farm for a week, or all 14 dogs for about 2 weeks.

So you see when you add things up, a couple of minutes effort on your part can go a long way to ease the burden at TexAltaRescue.  Of course, more is better too, and if you’re inclined to be even more helpful, donations are gratefully accepted of any size from anyone.

In case you missed the instructions for contributing here they are again:

Thanks to the internet It’s now easier than ever to make a donation. Either through your online banking or via PayPal you can send donations to:  texaltarescue@gmail.com care of Rose Salyers.

Or if you have questions or comments you can direct them to that email address as well.  I know some people prefer not to use their credit card online so just send an email to the email address above and Rose will be happy to provide you with her regular mailing address.

This first rescue story happened about 6 years ago and involves a practical joke gone somewhat awry.

It seems a neighbor of Bill and Rose’s was about to celebrate a birthday. We’re not told what age he was but we can assume from the ensuing events that he was not a young man. The man was an avid hunter and apparently so were the friends/relatives who decided it would be neat to rib him a little about his age.

They acquired a goat from somewhere and tied him out in the gentleman’s front yard with a sign around his neck which read “Happy Birthday You Old Goat!” When the man stepped out his door that morning to see what all the commotion was about, the goat took one look at him and immediately broke the rope and took off for the high country.

It was a Saturday when Rose and Bill discovered the goat hiding in the woods behind their farm they tied him up and proceeded to try to find out who owned him. It was Monday before they finally tracked down the practical jokers who said they had been out with the gun all weekend trying to track the animal down. Their intention was simply to find him and shoot him as it was obvious the birthday boy had no desire to own a goat.

“If you want him you can keep him.” they told Rose, “Otherwise we’ll come over and shoot him.”

Needless to say he is still alive and well and living in Paradise at TexAltaRescue. Given the name Starsky he can thank his lucky stars he came to the right section of woods during his great escape or his story would have definitely had a sadder ending.

Starsky is a Spanish Goat who now pretty much thinks he’s a horse, since he bunks up for the winter with the stallions. In the summer he spends long blissful days tied in the long grass thinking happy goat thoughts.

If you are interested in becoming a foster sponsor for Starsky it costs approximately $60 a year for his upkeep. Of course he only requires grass and water in the summer with the occasional treat, but does need hay throughout the winter. That only averages out to $5 a month folks. n return for your sponsorship you’ll get a progress report and an updated picture up to 3 times a year.  In addition, if you like, your name or choice of name can appear on Starsky’s page on the TexaltaRescue website for the duration of your sponsorship.

To sponsor Starsky for a year simply send $60 to texaltarescue@gmail.com either through PayPal or via your online banking. If you’d rather send a check or money order make it payable to Rose Salyers and mark it Starsky Foster Sponsor. Email Rose at the address above and she will supply you with her postal address.

From a very early age Rose was an animal lover. She got her first cat at age 3 and her first horse at 8. Heck I think she may even have had a horse before she got a bicycle. For as long as I can remember Rose has been a rescuer of animals. She was forever bringing home the birds with broken wings and every critter that looked like it hadn’t eaten in days.

Old habits die hard I guess because Rose is still an animal rescuer, only on a much larger scale. Bill and Rose live on a small farm near Spirit River, Alberta and have made it a haven for every abandoned, abused, unloved or unwanted animal in a hundred mile radius and beyond. Often people just want to dispose of an animal because they’re no longer convenient.

Now Rose also raises and trains horses of her own but at the time of our visit the list of livestock included: 32 horses, 14 dogs, 50+ cats, 4 guinea pigs, a rabbit, 4 doves, 2 cockatiels, 5 budgies, 31 chickens, and a Spanish goat.
Bill travels 80 kms each way to his job at a building supply store in Grande Prairie. Rose works night shifts in a nursing home, cleans a bank 5 days a week, does upholstery work at home and still finds time to take care of the daily chores. Just feeding and watering that many animals alone is a big job.
To my knowledge Bill and Rose have never asked for financial assistance to provide for feed, fencing, or veterinarian bills. To make matters worse they lost their home to fire a couple of years ago with no insurance and are still recovering from that.
Now if you have a dog or cat to feed you’ve likely noticed how much it costs to feed them. Try multiplying that cost by one of the numbers above and you’ll begin to grasp the enormity of the problem. Add to that the shortage of rain in Northern Alberta this year has adversely affected pasture and hay supplies. Being a farm boy myself nobody has to spell out the implications of that to me.
As usual there are people willing to criticize the rescue efforts. Few seem inclined to offer help in any way, or even an encouraging word in support.

Bill and Rose have dubbed their operation TexAlta Rescue and I know some of you animal lovers out there would like to be involved in their heroic efforts.
The best way you can do that is make a donation to the cause of whatever size you can manage.

Thanks to the internet It’s now easier than ever to make a donation. Either through your online banking or via PayPal you can send donations to:

texaltarescue@gmail.com care of Rose Salyers.

Or if you have questions or comments you can direct them to that email address as well.
You can make a difference with even a small donation to this humanitarian effort. In the months ahead I will be following up with articles about some of the individual rescued animals and their stories. Stay tuned.

We are also talking over the idea of offering to let folks foster individual animals for a month or a year.  More details on that in a later post.

To put my money where my mouth is I will make a $1 donation in your name for each positive comment to this post between now and the end of August 2010.  (One per person please.)

We’re so pleased as a matter of fact, that I’ve set up the Grumpy Old Trucker T-Shirt Shoppe to offer others a chance to put their grumpiness on display.  So far there is only a single design choice available but more will be added over time.  If anyone has a suggestion for  humorous sayings to go with the Logo please leave it in a comment.

Click Photo to Visit our Online Store

Not only will my readers be able to acquire a Grumpy Old Trucker T-shirt, apron or mouse pad but you’ll also be able to come up with your own designs as well , then view them right on your computer before placing an order.

.

Well it’s partly true.  Marilyn and I decided that in order to afford a holiday this year and spend some time together we would have to combine business with pleasure.  So on the 21st of June she threw her kit bag in the truck with mine and we headed off on our great summer getaway.

Hartland Covered Bridge

First stop Florenceville, NB where Marilyn met some of the Fastrax office staff for the first time, including the lady who was in charge of my orientation, and my dispatcher.  From there we went to Grand Falls where we picked up a load of frozen pizzas destined for Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. (Marilyn says “Don’t forget the garlic fingers”).

Northern Ontario

Marilyn kept the camera clicking all across New Brunswick, Quebec, and Northern Ontario into Manitoba.  Sure glad we got the 16 GB memory stick.  Of course, the wildlife I’ve seen on previous trips decided not to appear this time, but she did manage to snag a lot of scenery and at least one deer.

After delivering our load in Portage we had time to visit the Fort la Reine Museum, and she was able to get many interesting photos.  It just so happened that they were holding  Heritage Day celebrations and we had the opportunity to sample cinnamon rolls baked in an authentic outdoor clay oven.  A little burnt on top but tasty nonetheless.

Covered Wagon Fort la Reine Museum

After spending the morning at the museum we picked up our load at McCain’s and headed west for Edmonton.  With a bit of time to spare we stopped in at Ste. Rose du Lac, Manitoba for a visit with my aunt and uncle.  We enjoyed a delicious supper and a nice visit which included a couple of cousins of mine and their families.

We arrived in Edmonton Sunday evening and met up with a whole herd of family at the Yellowhead Truckstop.  My brother and his wife and one of their sons, two cousins and their husbands, and a nephew with his wife and children whom we had never met before as they came on the scene after we last left Alberta 23 years ago.  Sure doesn’t seem that long.

We delivered our load in Edmonton early Monday morning then dropped the trailer in the yard, and with the companies kind permission headed off bobtail for the north country.  First stop Grande Prairie where we had a nice visit with an old family friend and his recent bride and adopted son.

Come and get it!

Then, on to Spirit River to spend a few days on the farm with my sister and her husband.  First on the agenda was supper at a niece’s home in Wanham where we met her family for the first time, as well as another niece and her family and a nephew now 19 whom we had never met due to our move back to Nova Scotia.  A total of 13 of us at table including three grand nephews and one grand niece.

On Wednesday we accepted an invitation to the home of another cousin of mine on their farm near Woking.  Her husband had build an outdoor brick oven and we enjoyed a feast of home made pizza cooked to perfection in five minutes flat.  Since he had built it some distance from the house and at the bottom of a hill, he also got his exercise between pizzas.  It’s not every day one gets pizza delivered by scoop shovel, but it was delicious nonetheless.

Pizza on a shovel

Thursday morning, Canada Day, saw us bidding a sad farewell and starting on our return to Edmonton to go back to work.  A short visit in Wanham to allow the young ones a visit inside the truck and get a couple of treats to remember us by and then on the road again.  We stopped for a visit and supper with a cousin and her husband in Spruce Grove then on to the truck stop in Edmonton to await a load assignment in the morning.

More of our working holiday adventures to come ,and more details of our farm visit for you animal lovers out there.