New Horizons

There is a rumour that spring has finally come to the Northern Ranges. But we are not so new to this country that we don’t think there will be at least one more opportunity to take some snow pictures and maybe even more. We will enjoy this nice weather while we have it and enjoy our spring and summer visitors here at Dogpound North. The fellow below and his mate have been hanging around the pond behind our barn the last few days so maybe they are planning on raising their family here in the yard.

Long time readers know that we look forward to summer here as it gives us a chance to head to the hills with our horses and enjoy some of that fine scenery that the Canadian Rockies are known for. The outfit below was our summer rig for the last few years and served us well, but with our acquisition of Dogpound South and the plan to haul some horses down there we needed a rig more adapted to long hauls but still able to serve our needs in the summers here north of the Medicine Line. A few weeks ago we sold the Arctic Fox to a couple from Nova Scotia who are headed to Alaska in a few weeks, so through the wonder of the internet, the deal is done, and they will be here to pick up their new rig in a couple of weeks and head north. And just for Mike down there in Montana, although you have only seen me dragging that Chevy around behind the coach, that is just because it is broke to lead, when it comes to trucks to actually do some work around here this is Ford country. My old dually is going on 13 this year and still doing a days work.

 

Our new rig is a 2011 Bison Stratus Express, all aluminum, to make hauling long distances as reasonable as possible, and room for us and three horses on board when we head to the hills. We rarely ever travel with three ponies but usually use the front stall for storage. This rig has an outside, escape door, on that front stall so it is likely we will be able to us it as a kind of mud room, where we can take off our boots and jackets, before heading into the real living quarters. Can you hear Brenda cheering loudly!

I am planning on putting a little solar energy on the roof so that we are able to join our friends out in the desert from time to time for a little boondocking through the winter, and to cut down on our need to run our little generator as much as possible.

Next week we are heading to the Yaha for the new rigs maiden trip so we will  see whether it was a good buy or not. So to get ready for that trip we are spending the day tomorrow shoeing and trimming the remuda around here. We seem to be getting more and more ponies looking over the fence every time I head down to have a look, and less and less of them ready to head into the back country. Oh well, they have all done their time and deserve a nice retirement just like ours so as long as the grass holds out they are welcome to it.

On a more important subject last week Rebecca and Ved headed over to the Ultrasound joint to give us a sneak preview of our new Grandson Kashton. All appears to be going well on that front and we even got a few pictures.

And one of Kashton and his cousin Miss Ella together as well.

It will be a few months yet until we get to meet Kashton in person but we are looking forward to “Labour” day weekend for that big event.

Babies seem to be in the air alright, my friend Carley, and her husband David, down under in Perth, Australia, just welcomed Ryder Kai Morgan to their household a day or two ago, and over in B.C., Jodi and Pardner Payne are on a five minute warning for their new arrival, to join big brother Kai in keeping them busy. Jodi is the niece of our good friends from Dease Lake Bill and Margaret who some of our readers have meet either at the Dease Lake RV Park, which they own, or down in the desert of Arizona in the winter. And we can’t forget those long lost Fort Worth Dallas relatives the Brown’s, who just gave Mark and Dortha, another granddaughter, Kinley Blair Brown