Hi,
This is a brief synopsis of our trip from Groton MA to Southern Pines NC with two horses. At noon on Thursday the 7th I gave my Bangladesh presentation to the Rotary group in Groton in full Bangladesh dress. I have two more presentations scheduled to Rotary Groups in the Southern Pines area in March. After the talk we finished packing, loading the truck and horse trailer and got ready for an early start on Saturday the 8th. In the morning the snow was deep but we persevered in first loading Mitzi who seemed to know something was up. It took an hour for her to finally decide to hop in with Wendy quickly fastening the butt bar to restrict her escape. The good old trooper Kahlua hoped right on. Perhaps Kahlua remembered that after the trip would be green pastures and pleasant temperatures. With the rig loaded we attempted our exit but the tires only spun on the ice in the driveway. A little sand under the tires allowed a careful exit up the drive to the down hill portion. The town of Groton had diligently plowed the road free of the overnight snow but had left a substantial mound at the end of our driveway. If we stopped to look for traffic we might not make it through and if we gunned it we might be hit. We gunned it. Fortunately the road was clear and our rig swerved onto Longley road. While plowed, the road was snow covered and slippery requiring careful driving on Wendy’s part to stay on the road while having enough momentum to make it up three hills. Once on major roads it was clear sailing.
In the evening we stayed at our usual Cracker Barrel restaurant just outside Harrisburg PA. These establishments will allow rigs to stay overnight which usually involves dinner and breakfast at the restaurant. After tending to the horses and having a nice dinner we went to bed in the tack room of the trailer. This involves foam pads and sleeping bags in the section of the gooseneck trailer hanging over the bed of the truck. It should be noted that this un-insulated aluminum structure provided little protection from the cold. However, unlike the year it was -10 F outside, this night was only around freezing and not too bad. We used electric socks and toe warmers from skiing to stave off the cold. It should be remembered that two less than pleased horses are in the back room. If they are unhappy and bounce around it can be difficult to sleep. Also, one is advised to sleep quietly to avoid waking the equine companions.
The rest of the trip went well and we arrived at our vacation home in Southern Pines. Upon release from their mobile prison two agitated Trakner horses galloped around the pasture in the dark. We kept the truck lights on so they could see. This was especially important as we had strung a temporary electric fence across the pasture to restrict their access to the succulent young grass so that they wouldn’t get a tummy ache.
We encountered a problem on trying to enter the house. A workman had double locked the front door and we only had a key to the deadbolt lock. A quick tour around the house showed that a back window was slightly open. Using the new LED lights that attaché to the brim of my hat, I was able to open the window further, slither in and open the front door. Our locks weren’t of much use but the house was intact with nothing missing. However, the open window had caused a problem. In one of the kitchen cupboards a bird had built a nest (see attached picture). Wendy moved the egg containing next to the outside on a ledge hoping that the birds will find it. As an aside, our bluebird box has a nest with eggs.
Now on to the second year of our renovation project.
This should also appear on my new Blog: http://chroniclesofcarl.blogspot.com/
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