Update...

Sorry it has been so long since I have posted anything.  I got my new camera last week and while installing the software my laptop crashed.  OOPS.  Dell tells me I corrupted a library file.  I repaired the operating system enough so I could backup all my data files one last time.  Now, since the system is VERY unstable, I am going to wipe my hard drive and then reinstall EVERYTHING!  Or so Dell tells me.  Hopefully I will see you all on the other side of this nightmare.

I have soooo much to tell you and a lot of pictures to share.  My new camera is REALLY awesome and I got lots of great shots at the Jeep Blessing.  I took over 600 shots of Jeeps, trees, rocks, sand and mud, lots of mud...  Even a few of a very unfortunate little boy who thought it would be nice to jump into the mud pit for a swim before going home!

A little R&R

The floors and bookshelves are clean, dishes done, groceries bought and put away... My oh my what am I going to do with all of this spare time.  SPA DAY!!!

I spent 8 hours today at my salon getting polished and tuned up.  It felt absolutely heavenly and I actually feel like a woman again!  After all I have put in my fair share of time in the past 4 months polishing on the truck.  Today it was my turn ! ! !

What you might ask did Randy do all day to unwind.  Well he didn't go to the salon with me.  Instead he went and played with his buddies working on the obstacle course for the upcoming Jeep Blessing next weekend.  They met for an early breakfast at Sparks (absolutely delish local resturant). Then thru rain and wind, worked for 6 hours finishing the obstacles.  Of course they all had to "test" them to be sure they were in proper working order for the eager Jeepers next weekend :-) By the time I got home, he was dry and cozy again. But the smile was still firmly planted on his face as he regailed me with the days follies. 

The Count Down Begins

HOME.  We are finally going home this weekend.  We have been on the road for 4 months straight!  I can't wait to see my friends and catch up.  But I know there are going to be 4-5 mail totes to deal with too.  Not to mention the deadly dust bunnies that are probably laying in wait under the couch and beds!  Well, let them do their best.  I have a Swiffer!

I am so excited to get home a whole week before the Jeep Blessing.  I will actually have time to recharge the vehicles batteries, clean up the house, do some grocery shopping and get my hair done before our guests arrive.  What a change.  Usually I am getting home hours before our guests land.  I am not sure I will know what to do with all of this extra time.  But I am sure I will fill it up.  I have already started a list of things to do.  Might I actually have a chance to be a normal hostess?  Nah, I have never done a normal thing in my life.  Why start now >:-)  

Down Time - Fall Trail Riding

This is the highest point in the county and has a great view.  Very few in the area can get up here to enjoy it though as the trail up is really made for dirt bikes.  But a lot of horse power, 4 wheel drive and white knuckles will do it.

This was another adventure in the Bowl by Randy's buddy, Ed.  He was climbing this run he had climbed several times before that day, when his engine suddenly started over revving and smoking!  He had to shut it down just before he made it to the top of the run.
This picture kinda gives you a little perspective on how steep a climb this really is and in sand too.  LOTS OF FUN!

Finally the guys gave up and rolled it down the hill. 


The theory that flat ground might make a difference didn't hold up. So we hooked a strap to it and towed it  home. It turned out just to be the throttle cable.  From the heavy beating it was taking climbing that hill it had bounced up and back and gotten hooked onto something behind the carb.  This effectively shortened the cable enough so that the throttle was full on all the time.  That is till they found the problem and unhooked it!  Such a simple thing, but they just couldn't see it till they put a trouble light under the hood.

Down Time - Jeep Roll Over

This is Randy's buddy, Ed, and his girlfriend, Cathy, in the green jeep.  We were in what is called the bowl.  A deep sandy valley with steep sides about a mile from our house.  Great for playing in with 4 wheel vehicles.   They had decided to try a new run up the hill and had caught a down tree partially hidden by grass with the front driver's side tire.  It was enough of a glancing blow to throw the jeep over on its side and down into the old run, which is now more of a ditch after the spring rains.  Here Randy is helping them get out just after the accident.  The dust hasn't even settled yet.  Luckly, no one was hurt.

You can see in this photo how deep the roll cage sunk into the dirt, about 5 inches.
Pulling out the winch line in preparation of recovery.

Wrapping the snatch strap around the roll cage.

Ed tossing the snatch strap over to Randy to hook to the winch line.

The winch line was ran thru a pulley hooked to a tree and then back and hooked to the snatch strap around the roll cage.

Now Ed slowly tightens the winch to bring the jeep upright.

We position our jeep at the top of the hill and run our winch line down to the green jeep's front bumper to keep it from rolling backwards as the winch line that brought it upright is slowly released.




They slowly released the side line as they brought it forward enough to stabalize it.  Then completely disconected the side line.

Now it was time to bring it to the top of the hill.

Here we tied the green jeep's winch line to a powerline pole to lock it in place.

Now that it is at the top and locked in place it is time to see if it will run.  Unbelievably it started up on the 2nd try and ran just fine.  We didn't even go home.  We just kept right on wheeling for the rest of the day!  True to its name, ZOMBIE...

Down Time - Off Road Park

This was a trip to the local Off Road Park with our club the Cadillac Jeepers last November.  Unfortunately I had forgotten to charge the camera batteries and didn't get a lot of pictures.  We were the only ones in the group that didn't seriously damage our vehicle on this trip.  

Us climbing out of a deep valley.

Waiting for the trail to clear.  What you can't tell is that the white Cherokee is hung up on some wet logs.  At this point you are headed up hill and as soon as you get over these 4 logs that are piled here you have to make a hard right toward the grey Grand Cherokee.  These logs are all slimy and slippery from the rain we had and as you can see he has spun himself around in the wrong direction.  He is facing left and needs to go right.  He does make it through though.

Playing in the holes!

We did play in the holes too, but unfortunately because of the dead batteries I didn't get an photos of us in the holes.  Next time though...

Ostrich!!!

We were heading north on 15 in SoCal and I was on the phone with a friend from home.  When all of the sudden Randy starts waiving his arm in front on me pointing to our right, yelling "Look, Bonny, LOOK!"  At first all I see is empty hills. No houses, vehicles, nothing insight.  Then he points my head and I see it...an OSTRICH!  The ostrich is running full out along the side of the highway headed to LA :-D

 

Sorry it happened to fast to get a photo of it racing the traffic. Boy that would have a been a keeper too.

Polish Me Please!

If you remember we took that trip into the wilds of the Pacific Northwest a few weeks back and ran thru several ice storms.  Then we were unable to find an open truck wash before we loaded our next TVAL load.  As a result it was two weeks before we got all the deicers off the truck. By that time it had already etched all of the aluminum.  It wasn't too deep, but it definitely was going to need to be wheeled to get it gleaming again.

So after running all out to cross the country (2200+ miles of it) in less than 30 hours we decided to forgo sleep and get the truck polished before we got dispatched on a load out of SoCal.  So off to the new Little Sisters Truck Wash and Polish Shop in Fontana we went.  We got the truck and trailer washed and waxed first.  Why bother with polishing a dirty truck?  Then got in the polish line.  We knew it was going to be a long day since this wasn't going to be a simple touch up job.

Sure enough, after spraying everything down with acid and stripping off all the parts that would get in the way of the polish wheels, it took them over 7 hours.  It was well worth it though as they did a great job.  After the acid they took the time to run from brown tripoli rouge with yellow treated wheels to white jewelers rouge with soft untreated cotton wheels with petroleum distillates.  It now shines like new again!  

Waiting in the polish line...

Starting to disassemble by taking off the steer covers...

on to the drivers...

Pulling into the shade of the building...I just love the Little Sister's signs, don't you?

Of course this box has already been shot with acid, but I just love to watch it start to get shiny!

Starting to unbolt the side fairings so the steps can be polished.

Passenger side with side fairing removed.

Here you can see the train horns and generator exhaust 

which normally are hidden behind the passenger side fairing.

Randy removing the sleeper steps so that the rear of the 

passenger side fuel tank can be polished more easily.

Looks weird without the steps.

These are the train horns and PA speaker that are 

normally hidden behind the driver side faring.

More photos showing it getting shiny...

So how do we entertain ourselves for 7 hours while waiting for the job to be done?

Clean and polish the antennas...

Take pictures of neat trucks going thru the wash and talk with the drivers...This one of course was of particular interest to us given our love of off roading and Jeeps!

We went to get some subs at subway and what do we find...the cutest little bug ever!  I am still wondering if he would have fit in it?