An Embarrassing Day

[bshadle 5]

Hot weather forecast with afternoon thunderstorms, got an early start. Left the house about 7:30 a.m. for a twenty-minute drive northwest to a farm we’ve gunned for the last few years. It’s loaded with holes and holds plenty of hogs, especially since I haven’t been shooting ‘em this year yet.

 

Pulled down the lane and into the first field. Nice hedgerow along the south side of the field, farmer has hayed the north side but the south field is still standing. Spotted one ‘hog in the cut field as we drove in and watched it dive for cover. Made note of the location, decided to check the hedgerow first and come back to it later. (I may be hardheaded, but I do listen to advice. )

 

Dot found a mess of holes along the row, had a grand time checking ‘em out. Had a ball working the edges of the uncut hay too. Most was chest high on me, and at best, I could see a ripple moving through the field where she was running. Glad she decided to come back to my side of the cut, ‘cause I would’ve had to step in a hole by accident to find it in that growth.

 

 

Got to the end of the row and moved out into the cut field to head back to the truck. This particular field has driven me crazy for years. (I know… a short trip! ) It has many holes and we usually see ‘hogs, but the way it sits surrounded by houses there’s no way to gun it safely. Figured it was prime for working with the dog.

 

We got into a nice three-eyed sette, most likely the one the ‘hog we first saw dived in to and Dot liked it a lot. She did her typical enter-each-hole routine, lighting up on two of them, and finally settled in for earnest. Got a mark at three feet and started to dig, or at least tried to start to dig. North of here is shale, it’d been cut low earlier in the week, and baking in the sun since then. The shovel near bounced off the surface, it was like digging through a brick sidewalk. Looked like this one was gonna be work.

 

 

Before getting more than about eight inches deep, banging with the shovel and bar, the ‘hog decided to bolt from the third hole (of course, the one not blocked). I watched it tear across the field into the tall hay, and when Dot came back out, she looked hot and tired so we decided to move across to another field.

 

The farmer had gone by cutting the shoulder of the lane while we were digging, and with the cuttings covering the edge of the drainage ditch lining the lane, I missed the culvert that provided access to the field and dropped the front end of the truck down into the ditch. Bottomed out the frame, banged the front suspension off the edge of the culvert pipe. Damn.

 

Was pulling a few pieces of 2X stock out of the back of the truck to use for leverage when the farmer came down the lane on his tractor. Wrapped a chain around the rear axle, wedged the 2Xs under the wheels so the suspension at least didn’t drag over the pipe coming back out, and a short pull with the tractor got me back onto the road. Offered to pay the farmer what it would’ve cost for a tow truck, but he wouldn’t accept. Gonna have to take a nice gift with me next time out there. Limped the truck home, and can’t get it into the shop to check the front suspension and alignment until Monday morning. Tough dirt, no ‘hog, and a busted truck. Bummer.

[highlander 0]

Its one of these things mate some days you wish you never left the house. Atleast you saw something.

 

Regards highlander

[bshadle 5]

Some day I'll probably look back at it and laugh. Not when it was happening, though.

 

It still beat going to work, or plopping my a** in front of the tv. :thumbs-up: