Jay Richards

When you drive a car, snowmobile, Pisten Bully, bike, bobcat...whatever...for a long time, you learn how it sounds, healthy style. Sometimes you hear a different sound and typically you get nervous. Like the sound you have a bent chain...... tink tink tink leading to... "kaching"..... broken chain. Or kaboom, pssssst....flat. Ask most groomers their worst nightmare and it is usually a mechanical leading to down time. Last week I heard this very distinct noise in the bobcat but couldn't figure out what it was. I can't do sound effects on this and I can't really describe it. Anyways, I did notice there was a little tiny oil loss and come to notice that a nut had come off the wheel for the alternator belt. I tried to wrench on it but the crappy mechanic I am but couldn't get it fixed and it looked like there were some other issues so I gave Arne a call. He was heading out of town so he came over this morning to take a look. Arne does all our welding, and major mechanic work. He can do anything with a welder. If I had the time I might try to design some grooming equipment and Arne could do it. All the shops in town have tried to headhunt Arne but he has his own shop out in the country side and calls all his own shots, just as he wants. It might be late Friday afternoon and Arne could be nursing a cold one. Arne is always there when you need him. Two years ago I was pulling the PB in the shop after a day of grooming on Friday and I toasted the belting. It was snowing big time at the time and Arne knew we were in a pinch so he spent all Fri night and Sat morning taking all the cleats off the belting so the cleats would be ready to go on the new belting when it came Monday. Anyways, the alternator had been virating and some of the bolts were all tweaked and the holes that the bolts go through on the alternator had bored to twice the size. He made a sleeve to go in the hole and got back going.

Jonell took Jens to town today and she was in the department store and she turned around and was gone. She spent 20 minutes looking for him and the little sneakster was hiding in a coat rack. Jonell figures she walked by him at least 3-4 times and he was just hiding. Uggh, that is the worst feeling.

Jon and Jake were riding down the big terrain hill and hitting some of the dirt piles. I shot some video with the camera but have to figure out how to upload that.

Jack had a dr appt. today and everything is looking great. His stitches were the surgery were are healing nicely and still clear on the infection. You can hardly notice he has a broken arm and he is running all over the place and no complaints so he is being a real good trooper. Thanks Matt Johnson family for the care package. He was tickled to get that.