The excitement on the ranch this week came in the form of tractor tires. That may seem like a mundane task, but this desert family was quite impressed. Our main tractor happens to be a 1985 John Deere Model 2940. When we purchased the tractor, three years ago, it came from the original owner, complete with the original 1985 tires. The tires had seen better days, remnants of tread showing between the large weather cracks. They still managed to hold air, but were lacking in the traction department. Never the less, the tires have persevered through a couple seasons of mud and snow for us. There have been air leaks and the occasional missing chunks of rubber problems. Several gallons of neon green tire “Slime” sealant have came to the rescue, aiding in the extension of the tractor’s tire life. Lately, the damage has proved more serious. Nate would spend 20 minutes adding air to the tires, then hurriedly hopping into the driver’s seat. Each tractor required task needed to be completed with speed and accuracy, ensuring you were parked in close proximity to the air compressor when finished. Our available “drive time before all air was lost” continued to shrink, making trips to fix far away irrigation ditches even more exciting.
The final event came into play last week. We attempted to make a “tire plug” from rolled denim fabric, silicone and roofing tar. I would ready the series of patching ingredients, while Nate quickly dipped the denim, then roll it in a tight coil around a small bolt. He would then shove the customized “ tire plug” into the tire’s gaping hole. The escaping air would be silenced briefly, until we removed the metal bolt applicator. After several rushed attempts, with air still blowing by the new patched area, we decided it was time. We made the call, the tire repair shop agreeing to order in 4 new tractor tires. The day the repairman came, everyone was up early to witness the grand occasion. In a little over two hours, the old tractor proudly displayed new shiny mud tread tires all the way around. Nate insisted on leaving the packaging labels on the tires, proudly announcing our new purchase. We are confident these new tires will handle ranch tasks for many years to come. For future reference, our makeshift “tire plugs”, managed to retain air in the old tires for an entire week. Just another use for those old worn out jeans.
We have quite the crew of canine helpers. A Jack Russell ?, a Border Collie, two cow dog cross specials, a Great Pyrenees and a Great Pyrenees/German Shepard cross. Each has a collar for identification purposes. We have lost dogs before on various cattle adventures, managing to find them days later. For their safety, our last name and or phone number is written on each one’s collar. Before moving to the ranch, we traveled a lot to check cattle in different areas. This system proved very helpful in the event a dog became disoriented as to where he was. At the ranch, all our cattle pastures are located around the main headquarters. It is very easy to walk home, no matter which cattle you checked.
Our dog Jack, has a knack for wandering off. He is a 2 year old cow dog special. Jack has multiple personalities. Some days, he will follow you to the moon and back, others he checks out early to go home. Sometimes he loves to ride in the pickup, others he exits as soon as the vehicle begins to slow. Some days I think he even believes his name is no longer Jack, as he looks at you as if you’ve never met before. All in all, Jack tends to be a great helper when working cows. He is always excited to see the little cowboys.
At the beginning of summer, Jack decided to go on his own adventure, disappearing while we were checking cows. We expected to find he had beat us back to the house, but to no avail. We back tracked our route with no luck. Again the next day, we retraced our steps, finding Jack waiting at a distant gate. It was as if we had missed the memo to meet him there. When you’re lost in the middle of nowhere, it’s hard for somebody to accidentally find you. In July, Jack again had his own agenda. This time we had followed the county road on the way home. We retraced our steps again, when Jack didn’t meet us at the barn. No luck. The next morning, Nate & Big W set out again in search of Jack. They questioned several campers that were fishing at our irrigation resevoir. We called all our surrounding neighbors, two in total, in a 10 mile radius. No Jack sightings. After four days, Jack was found waiting outside our yard gate. It was early in the morning and he appeared to have traveled for awhile. Jack never missed a beat, it was as if we had just forgot to put him in the kennel the night before. Ten days later, the neighbor’s hired hand stopped by to discuss irrigation water. Nate told him the story about Jack suddenly reappearing after being gone. The hired hand replied that he had found Jack along the county road we had traveled, about dark, the same day Jack disappeared. He had taken him home, putting him in the rancher’s kennels. He had tried calling the phone number listed on the collar, but it had been disconnected. The hired hand had decided he would keep Jack, not knowing Jack had a family. When he turned Jack out of the kennel, Jack decided his vacation was over and headed for home. Nate & I realized since moving, we’d never updated the collar’s information. The only dog that had our current phone number was our Jack Russell that never leaves our side. The rest had a disconnected cell phone or a friend’s phone number that lives three hours away. Definitely something we had overlooked on our list of things to do when moving. So in the off chance you see a black cow dog with a disheveled appearance, wandering along in our corner of Oregon, it might be Jack. If the phone number doesn’t work, tell him to go home. He should be back in about 24-72 hours, give or take few.
