Forget it is named "Mabel", under new ownership it could be the

"I hope she'll do"

Little house in the forest, recycled from a container.

MORE DESIGNS BY CONEX -rehab your container today

A couple good examples, one of what to do in converting a container to a watercraft/houseboat.

And the other either a bad delivery or what not to do.

These shipping containers are just so versatile, this one made into an espresso stand.

The other an airplane hanger.

It took a trucker

***

It took a trucker to concieve of this simple solution

to a logistical problem. Once upon a time the trucker drove his loaded truck to the port where his time was consumed in lines awaiting longshoremen, warehouse workers to off load him onto a ship or warehouse. The load was open and vulnerable to pilferage and productivity was

compromised. Costs to cover losses to handling the goods too much were astromical.

Enter the shipping container. It is facinating how something so simple has made such an impact.

It revolutionized the shipping industry. The trucker no longer had so much time waiting to be unloaded. The goods were no longer vulnerable to pilferage at the dock and damage to shipments was decreased substantially.

Yeah, it's me at the controls Piper cub having followed the Iditarod Trail from Seward,

this segment I am not approaching Anchorage and Turnagain Arm.

Anyhow, without internet signal lock on, I must pass my time somehow between loads.

Update-a month delay in moving into Don's place. Cardiologist has declared nothing wrong with my heart.

Iditarod update

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Top ten in Cripple, Dede number 1 position.

Contrast

of

the real

versus the

want to be

***

**

*

*

John F. Kennedy and Barack H. Obama

Lets start with military experience since the President is after all the Commander in Chief.

Barack-None, Kennedy-U.S. Navy, skipper PT109, hero-saved human life, served in WWII.

Sorry Barack-you are no Jack Kennedy.

Ft Worth, TX

****

Parked for a few hours at the Ft. Worth stockyards. An earlier photo and

as it looks today. Much of the area has been built over into a tourist mall.

The stores and cafes are uniquely Texan and Cowboy. Ernest Tubb Record shop here as

CW music you have always wanted and had no idea how to get it. Complete box set for instance of Carl Smith hits. Signed (thats right-autographed) photos of Ranger McCrae. One store sold a deck of Texas holdem cards with bulletholes through the deck. A must see for any western enthusiast. A trip into Billy Bob's saloon - large night club honky tonk complete with rodeo arena. If that arena is too small for you-the Coleseum is next door.

Driving through Colorado back roads...

Driving the back roads of Colorado in the winter presents itself as extreme driving.

The run from Montrose to Dallas and back goes to Gunnison, then South on Colorado 114 to Saguache, then across the San Luis Valley to tackle LaVeta Pass, then Raton Pass. With these passes behind you put her in the wind for the downhill dash across the corner of NM into the TX panhandle and into Dallas for delivery. Hawks has been in trucking in Montrose for near on 100 years. I am proud to be a part of the team .

Amateur sled dog training tips. In response to my nieces call for help I must say there are no bridles for dogs unless you consider muzzles a bridle. Dogs being different than horses you want a dog to pull with their chests not their necks. These harnesses seem to put the pressure and the load where it needs to be, on the chest. Now if you want to train the dog to pull, they are not like a mule where you can drive them. Most trainers train a dog in a team and with a team-sort of like ponying a horse. If you lack a team, you become the team. Know this a decent size dog has amazing strength so don't just attach a brakeless sled behing them because in the panic they and sled will be off and out of sight and tangled and ---well the result is one helluva wreck. Secure the dog first-you will lead it and keep it on a lead separate from the harness rig. Next the load, if too light, put a slight well secured load on the sled. Then lead the dog to get them used to a load or person behind them.

I do not normally post lingerie but for my brother, I could not resist. It would make a nice addition to the collection of brassieres he already has. Come out of the closet bro.

A dumbass decides to stretch out on the center line somewhere up North. Fatigue and driving can give you the urge I suppose,

What he failed to take into consideration was the log truck coming

up the road behind him. I found him, flatter than a fritter.

The boobs have nothing to do

with the other two photos.

Just a cheap trick to get your attention, I call one boob Denali and the

other Mt. McKinley. As for the other two

photos real cool-flying salmon.

Don Sheldon

Famous Alaskan bush pilot died January 26. 1975.

He didn't need to walk in the steps of his father in law, Bob Reeve.

He made fresh tracks as he proved each time he landed on Denali.

Cancer claimed him finally but boy, what a legacy he left behind.

Tang Hua Meets American Ingenuity

***

Now why do they need compact editions of these bugs anyhow? I still think a rotor should be added but then I remembered that Hughes Helos had something along the same size and shape.

American technology wins again. The earlier American version of the tang hua was fully a recreational vehicle-tops that China.

The Tang Hua-

We will soon look like a space age Barney Rubble. To drive this makes you the laughing stock to the world. Now add a rotor on top-great helo, Port holes-submarine.

Lets see what China produces next-The TangK

Another Oh Shit Moment, where did this happen-port of Anchorage?

Give me the damn gaff, the gaff I said, the gaff.

Season was for catch and release only, threw it back.

I stalked this beauty several miles...

When I think of Don's place, this is what instantly comes to mind.

It's almost time for the winter fun and games to begin. Yukon Quest starts in Fairbanks on

Feb 9. And it's only 44 days to the Iditirod, March 1. Stan needs to haul snow to Anchorage

for the ceremonial start, they claim a lack of it. Share from your bounty Prattler.

Walker Lake, Nevada

___________________

My load of onions which I picked up in Parma, ID and hauled to Buena Park, CA led me down a course through Nevada backroads, in this case US 95. I left Fallon behind me and when I came upon Walker Lake, I checked my GPS to make sure I was still in Nevada. A beautiful and rather large lake it was that I was driving along. This lake may rival Klaune in size. Supposedly some rather large trout have been caught here. Signs indicated one should watch for desert big horns as well. How deep-I am not certain but the nearest town of any size has the U.S. Navy Undersea Warfare Base located in it.

First we had Dukakis in a tank. Now it is politician in a pulpit.

Look at Hillary and Obama and you wonder why every one is upset with

Huckabee (who actually happens to be a minister).

Let's get this record straight for once.

George W. Bush was trained to fly the F102, an interceptor aircraft

often seeing service over Alaska and the Gulf (Mexican Gulf)Coast.

Why-to thwart the Russian Bear bombers that kept entering our airspace. This aircraft saw limited duty in SE Asia-why-because there were better aircraft and it was due to retire. The last F102 left the theatre in 1969 so George could never have flown in Vietnam for that reason alone. The f102 was fully retired from service in 1976 so President Bush's 1973 departure from military duty fits the facts. To keep him in the service would have required more training in another aircraft and high costs. I imagine the choice was given him-pursue that training and extend for umpteen years or take an early discharge. I would hope this puts his critics abuse to rest but alas I know better. I would match Bush's record against many others-Bill Clinton for instance or John F. Kerry.

4 F's

****

I am but the innocent and youngest of our family, my brother offered timely advice and I am not sure how it went I only remember how he had titled it. Could he have meant 4 f 16's.

Oh well, I digress. I have had the good fortune to meet a real nice lady friend that for now will remain nameless but will be revealed to friends and family in time. My brother could never meant that advice to apply to her. We have had so much fun over my birthday, during Thanksgiving, and over the course of recent road trip into Wyoming, down into Colorado and back to Utah. A bit my senior in age, she has proven that the older the violin the sweeter the music. Is it true what they say of blondes-certainly. Her canine and my mine get along nicely.

We seem quite compatable all the way around. Sharp witted, classy and sense of humor. Hell, she even laughs at my jokes, listens to my stories with rapt attention, thinks I am a hottie,

and tries to keep my focus on my driving when we go on road trips. Stay tuned for future updates.