Another Busy Day

We had another busy day getting stuff cleaned up and getting ready for the painting.

Today I got up and started my irrigation duties. We had a drag that we kept out of the auction because it will be needed to level out the yard in the spring. We had it stored up in the field away from all the other equipment. However we have been hesitant to bring it back down to where it was stored prior to the auction, because it is so damn dry. We were concerned that we could get a spark while pulling it down the field and starting a damn grass fire. So I did it early this morning when the grass was dewy.

After I got that done I cooked up some hash browns, bacon, scrambled eggs and toast for everyone. Then we did a few other things. Cindy is wanting to do a garage sale (after the painting is started) over at her house with a bunch of things that did not go in the auction and some of the household items that did not sell in the auction. So we got some of the hauled out of Mom and Dads basement and also helped Colleen with a few things in the room she is moving into downstairs.

Then Case and I went to town. One of my Mom’s and Dad’s dear friends has been having a slew of health issues and the got Covid on top of that. So Mom and Dad wanted to bring some lunch over to them. So Case and I did that today. We also did a few other things.

We went to the Butte Sheltered Workshop Thrift store and dropped off some items that Mom had and a few that I had from my trailer. Then we took my truck and ran it thru the car wash and also vacuumed out the interior. Then we went and got our friends some Wop Chops (fried pork tenderloin sandwiches) and then ran to Safeway to get a Stawberry Rhubarb pie and some fresh fruit and dropped that off at their house.

Then we went out to the cemetery and Case and I worked on better securing Jennifer’s Sheppards hook for her flowers. He is such a kind hearted kid, he was telling me that he was sorry that it was tough for me to have to be doing this. It took all I had to keep from balling. We also collected the flower boxes off of all the graves.

Then we went to the Bonaza Freeze for ice cream cones. However Case made me take him to check out a school bus that is for sale on the way (actually it is just down the street from Bonaza Freeze). He is a comical little kid. For whatever reason, he wants his first vehicle to be a school bus. Anyway we stopped to look at the bus. I stayed in the truck while he got out to check it out. Boy was he interested as hell. I have mentioned before that Case is a kid that has Cadillac taste on a Cheverolet budget.

Well the price on the bus was $25,000 or best offer. It is a large school bus (79 passenger). Well Case was checking this bus out kicking the tires and the whole nine yards. He was wanting to call the owner to see about getting inside it to check it out. I told him no we were not going to do that and to hop in the truck so we could go get ice cream. So he did, but while we were eating our swirl cones all he could talk about was the bus. He was wanting me to check it out.

We finished our cones and then went back for a second look at the bus. However this time I had to get out with him and look at it. Now he had exactly $1 in his pocket and he was serious as a heart attack in that he wanted to call the owner to see if $1 would be the best offer. When I told him that was not going to happen, then he pulled out the big guns and says well I could buy it and give it to him, he said he knew I had then $24,999 dollars he was short to make the purchase. I told Case yes I could do that but the reason I had the $24,999 dollars he neeeded was because I did not buy buses. That kind of made him stop and think, but only for a second.

If I was Warren Buffet, I might have just pulled the trigger just to see the look on his parents face, when I told them their 10 year old son was the proud owner of a 79 passenger school bus. However I am not Warren Buffet and I am not a soft touch. I do feel bad crushing the dreams off 10 year old, but he will thank me some day for making him keep that $1 dollar in his pocket.

While we were doing our thing in town the folks at the ranch decided we were going to get take dinner from Casagrandas steak house. They also invited Mom and Dads neighbors Dean and Bernie to come down. So at about 5:30 both boys and I took off back to town to pick up the dinner. It was very nice, we sat out on the folks patio and had a very nice dinner and evening.

After dinner I had a nice phone call with Janice and caught up with her. Her and Kenn are staying close to home for the next few days as Gillette is having a huge seventh day Adventist church gathering (60,000 people). They are basically taking over the town for the week. The Sturgis, South Dakota Harley Davidson bike rally is also occurring this same week. Gillette usually gets a fair number of the Sturgis attendees staying in town during the rally. So that could make things very interesting in Gillette.

Well enough for today. I am going to hit the hay, I am bushed.