Yip! Yip! Yip! Ruff!

The way our neighborhood is arranged there are no alleys. We share a common fence not only on the sides but also in the back. Actually I suppose we border five additional yards, kind of like "four corners" only twice.

Somebody got a new puppy. And it has upset the balance. The new puppy began it's lament just about midnight and now every hound in our house is awake and on alert.

Can't have some no good worthless renegade come in here and steal the neighborhood blind!

It goes without saying but I'll say it anyway, "Short night"!

We had eaten early. Krl was on her couch, hot pink cast elevated. I was in my recliner. I dozed off briefly. When I woke up, the television was off, lamp off, and Krl was curled on the couch. To my dismay, it was seven-thirty. In the evening! Maple Syrple was coaxing me to head to bed. So I've been there and back already.

My day was spent working on the Blacksheep stereo saga. I decided I would make every stereo shop in town if I had to, gathering information. Turns out my first stop was my best one. They LISTENED, they understood, they helped. Now the project is underway. All I have to do is decide which variation of speaker mounts I want to use. I was shocked when I walked in a show room filled with what I had been looking for! Currently I am revamping the existing speakers and that has been a slow process. I have been using a dremmel. Actually two, one is cordless, the other is air powered. I can bring either to it's knees!

I know where I will go when it's time to select the new deck. Simply said, service sales!

I am sitting here listening and I don't like what I am hearing. The lawn computer came on for a scheduled application, but it is spazzing big time. I had begun to suspect a problem late last summer.

Due to watering restrictions, we are limited as to days we can water. Currently it is two days per weeks. Very soon it will go to one day per week as reservoir levels are low. At our home we water twice on each given day for very brief periods. This is done just after midnight on our assigned day and again just prior to midnight. By doing this we don't experience any excess water run-off. Currently, watering duration varies from fifteen to twenty-one minutes per station depending on the type sprinkler head that services each station. We are using three different type heads. Tonight it has become apparent that our lawn computer is ADD. It will come on for a minute, shuts down for a minute. On. Off. On. Off. For the duration of the time setting. Whatever the time setting, it only waters for half that time. Looks like it may be time to replace the control unit. I don't think it is a valve problem as this has recurred on all the stations. The only common component is the timer/controller.

Always something to do. No problem, as long as it doesn't include digging!

Birthday wishes are in order. Kali turns twenty-seven today! Happy Birthday!

How did these kiddos get so old?

I was researching another project yesterday and made a phone call to Fred. He was telling me that a truck driver that worked briefly with me this past season had an accident and was killed. This gentleman was semi-retired and was working for another acquaintance of mine.

This other acquaintance is a somewhat younger than I. He has farmed and ranched, been elected to public office, and recently had begun mining a rock quarry. He had told Fred he didn't want to get into the trucking business, but never the less three rigs showed up and then three more. Supposedly he has an advisor/consultant. I hope his advisor is good. I had recently heard of some problems they were encountering with OSHA and the Bureau of Mines at the quarry. Since this acquaintance has entered into the transportation industry he has to satisfy DOT too. Employee files, equipment files, drug and alcohol program, hours of service records. DOT safety audits are usually random selections, the one thing that makes them mandatory is if there is an accident with a fatality.

I have a friend I have worked with and several years ago a car crossed in front of one of his trucks, over corrected and ran under the trailer. A fatality was involved. Within sixty days, DOT was knocking on his door. It doesn't matter who is at fault. They are looking at the operation.

I was talking with an associate recently and he told me of a start-up company that underwent an audit. Almost twenty thousand dollars in fines. They closed the doors. Use to be ignorance was bliss, but not with the DOT. They say ignorance is no excuse and it is expensive.

I can remember in 1997 undergoing a safety audit with the family business. Talk about nightmare. I will say that many discrepancies are the result of interpretation. This is something our industry battles everyday with each officer they encounter. Everyone has their own take on the law. Seems as though the one that always wins has that tin badge on their chest and a gun on his or her hip. I don't think they are always right though, I think they often abuse their position. When our audit was completed they found some problems with some drivers beginning work prior to the results being back on their drug screens, and some problems with log book or hours of duty. Six weeks after the fact we received a fine for thirteen thousand dollars! I appealed and had to go to Austin for a hearing at DPS headquarters. When I walked in, there were large signs proclaiming "No guns allowed!" When I was escorted to our hearing room I discovered I was the only one without a gun! The result of my appeal was favorable though, as the fine was reduced to less than two thousand dollars.

Worst part of DOT is if you ever get on their horizon you have a target on your back!

The gentleman who was killed was an elderly man. He had driven "big rigs" almost his entire adult life. I'm don't know particulars of what family he has as our association was very brief. I do know that it is very sad when life is lost, and more difficult when it is unexpected. My condolences to his family.

A very somber note is that this makes three former co-workers who have died in the last year. One from a stroke, one a suspected suicide, and one an accident. Life is fleeting.

I was surfing 'round the net reading some newspapers when I ran across an article about the BearKats. They had a picture of some fans painting the bus, getting it ready to go to the boys State basketball tournament. I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to the picture, but a quick scan of the caption revealed that one of the "artists" was one of the girls from the seasonal jobsite! Small world. BearKats are ranked number 12 entering the tournament. They are playing number 20 in the first round.

Course this time of year, ranking don't matter. Go Kats!

I sure would like to see some rain. It amazes me with El Nino and El Nina how fickle forecaster can be. Just a few months ago they were predicting above normal moisture because of El Nino. Now they say it could be drought like because of El Nina.

Makes me wonder what the "El" is going on!

Have a day!

FATHER, I pray for those hurting from loss, I ask YOUR comfort for them. I pray for healing. I ask YOUR blessing of rain for our area, for the crops, for our family and friends. FATHER, I am feeling low. Lift me. Please. I can only imagine.