Chapter 36

Karen

Hairy moved back to Denver.

<We know ... how do you feel about that?>

I’m hurt and depressed.

<How does that affect life?>

I’m pretty bummed ... wait ... psychiatry? Let me see your license to practice.

This was going on while I had the Air Force gray AT-11’s right hand engine on the A-Frame and was loosening engine mount bolts. I was planning on replacing the 450 horsepower single speed GE supercharged Wasp Junior ... the T1B2 ... turning a two bladed constant-speed Hamilton Standard propeller with the three bladed 525 horsepower SC-G two speed GE super charged reduction geared left and right hand engines. Eventually, the 200 pound increase in weight due to the two speed supercharger made the change impractical.

But I didn’t know the motor mounts were deficient. 75 horsepower per wasn’t worth the risk. And 100 octane against 80/90 cost too much.

I had all four T1B2 engines off and shipped to P&W before I discovered the weight difference.

The white Coast Guard SNB was an actual warbird ... flown on anti submarine patrol in 1943 ... with three tuna schools and two Right whales to her credit ... much to the chagrin of Lieutenant J.J. Foster, her pilot.

The five overpainted U-Boat silhouettes under the left seat Plexiglas window bore witness to his folly.

One thing ... the main spar had NOT been drilled and wasn’t corroded ... I didn’t need the straps ... even at half price ... a real deal for a Beech 18 ... I still sold the straps for five grand.

That actually saved two Beech twins. The repairs were affordable.

We never did find out whose calves the four were. I don’t want to raise calves ... they’re so cute ... and stupid. Case in point.

Haul the weeks worth of toilet paper out to the burn barrel ... light it ... go back in the house.

Ten yearling steers have surrounded the fire. They take turns singeing their facial hair in the fire. It’s almost a “Hold my beer” moment. The damn cow is like a torch ... they bounce around shaking their head and the next one does it. When the Circle K had cows in the pasture the idiots did it every fire.

When they get to be a carcass weight of 450 pounds they have a body weight of 1200 pounds... 47 percent is market beef ... the rest is dog-food.

From Spring to Spring a thousand, twelve hundred pound weight gain is normal. Feed lot ‘em and expect to see a couple hundred pounds of marbling a week.

I’ll get attached to the little bastards ... I just know it.

When it was time to kill chickens I had to trade mine for across the road John’s ... his kids wouldn’t eat theirs. I wouldn’t eat mine.

Why did the chicken cross the road? To get in my freezer.