I mentioned it over in the we-were-not-suppose-to-get-any-snow thread. This Sunday the weather guys predicted either a few tenth's of an inch or 1 to 3 inches of snow. Instead we got 10.5". We had been putting off buying a snow blade for the tractor (since they're expensive) but with that much snow we decided it was time. We bought it midday Monday, and my wife started figuring out how to use it, and starting from the barn plowed the driveway to the house and back and then went out to the road and back and then plowed up to where friends have parked their trailer, and then she decided to do another pass out toward the road. She was plowing along the edge but couldn't quite see where the edge was and the wheels dropped off the edge of the driveway. She tried pulling forward to get back on the driveway and tried backing up, but the more she maneuvered the more it slowly crabbed sideways down the steep hill. She walked back to the barn where I was working, and we got a tow chain and went back out there in the pick-up truck. However trying to pull it forward or pull it backward only cause the truck tires to spin an caused the tractor to crab further off the driveway. It didn't seem like it was in imminent danger or rolling over or sliding down the hill since the inclinometer read 22 deg and the tractor is "safe" up to 30 deg slope, however it seemed that continuing to try to drive it out or pull it out with the truck would risk it going further and further until that was a real risk. We called a tow truck company late Monday but they said they were so busy that they wouldn't be able to come until Tuesday morning and we should call back then. Instead we put it off until Wednesday afternoon, and decided to try once more with my manual 4000 lb ratchet winch comealong, and some lengthy steel cable and chains. We were ready to throw in the towel and called a tow truck, but they were still so busy that they said they call back when they were able to dispatch a truck for us. We tried one more time at a steeper angle, and saw the tractor steadily inching back toward the driveway, so we cancelled the tow truck before they actually dispatched one.

blubird...she said it was on sale from $11, 500.00! I don't get it....? The Brother was $137 and it's at least 5 years old. It's always been flaky. I'll push through another project with it unless I can find an old one like Lars or Annie suggested. PRM......it's still BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

murraysmom.......thanks so much! More to this story: the new insurance company came by for an exterior inspection. Said everything looked great......except .....there needed to be at least one railing....not to code. I said, "I know. The ground is frozen. When it thaws I'll install something." It was flagged for another inspection. They already came by. OK with out. :0)

Window from old Dripping Springs resort hotel up in the Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument - also an old TB sanatorium ruin nearby. and a beige sotol bloom at the nearby Cueva Mine Trail.