Taking the plunge

[MadDogDriver]

Anchors Aweigh? Coming from an airdale, that's funny. We old retired blackshoe sailors really know what anchors aweigh is.

Nice catch on the play on words. Only real sailors would've caught it.

My Navy career was unusual for most airdales. I actually was a "shoe" on an old FRAM II, USS Cone DD-866, out of Charleston before I went to Pensacola. Had a Mustang skipper who was aggressive about his young JOs really learning how to drive the ship. I loved it! The destroyer's wardroom and ships company composition is very similar to the F/A-18 squadron numbers and personalities.

You're right about the comforts improving dramatically. My first stateroom was right under the main deck behind Mount 51, Hot, Noisy, but great forced air system ha ha, but even then the flat tops were light years ahead of my 1943 tincan. Now they not only have AC but internet and phone access instead of the old MARS station and the "I love you, OVER" conversations.

Great Memories.

 

[mjarrels]

Anchors Aweigh... we actually "lost" a golden anchor from the USS America on Gozo Station back in the early 80's. Chain broke.

mark

 

[MadDogDriver]

Anchors Aweigh... we actually "lost" a golden anchor from the USS America on Gozo Station back in the early 80's. Chain broke.

mark

I was there!! Small world. Did you get your "Did the Ditch" patch when we went through the Suez? Also remembered the security going home after Sadat's assassination.

 

[mjarrels]

Yep... did the ditch X two. Was on Staff of CVW-11 at the time. Lot's of liberty on that cruise. Palma, Singapore, Perth and I spent a weekend on Diego Garcia.

mark

 

[CJ4]

Maddog,

My backhoe came with the optional mechanical thumb. We have alot of rock where i'm at as well..........uggggg!

 

[jinman]

Anchors Aweigh... we actually "lost" a golden anchor from the USS America on Gozo Station back in the early 80's. Chain broke.

mark

You guys are killin' me. I was on Gonzo station back in 1980 and with the Nimitz when she launched the helos on the doomed hostage rescue mission to Iran. I was aboard the USS Gridley CG-21. We didn't do the ditch, but we did make a diplomatic visit to Mogadishu, Somalia. We had a cookout at the US Embassy where we brought the hot dogs and hamburgers and they supplied the beer. We had a total of 400 bottles of beer for the entire crew. That was all the beer there was in all of Somalia.

 

[mjarrels]

It really is a small world. I found out about two months ago that when Marcos was forced from the Phillippines, my wifes uncle was the one who signed off the aircraft "safe for flight". I did not know my future wife at the time. Aircraft tow tractor was used... keeps it tractor related.

mark

 

[MadDogDriver]

Aircraft tow tractor was used... keeps it tractor related.

mark

Yeah I guess this is a tractor forum. It's amazing though how small this world really is.

We're hoping to get the tractor, fel & bh tomorrow, albeit temporarily. Then it'll go back for the remote, grapple and other things later when they arrive.

YES Pics will be provided.

 

[MadDogDriver]

Maddog,

My backhoe came with the optional mechanical thumb. We have alot of rock where i'm at as well..........uggggg!

Glad you could get a word in with all this "squid" talk going on.

My BH (& tractor) are supposed to show up tomorrow. It has the mech thumb already on it, but the hyd kit is delayed so we'll have to wait a little bit for the full featured BH to be up and running. Can't wait!!!

 

[MadDogDriver]

You guys are killin' me. We had a total of 400 bottles of beer for the entire crew. That was all the beer there was in all of Somalia.

At least it was real beer. Our "steel beach" picnics were the "near beer" variants for awhile and then it was 2 cans per sailor later in my career (every 90 days I think)?? Made for great liberty ashore though.

 

[mjarrels]

I still have my "beer" tickets... never used them. I remember having to man the grills in the gulf... 15 minutes between shifts Chiefs and Officers... so hot...

"Remember Miss Piggy"

mark

 

[jinman]

At least it was real beer. Our "steel beach" picnics were the "near beer" variants for awhile and then it was 2 cans per sailor later in my career (every 90 days I think)?? Made for great liberty ashore though.

Josephus Daniels (affectionally called Jack Daniels) really put the kabosh on grog, didn't he? I had a striker who brought a tiny bottle from the airlines onboard. He opened it in our forward berthing area and the vents immediately made the whole below-deck bow of the ship smell like booze. My division LPO had the sense to snatch the bottle out of his hand and pour it down a crapper. The kid got a special detail chipping paint for that little incident.

 

[MadDogDriver]

Well, back to tractors.......

Not available yet. We had quite a little weather problem (for the Portland to Seattle area any snow is a problem) yesterday. Actually was a problem for anyone trying I-90 or I-5. Fortunately, I-5 was passable but oh so slow, whereas I-90 had 60 vehicles playing tag at Snoqualmie Pass. Fast forward to the dealer trying to get my BH and some parts down from another location......didn't happen yesterday. Today he did get the parts but too late to get the beast ready for delivery. Tomorrow???? hopefully.

He did a real nice job detailing it up though. Really does look new now. He asked if I wanted the tires Armoralled. I laughted. I want to take it out and see how I can use the BH and FEL to unbury it instead. The challenge of using the attachments like that contraption on the Wild West movie is my idea of fun. Supposedly you can lift that TC40DA way up with that BH. Of course I'm not interested in testing the ROPS though. After all he did remove his scratches and rust, so that I can put them back for myself. hee hee. I know it's a "pretty" machine, but it's like seeing a 4x4 all clean vs. completely mudded out. Tell me who had the fun? Course a little H2O will make nice again and ready for the next hole.

Pictures to come. (some time)

 

[MadDogDriver]

TaDa.

Just arrived. Still needs the grapple, grill guard, hyd thumb and remotes which are all still on order.

More later.

 

[MadDogDriver]

... When you get around to posting pictures, we'll be happy to help. Preparation of the photo by sizing it and reducing its size will make it easier to view for everyone, even with low bandwidth connections. If you need help with that, we can give you some tips there too.

Jim,

I attached a photo of my newly arrived TC40DA in this thread. I also tried to access the photo forum and am running into problems "logging in" to it. Eventhough I'm obviously already logged into TBN and have the "remember me" box checked I'm rejected when trying to login to the photo forum. It says my password is invalid.???? Attaching photos into messages work.

Any suggestions?

 

[CJ4]

WOW MadDog.......That's a HOT machine!! Looks like mine.....Isn't that backhoe beautiful???? You'll enjoy it.......

 

[MadDogDriver]

WOW MadDog.......That's a HOT machine!! Looks like mine.....Isn't that backhoe beautiful???? You'll enjoy it.......

Yeah it does look great if I do say so myself, and it's fun to run too. I tested it out and looks like it'll do the job just fine. The mech thumb works great, but I'm glad I went for the hyd version. It'll be so much quicker when you need it.

No regrets.

 

[CJ4]

No, you won't have any regrets!! When i'm stuck in the office this time of the year (i'm a CPA), i just ache for my tractor!!! Can't wait until April 15th, i'm gonna dig up jack!

 

[MadDogDriver]

At least you can have fun with your "toys". I always loved working on my Uncle's farm. When I was young I'd be out there every moment we were out of school, eventhough I never really enjoyed hoeing the bean fields with Grandpa. Did make me appreciate how beatiful a clean field looks though. Of course it was oh so much more fun on the tractor instead of walking the rows.
Farming is such an honorable profession and tough to make a go of it too. It's so capital intensive. I'm proud of what my Uncle's been able to do with what he started with. (He's a really smart guy and has taken well calculated risks that have paid off, most of the time.)

 

[CJ4]

Yes, I got my share of "chopping cotton" when i was a kid at my uncle's farm once. Didn't want no more part of that!!