The Dread

I know that everyone has a reason to wake up in dread from time to time. Today (Friday) it was my turn. I went to bed with some concern but when I woke at 5am I was simmering going toward a full boil.

I was down to my last half bale of the 96 bales of hay that I put up back in July. Supply is no problem. I can get hay from my source in Birkenfeld. She takes care of my hay needs year round. (Wink, I know she’s reading this.) My dread was my truck. If you remember the problems I had with my truck at the end of December while hauling horses with the trailer; I’m still distrustful of the truck. It’s OK, but it’s just a little weird, but I still don’t trust it.

I started driving the windy/hilly roads from my house to Jewell. For those of you that aren’t familiar with HWY 202, though the speed limit is 55 MPH, it is rare that one can achieve that sort of speed while constantly slowing for hair-pin curves, 6% grades and truck swallowing potholes. To make matters worse, most of the trip is out of cell phone range.

Every time the truck down-shifted my knuckles would turn white. After about 25 miles I was starting to feel confident that I was going to make it and I did. I nearly forgot my fears, but then I realized I’d have to travel the same road home, but this time heavier with a ton of hay in tow.

I made it home without incident, but I’m going to stick to short runs with the horses before I’ll have the confidence to take the truck any major distance away from home with cargo.

I now have enough hay to last three months. The dread is gone. I'll sleep well tonight and I'll wake up without dread in the morning.