My Journey

Riversdad

Active member
I'll bet moving all that stone was a real workout, especially with that bad hip. Hope it doesn't cause you too much pain and you can duck that replacement for a long time.
 

tgil

Well-known member
I like the idea of sharing half of your barn!
Ol' Trapper girl looks like she is enjoying more groceries and less exercise? So terrible of me to say such a thing about a gal!

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
 

Ace Brown

Retired Ol’ Fart
Thats too bad about the hip exam. Hopefully you’ve got a lot more miles on it.

My doc says ok to travel so ill be starting the Idaho Backcountry Discovery Route on the 14th. No filters, just meds. Xarelto was going to cost me $477 for six weeks supply after insurance. Thought that was crazy stupid so I called the VA. Getting the same thing for $33 from them.

Ace
 

Riversdad

Active member
I like the idea of sharing half of your barn!
Ol' Trapper girl looks like she is enjoying more groceries and less exercise? So terrible of me to say such a thing about a gal!

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
My dogs always gain a few in the summer as they don't get the long walks due to the heat. Winter comes and the pounds drop off and they are much happier. The colder the better.
 

Foy

Explorer
Based on your photos and descriptions, my wife and I spent the last 3 nights at Crystal Lake in the Big Snowies south of Lewistown, MT. We lack the fitness and endurance to gain 2,200' in 6 miles to get to the Ice Caves, but we did tackle the trail from the Crystal Lake Campground to the Crystal Cascades. Once we're back home in a week or so, I'll put together a trip report with some pics you'll find familiar (spoiler alert: we also soaked at the Spa Motel in White Sulphur Springs, MT enroute to the Big Snowies--another fine recommendation.

More later,

Foy
 
vintageracer.....of course it's "hip" .....since we are 3 hipsters ! I actually looked up the definition of hipster prior to this post and once I read it I thought damn ! We really are hipsters.....;)

Riversdad.....I love going up into the mountains to gather stones. We always get in a long walk along the forest service road.....I'll post some pictures of our gathering place next time.....as I've said we're not far from Yellowstone National Park so yea, it's absolutely beautiful up there.....

tgil.....she's definitely a little miss fatty and I'm dreading her 6 month checkup in September. She loves to eat as well as just lay around on the porch and watch the world go by.....Tanner is the direct opposite.....

Ace.....awesome that you can travel.....regarding my hip, again, don't feel bad for me. I've had a good life.....

Foy.....I forgot about Crystal Cascade Falls.....what a cool little set of waterfalls they are. I'm glad to have steered you to a few nice spots and can't wait to see your trip report and pictures.....



Another week has passed us by and another week of no trip reports for the three of us.....other than our day trips into the national forests, we're pretty much just hanging out at the cabin. So today I thought I'd bring closure to the Ford trucks' airbag dilema.....last week I received a package from Firestone and inside that package I found an entire newly designed & newly released full set of air bags & assembly parts.....at no cost to me.....a nearly $700 value.....

Am I a fan of Firestone airbags ? Absolutely ! I ran them on my 2005 Chevy Duramax for 13 years without a problem and 4.5 years on my 2018 Ford Super Duty.....today's issues are from improper installation and had nothing to do with the airbags themselves.....

So I took my truck to Les Schwab Tires for the new install.....today I'll post pictures of what they found.....a truck obviously not repaired.....

20220718_125727_copy_1200x583.jpg

Here's what the old air bag assembly looked like when it came off my truck.....

20220803_061048_copy_1200x583.jpg

20220803_060843_copy_1200x2469.jpg

Shop number one (I'm not out to get them so their shop name is not posted here).....they claim that all they did was install / replace 4 bolts (invoice included $80 for parts). 2 were missing and 2 were broken / bent after just a few weeks of minimal driving without any load.....

20220804_080607_copy_1200x2469.jpg

20220803_060836_copy_1200x2469.jpg

20220803_060857_copy_1200x2469.jpg

I had quite a go around with shop number one.....after multiple visits (yes, I can be persistent).....I finally got my $260 refund.....I never got an apology nor an acceptance of responsibility.....

20220803_060935_copy_1200x2469.jpg

20220803_060926_copy_1200x2469.jpg

20220803_060904_copy_1200x2469.jpg

In this last picture you see where the bracket was actually cutting into the truck frame.....no doubt in my mind had I not pursed a proper fix, this truck would have had major problems beyond what I just dealt with. Les Schwab only charged me $269.99 to remove the old air bag system and to install the new set supplied by Firestone. And I'd have to say that that was a happy, yet unexpected, outcome for this short story.....

20220803_060948_copy_1200x583.jpg
 

Riversdad

Active member
Good on you for staying on the first shop and getting your refund. I think most would have let it go and taken the shafting.
 

longhorn1

Observer
ITTOG.....did you start physical therapy immediately after your surgery ? I was told that I'd start the day after surgery. I'm curious too as to how long it was before you could drive again ? Next weeks' meeting with the surgeon can't come soon enough for me.....

Riversdad.....my positivity in regards to my situation, I think comes from seeing other people suffer & when I see that suffering, that alone makes me realize how blessed that I am. I feel like it's selfish and it's unfair to the people that truly suffer for me not to be grateful. Just two days ago a friend of mine with a rare liver disease (see Page 1 My Journey) texted me about a small boy in his life that has the same rare liver disease that he has (he mentors this boy as I once did him) and that small boy was just diagnosed with cancer. That small boys' battles & struggles are so far beyond my own. So yea, I have to be grateful day in and day out.....

Arjan.....thanks.....just this morning that guy called me and talked for half an hour. After he hung up I wondered why he called.....probably doesn't matter really.....



It's been a week since my last post so I thought it time to update the blog.....we still await the new truck parts from Firestone so mostly our lives continue to revolve around the cabin, the barn, & the property.....rest assured that we'll be back out there.....if I open that camper door the dogs bolt right inside.....we're ready.....

Landscaping has been coming along.....

View attachment 734183

View attachment 734184

View attachment 734185

All the stones gathered during day trips to our National Forests.....nearly 100 trees reaching for the skies.....successfully.....

View attachment 734186

View attachment 734187

View attachment 734188

Our small garden.....yep, I'm not much with the vegetables.....

View attachment 734197

Added weathered wood walls to the bathroom.....

View attachment 734189

View attachment 734190

A little more than one year ago.....

View attachment 734191
The house and landscape are looking great. I'm guessing your recovery will be quick considering your being in great shape. Maybe all those hikes and mountains have taken their toll, but on the reverse side they will be the reason you will be at it again quickly. Thoughts will be with you.?
 
Riversdad.....the shop manager attempted to portray me as being ungrateful.....his line was something like "I tried to save you money by not installing a new air bag kit".....for me, an exaggeration of the that thought line could have been "I used duct tape to fix it.....I saved you a lot of money".....It just didn't work for me. So yea, I was persistent cause I felt strongly that I was in the right.....his shabby work could have killed me, my dogs, and whoever I happened to kill when it failed and I lost control.....

JD.....I just met another guy that had a hip replacement 5 years ago when he was 46. He said he was mountain biking after 7 weeks.....he said it was one of the best decisions he had ever made.....all this stone gathering is beginning to take a toll on me.....

ITTOG.....how's the recovery ? We need an update.....

Sierra Valley.....here's the standard 10 shot post.....this one of our stone gathering locale.....

20220713_090534_copy_1600x3291.jpg

So yea it's not Yellowstone National Park but it sure is beautiful up this road.....

20220805_074901_copy_1600x778.jpg

20220805_075246_copy_1600x778.jpg

20220805_075006_copy_1600x3291.jpg

There's a small river / creek that runs through the valley.....right now it's high with snow melt & the recent rains' water and it's running fast.....

20220805_075712_copy_1600x778.jpg

20220814_080826_copy_1600x778.jpg

20220805_075723_copy_1600x3291.jpg

So yea not so magnificent / magical as Yellowstone National Park but what matters most to me is that I have it all to myself.....nobody seems to come here.....it's that solitude thing.....there's just never enough it seems.....a man could wander here for days I would think.....

20220810_085351_copy_1600x778.jpg

20220810_085337_copy_1600x3291.jpg
 

ITTOG

Well-known member
ITTOG.....how's the recovery ? We need an update.....
Fortunately, I am ahead of schedule. The hip can do a lot more than I am allowed. It sucks I can't proceed with the PT faster, due to possibility of stitches tearing, but at least it is not a difficult process. I am just biding my time so I can get rid of the crutches next Friday. Thanks for asking.

Since you decided against surgery, do you consider yourself completely healed or do you just grit your teeth and bear the pain.
 

chet6.7

Explorer
JD.....I just met another guy that had a hip replacement 5 years ago when he was 46. He said he was mountain biking after 7 weeks.....he said it was one of the best decisions he had ever made.....all this stone gathering is beginning to take a toll on me.....
That is some beautiful country.
My neighbor had both hips replaced last year, he is doing very well. You will never be younger or stronger, the issues of a major surgery will always be there, will they have more impact on you now or later? I guess that's the 64K question. I would hate to undergo those surgeries. Best wishes.
 
Last edited:

Forum statistics

Threads
185,788
Messages
2,878,229
Members
225,352
Latest member
ritabooke
Top