From the Cockpit of AyreWolf 2

In one of Clint Eastwoods ‘s movies he said, “ A man has got to know his limitations. Where I’m at , its more like , “ A man has to know the limitations of where your at”. Considering that in a half dozen ads in such publications as The Voice, or even Sooper Ads, there are always ads for models of some sort. 90% of those ads results in somebody usually a parent , raking out hundreds if not thousands of dollars, for modeling schools or to be represented by an agency. With no guarantee of any work.

In our case, this is after all , rural Idaho, and just because I found a super gal to be a model talent once here,  does not mean that lightning is going to strike twice or thrice. While Twin Falls has grown like a field of marijuana and an agency here is warranted still no one has taken it on themselves to set one up, I would, but this kind of thing , like it or not , is best done by a woman.

While in the big cities, sure there are mega agencies ran by males, But not here.

Sure, finding honeys for rodeo queen contests, or even Miss what ever contests as long as some big city agency is sponsoring it, is no problem. But a lonely toewing service , looking to hire someone local to enhance an older toew truck, for a few newsrag ads or TV spots, might as well forget it. Ain’t gonna happen.

Which brings up two things here, one, if one, just one local somebody in office here gripes that we did not hire local, I’m going to punch em. Hey we tried. We as a club, me as a business owner can’t help it if so many here are so spooked of tweaking off the local Mormon population, thus wont even show for a interview. Second : it means less in that newspapers or TV stations pocket , since I have to go to Salt Lake City or elsewhere and spend twice the money, just to have to fly someone in , shoot the ad , then place it. But then it’s like I said, this is rural Idaho, and like even some parts of Utah, most gals worth casting are so paranoid of going to a shop to interview for a models job. Yet 70% of the same gals, would go to a bar or other to be interviewed for a rock video , by a rock band. Does boggle the mind, don’t it?

Again we live in rural Idaho, and oh by the way , not all rural places are this paranoid, for those in the club, remember Tooele Utah? Talent found, shot on film and video , paid except one that had a shitty attitude, everything edited, and on TV. Bada Bing.

Some days I get to thinking that the LDS church moved, from Utah to Idaho and elsewhere. I ask one simple question , if it can be done in Utah , even Tooele, why not Idaho? Ustacould.

See ya’ll next week

L8R

 

John 15:5,8““I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) . All Rights Reserved.

From the Cockpit of the AyreWolf

Welcome to the sky of the AyreWolf. Likewize welcome to AmeriMexico. That’s right AmeriMexico. While it used to be that us Caucasians used to be the majority, Caucasians, are more like the minority. If your Hispanic you get more privileges and opportunity than if your a white single Confederate male. I’ll guarantee it.

Just makes ya’ll want for the days of Hazzard , don’t it?

The Emergency Alert System or EAS always has that thing that crawls over the test, that says, this is only a test.

For us here at AyreWolf Aviation/CooTer’s-A1 Toewing, of Mini Cassia Idaho, took out an ad to see if we could find some sweet honeys to help give some spice to our future ads in The Voice a local small newspaper here in our area. The model ad is also a test, since if only a few if any responded to the ad, ya’ll know the paper is read, and why not? The paper is given out free. Although from prior experience free newsrags are read, provided that free newsrag has something to get people to read it. Example? Monkey Bizzness that became the Hazzard Gazzette/HazzardAyre News.

If in the other lane, hardly anyone responds, then ya’ll know the paper is not read, and thus much of the money we planed on spending on advertising would be better spent elsewhere. Its not The Voice’s fault after all they do the best they can with what they have. On the flip side , if The Voice would put HazzardAyre in their paper, I’ll guarantee people would read it, and more would advertise. The reason they don’t , and its the same song I used to get from model talent in Utah, can’t do anything racy since if we do, we get the Mormons pissed at us, and no model work from Deseret Productions. Same here, lets not piss off the LDS people here since its LDS people that control the purse strings here.

Folks may not all agree with what we say and write in HazzardAyre, But they do read it, if for no other reason than to see what we’re going to write or say next.

Oh you may wonder why I’m doing newspaper ads, reason; my counterpart and good friend Charley at A1 in Twin is doing ads in the Sooper Ads. He says Sooper ads is generating some good money for him. So we, rather I am following suit. Only thing is; I want my ads to have some spice rather than being generic like so many are. We started with the Voice and that went flat. So why any other, since

we do up both HazzardAyre as well as HellBilly Trucker. 

I wont further this discussion any more, since its just an example of a stubborn mule headed attitude in a community that is crying for change, and yet seems muddled in the quagmire of oops don’t do it. Might upset the major religious body here. Yet if allowed could produce things beyond the treasures of Egypt.

Will Idaho or even Mini Cassia Idaho ever be Utah? Or equal Utah’s prosperity? No, not in the current posture. Although I can imagine the day and time my Dad and some Air-Force friend stood in a field just west of me here, and planning what eventually was called the Ponderosa Inn here. I bet there were people here that said no to them as well.

See ya’ll next week.

L8R

   

 

Quote of the day:
Nobody can be exactly like me. Sometimes even I have trouble doing it. - Tallulah Bankhead

John 15:5,8““I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) . All Rights Reserved.

Another Mirage in the Mountains

Its been nearly 12 months since the big snow storms of 2010. During the first 2 months of October and November 2010, when we at A1 Towing of Twin Falls got 12 or more calls a day from the Mini Cassia area for snow created driving incidents from slide offs to getting stuck up Sweetzer Summit, there started a mind thought of 4 of us at A1, to set up a brother operation in the Mini Cassia area of Idaho. With my own firm , Dixie Toewing leading the way.

So search started for a shop and impound yard in the area. One was located in Rupert, but was way to expensive, unless shared with someone else. A Taxi cab company was interested, but when put to the test bowed out. Due to inability to pay. I found another shop but no impound area. I had already committed to the move and had gave notice to my landlord in Buhl, so I had to move. By July 1st 2011 I found a place to live but with limited resources had to put off the shop for a time. So I moved.

SAMCRO MC had already determined that the area was good logistically for the Idaho Charter’s HQ, Hazzard County Knytes.

Both SAMCRO’s resources and mine combined things looked promising. An announcement was sent to one of the local newspapers, but they were not interested in publishing anything about or to do with a bikers club,new radio station nor super toew service. So we went to an alternate plan and began HazzardAyre Gazzette, that included HellBilly Trucker here. The latter half of August 2011 after living between two dysfunctional MexiCali families I found what I thought was a good answer to the problem. So I moved. Upon living in the tin can and enduring living on top of little better than the covering of a cat’s litter box and having to breathe the odors of cat dung, finally I found the house that I found in 2006 when I arrived in Idaho after a long time away, that in all retrospect, should have been me not moving back to Idaho.

Idaho is a contrast in ideals. While Idaho Falls , Boise and in some ways Twin Falls has made strides in growth, the rest of the state is still moving at a pace that resembles a wagon drawn by a mule. In Idaho there is the idea of business and industrial growth, but in reality, there is 3 people to every 5, that want Idaho to remain rural, and agricultural, not advancing to technology or creative growth. Consider the public outcry towards not building a larger area Airport. That not only would enable aviation firms like ours to operate here , but others to come in and even small commuter airlines to use the place. Add a restaurant, lounge, and aviation support to the picture and you create needed jobs. But nope, most here feel that its overkill, more over not in their front or back yard.

The Mini Cassia area could be a real diamond in the ruff for Idaho. Situated within small distances to both Salt Lake City, as well as the west, logistics and gains in commerce could evolve.

Just within a few blocks from me on 21st street here in Heyburn, sits what used to be the Burley Mall, aka Snake River Plaza. This past fall a joint effort was launched to buy the aging facility and breathe new life into it. Calls were made, but nothing followed through. Seems as though the people in NYC who own it, feel its better to let it go as a tax write off than put it into operation. Only because outsiders see the Mini Cassia area as only a farm community rather than a commerce or industrial community. In essence a looser rather than the winner it could be.

If you go to the areas Chamber-of-Commerce, the feeling is upbeat but helpful to a prospective member? No. Give a new media company some help in finding on camera talent for ads, and fuel the area so the media company could promote the idea of filming a TV series pilot movie here, and you get the strangest looks.

If you say that can’t happen here, think again.

A smaller community, called Preston Idaho, was the center of a indy movie called Napoleon Dynamite, which will begin running a animated series on FoX, all with backgrounds from and of Preston, Idaho.

If one was to do up a indy film fueled by some of the former cast members of the Dukes-of-Hazzard, along with us in the Hazzard Knytes and HazzardAyre Media, you put a super hit project based on the former TV show the Dukes of Hazzard and base all production here in Mini Cassia, you also create jobs. Not only actors and production jobs, but eating establishments, fuel stops, motels and others gain business that translates into jobs. But can one get the eye brow raised, from local business leaders to help? Answer: NO.

In the Mini Cassia area of Idaho where I am, if you talk to the youth you hear the want of growth. If you talk to the older folks here you hear a good yeppers to growth , under the sheets they would just asoon have ya’ll pass it on by. Kinda like the greater Mountain Home area of Idaho. Chambers of Commerce say yes to growth and new enterprises by mouth, in real life its no but hell no, we like our small town rural area. Leave it alone.

There are those like SAMCRO that includes the team here at CooTer’s Toewing, that are trying to advance the area, but are faced with obstacles. Like not being Hispanic, not favoring LDS ideals. Because the club and I are not walking around with a B-of-M and thumping a bible,we here at SAMCRO MC are hindered rather than having  a bit of breathing room to reach our goals to get where we would like to be, that would be good for the region.

So, why try? Here’s an example. One night, was at McDonalds here, and a lady was in dire need of a tow truck. After overhearing her needs I suggested our company three times, but she wanted to let her fingers do the walking through the Yellow Pages. Did she not see our newspaper ad? Guess not. After calling all area tow services the lady did call for our company, but the lack of knowledge that we were here. So a thought to get something a bit more aggressive in the two local newspapers here with advertising, thought, lets try putting a gal, posing with the trucks, in front of our shop, and put that in the papers here, run a short commercial run on TV, see if that helps, so I put an ad in one paper for female model talent, after only 4 calls, one being from a lady of two daughters, that never really took it as serious as it is, I gave the boot to the condition situation. The project will have to be farmed out to some outfit in Utah, since the creative minds in Mini Cassia , just are not here.

Then came one Sunday evening mid October 2011, wanted to go get a sit down other than burger meal, and found one in Burley, JB’s, what a shame. All the rest are closed so that the owners and employees, can go to church, etc. Really? Your only choice is going all the way to Twin Falls. Time for the Reaper Club, to get in gear here.

In closing, if your looking at Idaho be LDS, Hispanic, or direct the energy to a business that supports agriculture, or forget anything as far as location between American Falls and Boise, cause it will not happen here.

SAMCRO is not yet moving our Idaho Charter HQ east of here, but we are looking to , since, what is needed here, at least for SAMCRO MC is not here, YET. Like everything else SAMCRO will create it here.

SAMCRO does not retreat or spook at a challenge.

L8R Ya’ll

  

Toew Traxx 2 One Cannot Serve Two Masters

The Bible teaches us that one cannot serve two masters.

In my case I have been trying to serve 5 when I should be serving only two .

From the hour I gained ownership of LexiBelle in 1978, to now , I have been to often doing all of those things to support what LexiBelle represents, rather than serving and supporting LexiBelle, and putting green in my jeans and LexiBelle looks all the worst for it.

Giving service to SAMCRO, or any of SAMCRO’s subsidiaries, or the UAITA, the reason I got into those others was and remains , to enhance LexiBelle ad/or Dixie Toewing. But as I said one can’t serve more than one master . I have allowed time to warp past me to the point, I need to consider, do I stay in the business? Or do I just restore, LexiBelle, for my own needs and such, and fly for AyreWolf Aviation and forget about going toewing as a profession and/or vocation?

There was once a time, on America’s highways, where just a toew truck, was all that was needed. Cars, light trucks and such, were made of steel. You could toew most of them if not all of them with what we call a sling, and or a combination of sling and dollies, and be good. Rollbacks, Carriers, etc were not heard of, if used at all. Wheel-lifts were not even considered.

Then came the age of the gas crunches, vehicle manufacturers were making cars etc out of composite materials, not all steel, added to that all wheel drives etc. So toew equipment manufactures started making rigs that could haul, not just snag and grab . Today if your in toewing, you just about need a rollback. While not yet required in Idaho or Utah’s equipment regulations, they soon will be. Yes many rides can still be snagged and dragged the old fashion way, without damage or at least further damage than they already have after a wreck. But all too many will bend up like a pretzel if you grab with a sling.

The first time I ever really saw a wheel-lift was in Mountain Home Idaho. A company there had a newer rig with what was called a Cradle Snatcher. Made by a company called Vulcan. The Cradle Snatcher was made with a T bar attached to a short boom at the top, two elastic belts on each side with a webbing at the bottom that cradled the car etc, for toewing. For those in the know that design went out of style, when Century a cousin to Holmes, that is now owned by Miller Industries, started building a lower approach or as we in toewing call it, lower attack posture units.

Of course over the years the flat bed came into popularity. Later better designs, and so on, to where flatbeds became Rollbacks, that now is called Carriers. Even so a bar style wheel lift or stinger is on most carriers.

For me, if I’m going to stay in toewing for a real operation, to generate money for myself, I have not just desire, but have to invest in a good used carrier. Likewise invest and retro fit LexiBelle with a stinger or wheel lift.

The concept scares the crap out of me. But its not a challenge I can’t  handle. Just more expense.

The old boy that sold me LexiBelle back in 1978, said he could see me in the 21st Century, dragging the space shuttle around in space with a starship and a Holmes 500.

Of course in reality, the space shuttle, and the Holmes 500, are now defunct. Operator Certification is now required of anyone wanting on law enforcement call out(rotation) lists in all states except Idaho.

The days of rolling up to someone on the big road after they slid off the highway during a snow storm etc are gone. Likewise patrolling the super slab looking for breakdowns or slide offs is not only frowned on by law enforcement and other toewers, but illegal . Yet many still do it. Even in Idaho. The term used in the business is scaving, Short for scavenging.

So with that in mind and the ever increasing changes in the business of toewing, if your in it, you have to be in it. Not casually but jump in with not only both feet, but your whole body, mind and yes soul.

If not, its best to graciously bow out, and go do something else.

For me, I plan on going toewing for a long time to come, so much of what I do for SAMCRO, including both the Knytes as well as the AyreWolvez will be less than it used to be.

Like I said , One Cannot Serve Two Masters.

L8R Ya’ll

    

John 14:6“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) . All Rights Reserved.

Diesel Smoke Dangerous Curves

In the recent few weeks the suggestion that I’m either lazy , or have lost my love of truckin is just not thinking. As far back as mid 1974 my entire life, even mixed in with things Hazzard , has been based on moving freight.

From the TeenAge Truckers Association, to the Knytes-of-Anarchy which is not a MC but a classic and custom truck organization coupled with a trucking historical preservation organization.

From the chain drive wallet to the ball cap on my head and many other things that few know, except those who know me. Trucking and trucks has been and will be part of my life and dreams.

However , I will say this, I contracted to do some tater truckin at the start of the Idaho tater harvest season. First, the truck the farming operation put me in was so old it creaked when it hit a bump, had no juke box radio, shifted terrible , had no muscle , plus that tiny ladder on the back of the bed to tarp with was too short, too skinny and unsafe. That discouraged me to begin with. The brakes were shot, and needed service, the list goes on, but I love trucks and truckin , but love livin better. Then there was the realization that instead of the promised $9.00 an hour I was supposed to be makin, I was really only taking home a little over $6.00 an hour. I may love truckin, but I also have my pride. I’ll be damned if I’m going to get all dirty, with dirt flyin in my face, from the rear of a harvester, get my nuts racked by a too skinny, too short bed ladder, hot sun, no water, no food and so on, for $6.00 an hour. Which is why, my truckin is done via toew truck, not spud truck.

Now then there is the legalities. The BMCS along with D-O-T, sezz any body driving a truck over 26,000 pounds GVW, for hire must have a COMMERCIAL DRIVERS LICENSE, at least a class B for a Ten Wheeled spud truck, and / or a Farm or Agricultural Exemption Certificate, for operation within a 100 mile limit from field to market. Violation penalty? $25,000.00 each for both employer, and driver, and / or 1 year in a state prison. Neither was in my plans, so ultimately, I bagged the job. It was a con job, and yes FYI, the UAITA is looking into the condition of the situation, and will look at bringing fines against American Staffing, the farmer that contracted with them for allowing people to drive commercial trucks that are not safe, and not licensed appropriately.

So no, I am not lazy, just cautious.

Okay then, plans are under way to engage a thing that’s been on the books for several years.

The project is called, TruckFest . TruckFest will drop the hammer in 2013 at the Bingham County Fairgrounds in Blackfoot Idaho. Good food, trick trucks, hot honeys, lots of entertainment, and all.

More next month here in HazzardAyre.

Good Numbers to ya’ll

  

NO MORE 24 HOUR TRUCK STOPS

 

Long b4 I ever began to grind gears hauling, or toewing, I used to hang out at what was the RoadRunner Texaco Truck Stop in Bliss. So then after that found that our family had a financial interest in the Flying J chain, but I always liked going to the mom & pop truck stops. Most were open 24 hours, had good food usually home made, lots of it and at a reasonable price. In our neighborhood, Bliss had three, The RoadRunner Texaco, the Y-Inn, and the Oxbow. All remained open 24 hours, and what was really cool, was sitting there slurping down 100 mile sea,(coffee) hearing those freight haulers yap about their trips. The bears, the roads, fuel prices, the whole shebang.

Of course that was old skool truckin, something I think we have lost, is the independence of truckin. Like the industry itself, Trucking has become too technical. Automated and too focused on the dollar , rather than the pride in the industry, that we used to have.

Truck Stops if ya’ll want to call them that, are more like travel stops. Real truck stops do exist , but not many if at all, in Idaho any more. The ones called a Truck Stop, few have cafe’s that stay open 24 hours like they used too. The ones that do usually have pit bulls in there rather than the truck stop angels we used to see. The old adage gleaned from a old movie sezz, if you build it they will come., I have considered several times of sticking my neck out and building a truck stop, even a small one, but my financial limitations makes that a wish that will never be crossed off of my bucket list.

In Diesel Smoke, I’d like to get your thoughts on the memories ya’ll have of the old skool truck stops. I’m sure ya’ll have some. Maybe even a few of you got your Cherry popped at one, that was not an uncommon happening.

The only real truck stops left in Idaho, that are true truck stops are Wright Brothers’ Idaho Falls Truck Plaza, The Boise Stage Stop or what’s left of it, and Burns Brothers in Boise. In Nampa is a Flying J along with one that took the steam out of what is in Heyburn, where the Knytes meet, called the WaySide. Used to be spelled WeighSide, but got changed several years ago, when the place quit fueling trucks. Now about the only thing fuel wize here is Loves. Problem is they are a fuel stop, with a Carl’s Junior , but not a REAL CAFE. Then of course truckers lounges. These were where drivers with too many miles, not enuff Hours for service rested. If ya’ll wanted to go trucking and wanted the real skivvy on the industry, forget the truck magazines, go listen to those old pros. Thing with me, even though Dad had driven a rig even b4 I was born, if fact I was born in a 58 Pete COE, pulling a bull hauler. I teethed on the steering wheel of a 62 Pete COE that Dad bought from Cady Auto in Hazzard. But I was too damn ignorant and arrogant to be interested in trucking. For in 1963, Dad took a reassignment at Hill Air Force Base in Utah so much of my truckin days would be furloughed until we all moved back here to Idaho.

When I got to the age of 17 , Mom bought me a VW Diesel Rabbit, it was new got great mileage, but I really wish it would have been a truck. Any mile, I painted my Mini Mack as I called it, put on some bulldog air snorters, crafted a couple of stove pipes for stacks, put on big elephant mirrors, and some Mack mud flaps attached to the bumper.

So I went to the truck stops, soaking in every bit of trucking  411 I could get, course I was so naive they most likely told me stuff that was not real, but I believed every damn thing they told me. Course a few years later LexiBelle and I got together and albeit a mini rig as many called it, still a 1-1/2 ton Chevy with a 500 Holmes was by all accounts a commercial truck so I was trucking, well sort of. I rapidly found out the realities of owning a truck and trying to make a living with it. It was easier  back then since  fuel was not as high, insurance was reasonable, even for a green horn like me, and we had the shop and all in Hazzard. Back then the big gig on the weekends was going to Bliss to the truck stop. Have java, play Packman , and swap bullshit stories with those freight haulers.

Back then it was not bad and life with that 79 VW Rabbit, going to most of them was cheap. I’d make up reasons to go, until, one cold morning in Gooding City, I used some starting fluid to start the little diesel, blew the head off of it, bought a 69 Chevy Caprice, turned it into the General Jackson, and in 81 bought General Lee. The rest is history, but one night in early October,2011, I sat at the WaySide in LiL Lexi, looking at the old fuel pumps of the old fueling area there, remembering what it was like, wishing that same pride, and spirit would come back to American trucking. Maybe it will after the USA , becomes the UCSA and the Confederate party is in charge of the government, and the nations capitol is in Georgia.

Good numbers to ya’ll

Can you afford to work any more?

Independent thinking and living , from off the Feds, is not only over rated, its impossible.

Dig this friends, Cuzzin Bud gave me a double L , on the Sunday this is being carved out, to tell me that SSI is going to deduct a small amount from my SSI checks.

Normally telling SSI to stick it, would not be a problem if , and only IF this tater truckin job, was year long. Hell that’d be a groove, but it ain’t , so since the tater truckin job is a temp job, and SSI is my safety net the rest of the year, I had to say adios to the tater truckin job. My other associated job with Charley, is through a partnership, in that I’m a private contractor, rather than a regular salaried employee. Thus, SSI don’t know, so I gets my dough.

Then I looked at my last pay check from AMStuffing, do ya’ll realize just under $35.00 was taken out of my earnings just for taxes and crap. Hell I worked for it, why not allow ME to decide what to pay in taxes, if I felt the need. Which I don’t. Why should I subsidize all these wetbacks and all when 80% of em  ain’t Americans or at least red blooded born in the UCSA ? When I have lost the ability to salute the American flag or sing the Union national anthem, but rather salute our rebel battle flag and sing the Dixie National anthem, why would I give $35.00 from work from my sweat to the USA?

The bottom line, although promised $9.00 per hour, I’m really making a little over $6.00 per hour. I’m spending more going to work than I’m making so I bagged it.

When I do $100.00 worth of business on my own, I keep $75.00. The rest is split between sales tax, operating expenses, and Charley at A1. But my blood sweat and gears are earned and kept by ME. Course I always contribute to SAMCRO of $30.00 , each toew or fix it job, but its my choosing, not the Man telling me I have to.

So ya’ll say , “ So what is supposed to support my SSI payments as well as all others? What supports our military etc? How about a flat domestic sales tax? Across the board. A Federal Sales Tax. Then when someone buys something we ALL pay for domestic programs, including the things under what is called entitlements like SSI.

How would this be a better system, because A; it means everyone pays, every time we buy something. More people would have more money to spend and that means the generation of more tax money. Not just a select few that were born with a golden spoon in their mouths, rather than the lead one I have to eat with any more.

Of course more savings can be had by our Federal Union government. Like giving priority to people born on our shores and heartlands. Getting people in Yankee federal jobs that SPEAK AMERICAN ENGLISH, not Hispanic , or such. Cut down all the bureaus and Yankee federal agencies, offices that do nothing, but we pay for. Simplify registering for things, with a person in the west or south. If the BP oil spill , and Katrina taught us anything, in a national disaster, the FEMA and other Fed revenuers, have no idea of what to do, or deploy resources.. So why have FEMA, etc? I say , let the local communities have their own resources from the people that live there , or here. Hong Kong phooey having Congress grant money to just none profit organizations, how about real grants to people wanting to start their own business’s? Not SBA or low cost loans, but GRANTS. In essence, the feds could excersize some philanthropic efforts rather than just , albeit I’m thankful for it, but something other than welfare, Medicaid or SSI. Give Americans the ability to do their own thing. Give us who want to start our own enterprizes the ability to do so, rather than cut us off at the heels b4 we even get out off the tarmac?

So I ask, Can you AFFORD to go to work?

My answer is no.

L8R Ya’ll