In heaven there is no beer.
That’s why they have it here.

And there it is, sitting in the driveway, adjacent to the horse pen, a maroon Ford F-350 with a bright red camper shell. I call it Big Red, the Man Truck. And next to it is a silver Trails West Sierra Select II three horse slant trailer. I call it Big Al, the little lady’s horse trailer.

I pause when walking past, to take in the sight of both. And I pause, when sitting here, in thinking about the sight of both. You see, this truck and trailer (at least at first glance) are just not us. Pete and I

are both very frugal people. We have never spent money indiscriminately, or purchased things that are costly. (The one exception might be Signy, who for a horse was expensive). We at heart fully believe that less is better.

At the same time, this trailer and truck are us. We are also very pragmatic. If we see that something will improve the quality of our lives, or our animals, we go for it. And we agreed that we needed both this truck and this trailer. We are soon to embark on a second long trip, one in which we’ll haul three horses down to America, via Canada.

We brought Signy home in the two-horse after purchasing her. I remember pulling into a gas station, and seeing her head sticking out of the window. She appeared to be like a kid that had just been taken on by a better family. She was happy, I think because we’d been wavering all summer as to whether or not we should buy her. Her place in the trailer was verification (to all of us) that we’d made the right decision.

However, it was a tight fit. It was also a hot ride home. All three horses lost weight on the return trip. Both Pete and I agreed that should we do another trip, that we’d find a way to avoid this happening again. We did this by getting a larger trailer. As for the truck, the Ford is ideal, because it has been designed to haul heavier loads.

If, thirty years ago, I’d been able to foresee the future, I would have turned tail and ran. My then most expensive possession was an Austro Daimler touring bicycle. It was maroon with gold trim. I was then living in Hampton Beach, NH. I kept it in my bedroom, and every morning awoke to the sight of it.

I purchased this bicycle shortly after I lost interest in riding horses. I planned to ride this bicycle cross country. I got hit by a truck in Wyoming, and finished my adventure on a new, but much plainer bicycle. The frame of the Austro Daimler bicycle was bent, so I had it shipped to North Carolina. After settling in in Portland, Oregon, I flew back to North Carolina and retrieved it. I had the frame repaired, got new parts, and had it repainted.

My interest in bicycling has been superseded by my interest in horses. Also, it’s a long ways to anywhere around here by bicycle. Horses now carry me. And a trailer carries the horses.

I may now co-own a very expensive truck and trailer. I still think that it’s important to keep things in perspective and to not overspend. Admittedly, we are toeing the financial line. But life goes on. We won’t end up penniless and out on the streets of Palmer We’ll do our trip and our horses will be comfortable, heading south and returning north.

I also think that it’s important to take care of what you have. (I used to clean the parts of the Austro Daimler with a toothbrush). And so yesterday, we took the trailer to the carwash. I took several photos of Pete cleaning both. After, we celebrated by going to out to eat. We didn’t have desert or beverages. We’re far too frugal for that.

Next: 150: 5/30/13: Cutting Corners