Jest Another Day in Pear-A-Dice - Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm in Alberta

Heel low:

Another item off the Bucket List.

When we brought the 1st of six 1936 Chev Maple Leafs home...July 16, 2005, the famous Reynolds museum was putting on "Museum-Quality Vehicle Restoration Workshops" and I asked my spouse if he wanted to attend this once a year event. He said he'd like to wait until he was about to begin the restorations (on the 1936 Maple Leafs and on the 1928 Chev one tons). Fair enough. I am NOT mechanical but even I would agree that a course on how to do something, should be fresh in your toolkit so you can apply what you learn right away.



He's been working on the four post lift (brought home Nov 8, 2017 & inspected April 16, 2024) with it being inside the shop bay (Oct 18, 2024) so he is close...

Bracing myself for the bucket list want of "racing to town in a '36 Maple Leaf or '28 Chev one ton would be nice."



1st 1928 one ton Chev...in the 1989 Canadian WWII movie "Bye Bye Blues."



2nd 1928 one ton Chev...in the shop bay and note the brake job parts in the box thar...never mind it's got new wooden wheels on her; powder coated a lovely matching green.



1928 Chev one ton parts truck we brought up from Southern Alberta on my spouse's birthday. Lookit all those useful bits on this unit!!

Then the six 1936 Chev Maple Leafs in order of acquisitions:



1st July 16, 2005; Maple Leaf model 16-48 - 2-2.5 ton, wheelbase 165"



2nd Jan 20, 2007; Maple Leaf model 16-31 - 2 ton, wheelbase 131"



3rd Feb 1, 2007; Maple Leaf model 16-48 - 2-2.5 ton, wheelbase 165"



4th May 9, 2007; Maple Leaf model 16-48 - 2-2.5 ton, wheelbase 165"



5th Jun 30, 2007; Chevrolet & Maple Leaf model 16-33 - 2 ton, wheelbase 157" - note that wig wag signal arm...we got a whole buncha these with NOS glass pieces for the four trucks we plan on restoring!!



6th Mar 18, 2008; Chevrolet & Maple Leaf model 16-33 - 2 ton, wheelbase 157" owned by the one family since new...this one is MY truck. The man that sold it to us, he is also the one that put the bullet hole in the windshield. Makes me grin...you DO live long enough sometimes to regret the follies of youth.

With a vintage truck for restoration purposes, you really REALLY need about three trucks to make one that is driveable and not everyone can drive an old truck. Many can't drive stick, let alone know anything at all about "double shifting." May as well leave the keys in the ignition, eh?



We have been most fortunate because in 1936, there were several models and that means different wheelbases...never mind that in the middle of the year, they went from a full on Maple Leaf to a Maple Leaf/Chev (did that one other year too...1931 calling the 1.5 ton model 112-114-119) where they borrowed Chevrolet parts for making the big bolt Maple Leafs.



We had to wait for them to get enough orders to cast the seahorse rad emblem for Chev 1936's. Took nine months and came outta Australia.



We so have two original phoenixes but those are for 1935 Chev's.



Thankfully all the engines in the 1936 year were the same for the General Motors big trucks; 206.8 cubic inch...and we have several that have their original cranks. Makes me smile that the windshield wiper works great going down hill but up, not so much...so you would park on a hill to not only ensure you got your truck running, perhaps you'd also have a clean windshield starting out?



My unit, the sixth one...is a Chevrolet & Maple Leaf (as is the 5th) and is a two ton unit that has torque tube, straight front bumper, different rims than the 1936 Maple Leafs have, wheelbase of 157", etc. We have had the rims powder coated to match the paint code 680 and my FIL's metal fabricated box on the back matches this colour as well. While I will be having the silver bits nickeled (not chromed...the seats were leather benches as Colonel Robert Samuel McLaughlin of Buick fame wanted a very classy ride for Canadians--thank you Sam!!), I want to do a patina restoration on this unit...a truck is only original the once, eh?



3rd, 2nd, 5th, & 6th Maple Leafs

My spouses' unit is a Maple Leaf with a gull wing bumper; so kewl, we brought that bumper to Reynolds years ago, so the fellas doing the resto could measure and fabricate it as the bumpers for the 1936 & the 1935 Maple Leafs were the same.



This poster shows the 1935 M/L they have at the museum with NO bumper and this summer we drove up and I took photos of the 1935 Maple Leaf WITH the bumper they made.



I am immensely glad we did not get 1935 Maple Leafs...nice enough trucks but since vehicles back then were often built like horse carriages, in 1935, the cab is a combination of lots of wood and lots of metal...so getting the two materials to behave can be, difficult.



The 1935 Leaf is gorgeous and very inspiring.

One of the many reasons why I am so thrilled my spouse is there, taking their course on restoration.



I know one of the main reasons we have been drawn to the 1936 Maple Leaf Chevs, besides they are a Canuck truck...reminds me of the unit on the cover of the ZZ Top album...

Anyway, time to get ready to receive a phone call...my spouse says he's gonna call me "at lunch" & update me on how much fun he's having at the museum learning how to restore all these rides of ours. WOOT!

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

Heel low:



A few thoughts about prices on dead birds...I quite expect to pay 1/4 this amount for 20 pounds, now it has gone from $75 for a Thanksgiving timed butterball (nfi) to $100 for the upcoming Christmas season.

Well I suppose I should not be surprised as I see the Good Shepherd selling their 20 pounders for $407 ($289 US) and they sell out.



Salvation for us, there are usually going to always be a few extra spare toms to grow out and I process them myself for our consumption.

Now I can tell myself that I've put a hundred dollars on the table (or in the freezers) when I process our heritage turks.

Weather seems to be following the same patterns as a year ago.



November 23, 2024



November 23, 2025



Got a craving for egg rolls (again!) and quite enjoy doing them up.



A little goes a very long way and I found out that I must have...MUST... water chestnuts...that diced up gives them a crunch that I seem to figure is a must have in a good homemade egg roll.



Fried up in a little peanut oil...



And they are basically a meal unto themselves. NUM...

Put some in the freezers, not sure how well they will freeze and thaw out, but hey, fun giving it a go.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

Heel low:

Having way too much fun...explains why time must be flying!!

Spouse bought a copy of the local newspaper today and I got to travel down memory lane to 25 years ago.

The very 1st Parade of Lights (in all of Western Canada too) was held and what I remember, man alive it felt cold...only -25C but there was a wicked wind.

My son and I got to lead the entire parade of over 70 floats...took our dog sled, attached it to some wheels and decorated with candy canes and battery operated set of lights.



HyBlade in the lead, followed by Stoggar and Makins
Western Canada's First Parade of Lights
Dogs led a parade of over 70 floats
- December 1, 2000 -

Good times indeed.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

Heel low:



Gorgeous day here in Pear-A-Dice.

Quick warm up to plus ten so I can toss straw and top up the feed before it goes back down to -25C and makes squeaky snows.



Spouse bought me a lovely bulb to grow out inside.



Bird yard is dusted up with some decent whiteness.



Certainly not much wiggle room between GREEN season and WHITE!!



But the Girls know how to heat their bellies, inside or out!



Twenty one nat hatch grow outs are all looking mighty fine; 6 wys and rest are standard Brahmas.



Moved the feathers on the back of this WIP self-Black Brahma to show eb Brown slate grey down. Looking pretty good.



Christmas outdoor light show is set up and functioning.



And the ACDogs got to try out this year's stocking stuffers...Heeler decorated blankies!!

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

Heel low:



Getting to be that time of the year!!



Heading towards the shortest day of the year and then, more light each day, so YAH! In the meantime, enjoy that it is not past my bedtime to enjoy the Christmas light displays my spouse puts up.



Silly Santa with puppies.



And of course, the Balcony.



Grow outs are showing much promise, two standard Black Brahmas are looking good.



Snow shows up, Dec 13



Gets plowed off, Dec 16



Melts to a more dangerous state...



And returns Dec 17

Expected to repeat as this seems to be the new normal.



Greenhouse sheeting continues.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

Heel low:

Time for a bit of reading...Makins our 1st ACD...Christmas; Makins, Alexander and Rick...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Makins – The Christmas Miracle
By Tara Lee Higgins - January 5, 2007

So Alexander had taken time off work and traveled down to be at the ranch and celebrate Christmas Eve and Day with the family. We all piled into his truck and made the trip to Red Deer to pick up a DVD for Rick that I had ordered three weeks in advance and on the way back, stopped and picked up another case of Romaine lettuce for the animals. The dogs all love their greens, especially in winter and all the birds were use to a regular influx of lettuce to their diets. Christmas is not Christmas without enjoying the critters; eat, eat, eat!!

We all woke up early and did the present and stocking thing. The dogs all got their own plushies and rolled about on the rug; slobbering, squeaking, and pouncing. I got dressed for the chores and went out to greet everyone for the day. After letting everyone out, the dogs and I grabbed some heads of lettuce. Makins half way thru the procession, decided it would be a lot more fun to be inside the house with the boys, Rick and Alexander. So she barked at the porch and was promptly let inside.

Alexander said that Makins had headed down to the front room. She had well earned the nickname “Hoover” for her adept ability to sweep clean any morsel that our over used hands might drop. Without the other dogs in the house, she had the fortune of sole custody of the kitchen & dining floors--vacuuming is a never-ending job! She was gone for a short bit while the guys enjoyed the new DVD, drank Christmas coffees, and caught up on current events. Makins sauntered into the living room, happily wagging her tail, quite pleased with herself. Alexander said she had something in her mouth.

Alberta winters are not kind and most shallow bodies of water freeze solid, so we keep most of the pond fish in a large stock tank in the garage over winter. This spring, Rick had gotten some young Koi, and with these, he had them staying in a 90-gallon aquarium in the dining room. He was feeding and prepping them so that they could grow big enough to join the rest of the pond school for next season.

What Makins had in her mouth, was quite unexpected. Rick told her to “drop it” and Makins placed a fish in his hands. What a surprise indeed! Both Rick and Alexander rushed down to the front room; the fish was lifeless, possibly already dead. Rick began to revive the fish by moving it back and forth in the tank, trying to kick-start its breathing. Low and behold, it started to gulp and come back to life.

Besides a bit of “carpet fluff” clinging to its scales, the fish appeared to be just fine. Revived and swimming around with the rest of his buddies, no worse for wear. We think that in Rick’s excitement to start Christmas Day, his overworked hands not being what they once were, that he did not completely cover the tank back up after giving the fish their Christmas breakfast treats. Koi are very active and it is certainly not unheard of them “leaping” out of their watery environments. No idea how long this fellow had been a carpet shark, but Makins could not have arrived with better timing.

It is well known that Australian Cattle Dogs are very good, protective “stock” dogs but this is also most commonly combined with a hard biting habit. “Heelers” get their name from the ability to bite low and hard and are not usually known for soft or gentle mouths. We have had the pleasure of seeing Makins use her “soft” side many times before. She often brings us “yard” eggs from some secret chicken nest built out in the orchards. She carries the egg just like a Retriever, wagging herself silly as if to say, “I got something good…” She deposits them uncracked in our hands, grins and gazes up saying, “Scrabbled eggs for dinner please!”

Makins has also retrieved injured songbirds, surprising us with a most endearing care and awareness for less fortunate critters. We cherish Makins dearly; our first Cattle Dog and what a rare blessing she is. She loves people, dogs, and animals and is so much larger than mere life. If any of the other dogs had been in the house and had come upon this fish, there’d have simply been one less in the tank for the evening feed. Fixins would have rolled on it, Stoggar and HyBlade would have happily added “fish” to their breakfast menu, but not the Makes. Even though she is the most food motivated of any of them! We constantly battle with her weight and keep her trim for her own well being, though it is so tempting to give her lots of treats…it brings her such joy and happiness. Needless to say, Alexander and Rick showered her with tasty snacks; “What a GOOD dog, Makins…GOOD DOG!”

Who knows what other surprising feats of protecting she will demonstrate. Makins is our Christmas Miracle for this year. Thank you Makins!