Count down to 13 !

YEA BABY!!! If I make to 0750 in the morning I am outta here for a 13 day break! WOOOO HOOOO! I’m like a kid on Christmas Eve today. I was thinking of going to bed right now so I don’t have to wait so long to wake up and get outa here. The break has both good and bad news. The good news is that I’m off (good for me and the boys). The bad news is that I will be twice as busy while off than if I were here. I guess it’s not so bad though because I enjoy the work. My work begins first thing in the morning, as it does every morning with feeding; then we’re loading up and headed out to a local livestock show / sale. The Central Va. Livestock Show and Sale for 4H and FFA. We have a small group of kids at the farm (friends and family) who have been preparing and working with a group of show heifers. They have already made 1 show this year and made a very respectable showing so we’re looking forward to a good weekend.

I have hay equipment to prepare, fertilizer to spread, barns to clean, fields to plow and the list goes on and on. Squeeze in there a few motorcycle rides, a float or two on the New River and maybe even a little fishing and that makes for a busy week. Oh yea and let’s not forget a football game in Orlando Fla. on the 8th. I haven’t decided yet if I am going to make the trip. That’s a lot of time and money away from the farm to spend sitting on the bench. The only plus I can see is that it’s in Orlando… bikini babes and the beach..hummmm? Anyway, whether I go or not, the Rampage will play the Orlando Gaurdians and enjoy a weekend of football “on the road”. Please continue to support our efforts in the National Public Safety Football League as we work to raise money and awareness for Steps 4 Billy. Ok, enough about cows, football and my break…don’t want to jinx it (LOL). Well, I haven’t mentioned Opie in a while and that’s because he has been on a 13 day break himself. I have to admit that I’ve been a little depressed and worried because I haven’t heard from him. I’m legitimately concerned for his health. You see, he’s gone on one of those Fancy smancy golf trip thingys. GOLF! #*&@$#^*$#^*%%$#! A waste of good cow pasture if you ask me. But anyway…he hasn’t even called to check in. They can say what they want but I KNOW that golf is hazardous for your health. Why else would they strategically place “ball washers” throughout the course????

And they give you those little 1/2 towels to dry your balls…. why would they even be wet???

I mean, I don’t see what the attraction is. Riding around a pasture in a funny looking little car hitting a defenceless ball around with a stick. And, to top it all off, it’s with a bunch of guys in funny looking cloths…nickers or something I think they call em..

WAIT JUST ONE MINUTE! That’s no guy and I’m pretty sure those are not nickers she’s wearing…. Do you mean to tell me that my sweet, innocent little Opie is out some where stuck in a pasture with a bucket full of balls and scantily clad girls with a bag full of sticks??

OMG! I’d better get up there to check on him! I just hope they don’t sell alcohol…

What to do…what to do? I shoulda known. I helped out one year at our IAFF Local’s MDA golf tournament. Now I didn’t play but did sacrifice my time and donate my efforts to drive the beer cart while escorting the Hooter Girls around to meet the teams. A dirty job but someone HAD to do it. I was just glad that Scotty and Big Luke rode along to watch over and protect me. You see, the gals had their own club and it made me kinda nervous… had some kind of funny end on it. Musta been coated with some kind of laughing powder too because every time they’d get it close to their face they would just laugh and giggle…

LMAO..OK it took me a while to get here but I want to remind everyone that our 30th Annual MDA Golf Tournament is just around the corner. The date is June 8, 2010 with a “shotgun start” @ 08:30. Contact “Pookie” Smith AKA Rebecca Smith at BecGrrrl@Yahoo.com for more details. Deadline for $200 entry fee is June 1st, cost rises to $240 after. The price includes all fees (greens and cart), food, beer and tons of prizes and give aways. Bottom line..contact Becky, register a 4 man team and come out for a great time while supporting an even better cause.
Now Firehouse stuff… (thought I’d never get here right). Today has been so so. Kinda busy but the weather has been perfect. We spent the morning testing hose. That means taking it all off the truck, charging it, testing it, then breaking it all back down, draining and re-packing. Sounds like work huh?



After hose testing, we grabbed a quick bite to eat and geared up for some in house training. It’s kind of a “Search” and “Mayday” drill rolled into one. I had the boys pack up with darkened masks and radios. I explained to them to conduct themselves as if this were an actual event. I then had them conduct a search. This allowed me an opportunity to observe their search patterns, technique and communication skills. Then, during their search I quietly removed Coon from the group (Coon has been through this drill before with me back at #9 and was briefed ahead of time). I was then able to observe how Lt. Eugene and the boys reacted at the loss of a member. How long would it take you to notice him missing? What would YOU do? How would YOU react? Would YOU call the “Mayday”? Would you be too embarrassed or scared to? (what if you called it and the missing member was just around the next corner or standing out front with the Chief? you know somebody would laugh at you right?)Do you know how to call a “MAYDAY”? Where is your “emergency button”? Well, the correct response is to CALL THE MAYDAY! It takes dicipline but that train of thought HAS TO BE DRILLED INTO OUR MEMBERS. I’d rather you call it and the member be ok and just around the corner than to hesitate or NOT make the call and the member actually be in distress. Any way, the boys did fine and it’s a great inhouse drill. Here are a few pics…


After that drill, we headed into the AC for some territory drills. Old school style..fill in the blank…errr street..


I said inside to the AC..why is Joe sweating??

Moving on… ** NOTICE** THE REMAINDER OF THIS POST CONTAINS NUDITY.. IF YOU ARE EASILY OFFENDED AND / OR DO NOT WISH TO VIEW SUCH IMAGES DO NOT READ FURTHER***

It seems as though we have a fan here at Wooden Ladders and Iron Firemen. Hydrant Girl has not only been following along with us, she also takes time to drop a few comments. Here’s her pic….

Bunker pants and a wedding dress…hummmmm bet that made for an interesting honeymoon….LOL… Puts a new twist on our most reliable pick up line huh? Oh come on…I know you’ve all used it….”ever seen a naked firemen?”… “Want to?”..then..

LOL.. well hopefully he is a “future” fireman and at least he kept his boots on (a chip off the ol block..OH NO!) LOL … Anyway, Hydrant gals last comment was on the pics of Clayton on the 2002 Salem Ave Fire. In honor of her following us I’ll add a few links and more cool pics before wrapping up. More photos from the fire in the previous post can be found here and here from Mikey Overacker’s site, Roanokefirefighters.com For some great shots of “Iron firemen” from the FDNY past, check out this link to Michael Dick’s photo collection with great content such as this (link also found on right sidebar)…

I’ll toss in a few more local shots that can once again be found over at Mikey’s site..Roanokefirefighters.com. Here are our South Side Brothers and Sisters in action…



GREAT knock down boys! SOLID work! Here’s one of 2 Ladder in operation on a multi-alarm from C-shift…

Here’s a cool shot of now retired Battalion Chief Audie Ferris and Captain Todd Stone of A-shift. Notice the #3 on the shield… that again is the “real” #3 from down on 6th and Rorer

Last but not least, here’s one of men and Battalion Chief Bobby Slayton talking it over…

OK kids… hope that holds ya for a while cause I’m outta here! I will try to make an update post while off since I bought this new fancy lap top computer thingy. Everyone stay safe and in the house.. if ya get a chance to drop by and make sure the boys haven’t killed Eugene I’d appreciate it 🙂
Captain Wines