So sorry we haven’t posted in so long, things at our house are SO hectic and stressful right now. I keep yelling, “Calgone—take me away!!” but it’s not working! I’m not even sure where to begin to tell you all that has happened. Even now the only reason I have time to make this post is because it’s Sunday evening and it’s supposed to be a “day of rest,” i.e.—I can’t pack!
Since the last post Brian graduated from Kindergarten. He won several awards one was for being a good listener. Who knew!! We were also able to go home on leave and visit family for two weeks. It sure was easier to fly with three little boys with Derek around. :) One of the security workers commented on how well our children went through security saying, “It looks like they know just what to do.” Apparently he could tell that I had trained them well and they were experienced travelers. Our trip was tons of fun and we enjoyed seeing everyone but it was continuous running the whole time and we still didn’t get everything fit in. We were actually looking forward to getting home to rest from our vacation—funny how that works. But that hasn’t happened. We got home only to find out that there are so many people moving from our base right now that there was no way we could schedule our movers at the time we needed them. So now instead of the Army moving us we have to move ourselves. YUCK!! One of the only things that makes me able to move so much is I don’t have to do most of the work. Thank goodness!!!! Too bad we aren’t so lucky this time around. Although we do have to fill all our own boxes we did splurge and hire a professional company to load, drive, and unpack the truck. That helps a lot. It’s expensive but worth the cost when you consider how much it decreases my stress. :)
Everything with our move seems to be messed up. I guess nothing can ever be easy. The Army makes us jump through many hoops to get everything done and they haven’t made it easy for us. Derek has been frantically running around trying to figure out how to get everything cleared so we can leave on time. Meanwhile I am swimming in boxes trying to get everything packed. Even now we are scheduled to drive away from here on Friday and we are still wondering when and how everything is going to get done. But I know that God is aware of us and our situation and is watching out for us. After we first found out that we had to move ourselves I was stressing about where and how we would get boxes. We happened to get this magazine in the mail that was to the wrong address. It was to the same house number as ours but a total different street clear across post—the name wasn’t even like ours. Well we were out driving around and were going to be in the area so we decided to deliver the magazine to the owner. It was just a dumb magazine so I didn’t think it was that big of a deal but Derek insisted that we deliver it. As we drove down the street I noticed a house with a ton of empty boxes on the front porch. I knew that the only way we were going to get boxes was if I got brave and asked for them. So totally going out of my comfort zone I got brave and had Derek stop and I ran up to the door to ask if we could have their boxes. Much to my surprise and delight I knew who answered the door. It was a sister that had been in our ward about 6 months ago whom I had actually been a visiting teacher too. They had moved to go to training and once it was over had come back. They had just moved back that week. So not only did I get the boxes I didn’t have to feel silly for asking someone for their boxes and she called us later when she had more boxes emptied so we could get more. Some would say it was just a coincidence but we know that it was truly a tender mercy and a reminder that God is watching over us. Somehow I know that all will work out with this move, I just have to keep reminding myself of that.
Speaking of our move—if you didn’t know already we are moving. You’ll have to use your geography skills as for privacy purposes I’m not going to say where. It’s about a 5 ½ hour drive north from where we are now. I’m not sure how excited I am to move there. It will be a neat place with tons of stuff to see and do but all the traffic and people scare me a little. I just keep reminding myself that I drove in 7 lanes of traffic on the interstate when we lived at Fort Lewis and I can do it again. But we found a house that is two miles from the church and Wal-Mart , one mile from Brian’s school, and 5 miles from a post. So I have my essentials close by and should be okay. Although we are 5 miles from a post it’s not Derek’s post. He actually has a 20 minute commute to enjoy every day. :) I guess that’s actually a close commute to most people in the area. We opted for the commute to get our kids a decent school. Had we lived closer to or on base Brian would have been one of the only white children in school at a school with standardized test scores in the 40’s and 50’s. The sad thing is that was one of the good schools in the area. Scary! Hmm . . . it sure was easier to move when we didn’t have to think about such things.
In September we will have been here for two years and I guess that’s our max at places right now so its time to move on. The crazy thing is that when we leave we (meaning the boys and I) will have lived in our current house for 20 months while Derek on the other hand will have only lived in it for 5 months with at least a month of that time not actually being spent at the house but on vacation. Crazy!! We decided that it will always be the house that the boys and I lived in. We had just recently moved in when Derek deployed so it was filled with unpacked boxes. It wasn’t until he came home for R&R that he saw it boxless. I was teasing him the other day that now that it’s filled with boxes again he should feel more at home since now it’s just like the house he left behind. :)
I have tons of pictures to post but no time to do it. Someday I hope to get them posted—maybe when I’m sitting in my new house with nothing to do because my stuff hasn’t been delivered yet. I guess we’ll see. Until then don’t give up on us, I will update the blog someday.
Lilypie Pregnancy tickers
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Enjoying being together again!
Well since Derek got home we are just enjoying being back together again as a family. I can't even express how wonderful it really is!! I thought I would have more time once he got home but that doesn't seem to be the case. Life is still busier than ever so thus I haven't blogged for awhile. So once again you get a few weeks in review.
The Happy Couple:
The Happy Couple:
This past Friday Derek and I got to go to his Battalion Ball. It was very nice and despite the headache of getting all the clothes ready it was actually fun to get all dressed up and go out and hey I got a nice meal (that I didn't have to cook) and a few dances out of it so it was worth it.
The Birthday Boy!!
Andrew's birthday was actually just before Derek got home. He decided on his own that he would wait to celebrate it until Daddy was home. So that was the first thing we had to do after Derek was home. Here are some pictures of him with his "loot" and his Spiderman cake that he was so proud of.
Geocaching:
At last a picture of all four of my boys together!! (I know Timothy looks so enthused. He was sulking because he wanted to be running around exploring not sitting).
Derek discovered Geocaching while he was deployed (he actually has some finds in Kyrgyzstan from his stay there). I had heard of it before and always thought it sounded fun. We already had the GPS so a new family hobby was begun. We have been spending what free time we have out geocaching. For those of you that don't know, geocaching is (according to Wikipedia): "an outdoor treasure-hunting game in which the participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers (called "geocaches" or "caches") anywhere in the world. A typical cache is a small waterproof container containing a logbook and "treasure," usually toys or trinkets of little value."
We have had tons of fun out finding caches together as a family and the boys have several "treasuers" that they have found. So far we have 13 finds as a family. I have 15 and Derek has 18. There are tons hidden here just in town so we haven't had to go far. In fact the first two we found were within walking distance of home. Who knew!!
As I said the boys love finding them. They each have an exciting story to tell about their adventures. Andrew draws geocaching maps in his free time and they are quite detailed even as to which way is north-- remember he is only 4. Crazy!
And when I say that "the boys" love to find them that includes Derek too. We all know how much he loves to "treasure hunt." Maybe if he would have had a GPS as a kid those coins wouldn't still be lost in the backyard. :)
Well as you can see things here are going well. "Life with Derek" at our house is so much better than the silly TV show with the same name. Life for us is WONDERFUL!!!!
Here's a slide show of some more pictures from geocaching.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Derek's Home!!!
Finally after 15 1/2 months and several delays Derek is home from Afghanistan. YEA!! He arrived at 2:40 AM on Sunday, April 27th. Here are some pictures of the joyous event.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
A BIG Mess!!
After reading this you will be glad that my children are not yours!!
Let’s see—where to begin. We were having a great evening. I was getting the kids ready for bed and all was going well. They were cooperating and we were on schedule. I was excited to think that I might even make it to bed early. Then the phone rang. It was Derek’s parents calling to tell Andrew a happy belated birthday. He talked to them and then handed the phone to me. I was updating them on what was going on with us and Derek and then was doing a Google search on the computer while I talked finding info for them. Well, while I was multi-tasking I forgot to add in the task of watching my three wild boys. Oops!! Andrew had talked to his grandparents about the cake he was going to have with green frosting. Apparently that got him thinking about the food coloring so he went to get it, and get it he did. Mind you, it was in the back of a top cupboard in the box and the box was in a ziplock bag. Once he had it the boys decided to open it and it went down hill from there. I think Timothy started it—that’s what Andrew says anyways. He squirted some on the floor. They thought it was funny so they all did it. Then they discovered that when they stepped in it they made footsteps on the floor so they started making footprints. Then somewhere in the mix they started squirting it on each other. Soon they were chasing and squirting each other. My house is set up so you can run a circle from the kitchen through the living room and back into the kitchen and that’s what they did all the while squirting and dripping more food coloring as they went. Too bad I have cream colored carpet in the living room. Needless to say I had to abruptly end my phone conversation.
I stood stunned, uncertain of even what to do and where to begin. The mess was HUGE!! I wanted to scream and cry all at once. I quickly pulled myself together as I knew time was of the essence here if I dared hoped to save the carpet. I knew I had to get the kids out of it and cleaned up so they wouldn’t spread it more but I didn’t have time to clean them and the house. So I sent Brian and Andrew to the bathroom thinking they could wash themselves and I picked Timothy up and put him on the counter. Well that was all a mistake. Brian and Andrew only made a mess of the bathroom as they played in the water and spread food coloring stained water all over. Timothy made a bigger mess on the counter and he wouldn’t stay up there. He kept crawling back down and getting into the mess. So I changed plans and took Brian and Andrew and sat one on each couch and let them sit and watch while I tried desperately to get the coloring from the carpet. I set Timothy on the couch too but of course he didn’t stay. He got up and sneaked back in the kitchen and got the food coloring again. He brought it back to the living room and proceeded to drip it all over the floor again right where I had already cleaned. Can this get any worse—um yeah it does, just keep reading.
Brian and Andrew sat quietly for the first little while but then they got restless and started playing. I was not going to have any of that I was too mad. So I marched them straight upstairs to bed. They cried for a long time but eventually went to sleep. To contain Timothy I strapped him in his high chair so he couldn’t get out (one of the only things he can’t get out of yet) and left him there while I scubbed away for a few hours. Yes I mean hours with an “s.” As I said it was a huge mess. The poor kid cried almost the whole time but what’s a poor mother supposed to do when she has only two hands and there is food coloring everywhere?
I have a Little Green Machine by Bissel (a hand held shampooer). I used that for a couple hours extracting as much dye as I could. Then I switched to my actual carpet shampooer. Once I started using the carpet shampooer I let Timothy out of the high chair. Bad choice! The carpet shampooer I have makes foam. You can use the foam and scrub stubborn spots. So I scooped up some foam and was scrubbing away on a stubborn spot. Well Timothy thought that looked like great fun so he went over and scooped up some foam too and started rubbing it into the carpet with his hands. Well his hands were totally covered in dye and it came off in the foam. It made a nice pink spot on the floor that didn’t come out. Too bad it was on a part of the carpet that was stain free.
Well, after over three hours of hard work I decided I had as much dye out as was going to come out and went upstairs to get ready for bed. Somehow without me noticing Timothy got the jar of Eucerin cream. He opened it and was scooping out the cream and spreading it on himself. When I found him he was covered in it. He had so much all over his head that it looked like it had been frosted. It was really thick. Eucerin is not water soluble so it was very hard to clean off. I shampooed his hair 4 times and it was still greasy all the next day. Needless to say I was very glad to finally get that kid to bed and be done with him. Through all this he went through 3 pairs of pajamas—one covered in food coloring, one covered in foam, and one covered in Eucerin. What a night! So much for my initial thoughts of getting to bed early, I finally made it to bed at about 2 am.
I’m sure you are wondering how the carpet turned out. Well, it’s cream with pink polk-a-dots. It doesn’t look too bad until the sun shines on it and then what I see makes me almost positive they will make us replace the carpet when we move out. Yea! The doorway from the kitchen to the living room is still pretty bad. You can see all the drip marks still and they are pretty dark. Too bad those are all the drops from Timothy’s second round. So if anyone has any great ideas of how to remove red food coloring from cream colored carpet please let me know. The blue, green, and purple came out. It’s mostly just the red and some yellow that remains.
The boys were, and still are, covered in dye too. Timothy’s face was totally covered. It was like cherry red with some blue dripped down the side when I found them. The next day when I was talking to Andrew about it he laughed and said how funny it was because Timothy looked like Darth Maul. (Yes, Andrew is a Star Wars fan and if you don’t know—Darth Maul is the bad guy from Episode I with the red and black face).
Never a dull moment at our house that’s for sure! At least now a few days later I can laugh about it all. Good thing I love my wild children. At least the carpet got shampooed and the floor got mopped before Derek got home!:)
Let’s see—where to begin. We were having a great evening. I was getting the kids ready for bed and all was going well. They were cooperating and we were on schedule. I was excited to think that I might even make it to bed early. Then the phone rang. It was Derek’s parents calling to tell Andrew a happy belated birthday. He talked to them and then handed the phone to me. I was updating them on what was going on with us and Derek and then was doing a Google search on the computer while I talked finding info for them. Well, while I was multi-tasking I forgot to add in the task of watching my three wild boys. Oops!! Andrew had talked to his grandparents about the cake he was going to have with green frosting. Apparently that got him thinking about the food coloring so he went to get it, and get it he did. Mind you, it was in the back of a top cupboard in the box and the box was in a ziplock bag. Once he had it the boys decided to open it and it went down hill from there. I think Timothy started it—that’s what Andrew says anyways. He squirted some on the floor. They thought it was funny so they all did it. Then they discovered that when they stepped in it they made footsteps on the floor so they started making footprints. Then somewhere in the mix they started squirting it on each other. Soon they were chasing and squirting each other. My house is set up so you can run a circle from the kitchen through the living room and back into the kitchen and that’s what they did all the while squirting and dripping more food coloring as they went. Too bad I have cream colored carpet in the living room. Needless to say I had to abruptly end my phone conversation.
I stood stunned, uncertain of even what to do and where to begin. The mess was HUGE!! I wanted to scream and cry all at once. I quickly pulled myself together as I knew time was of the essence here if I dared hoped to save the carpet. I knew I had to get the kids out of it and cleaned up so they wouldn’t spread it more but I didn’t have time to clean them and the house. So I sent Brian and Andrew to the bathroom thinking they could wash themselves and I picked Timothy up and put him on the counter. Well that was all a mistake. Brian and Andrew only made a mess of the bathroom as they played in the water and spread food coloring stained water all over. Timothy made a bigger mess on the counter and he wouldn’t stay up there. He kept crawling back down and getting into the mess. So I changed plans and took Brian and Andrew and sat one on each couch and let them sit and watch while I tried desperately to get the coloring from the carpet. I set Timothy on the couch too but of course he didn’t stay. He got up and sneaked back in the kitchen and got the food coloring again. He brought it back to the living room and proceeded to drip it all over the floor again right where I had already cleaned. Can this get any worse—um yeah it does, just keep reading.
Brian and Andrew sat quietly for the first little while but then they got restless and started playing. I was not going to have any of that I was too mad. So I marched them straight upstairs to bed. They cried for a long time but eventually went to sleep. To contain Timothy I strapped him in his high chair so he couldn’t get out (one of the only things he can’t get out of yet) and left him there while I scubbed away for a few hours. Yes I mean hours with an “s.” As I said it was a huge mess. The poor kid cried almost the whole time but what’s a poor mother supposed to do when she has only two hands and there is food coloring everywhere?
I have a Little Green Machine by Bissel (a hand held shampooer). I used that for a couple hours extracting as much dye as I could. Then I switched to my actual carpet shampooer. Once I started using the carpet shampooer I let Timothy out of the high chair. Bad choice! The carpet shampooer I have makes foam. You can use the foam and scrub stubborn spots. So I scooped up some foam and was scrubbing away on a stubborn spot. Well Timothy thought that looked like great fun so he went over and scooped up some foam too and started rubbing it into the carpet with his hands. Well his hands were totally covered in dye and it came off in the foam. It made a nice pink spot on the floor that didn’t come out. Too bad it was on a part of the carpet that was stain free.
Well, after over three hours of hard work I decided I had as much dye out as was going to come out and went upstairs to get ready for bed. Somehow without me noticing Timothy got the jar of Eucerin cream. He opened it and was scooping out the cream and spreading it on himself. When I found him he was covered in it. He had so much all over his head that it looked like it had been frosted. It was really thick. Eucerin is not water soluble so it was very hard to clean off. I shampooed his hair 4 times and it was still greasy all the next day. Needless to say I was very glad to finally get that kid to bed and be done with him. Through all this he went through 3 pairs of pajamas—one covered in food coloring, one covered in foam, and one covered in Eucerin. What a night! So much for my initial thoughts of getting to bed early, I finally made it to bed at about 2 am.
I’m sure you are wondering how the carpet turned out. Well, it’s cream with pink polk-a-dots. It doesn’t look too bad until the sun shines on it and then what I see makes me almost positive they will make us replace the carpet when we move out. Yea! The doorway from the kitchen to the living room is still pretty bad. You can see all the drip marks still and they are pretty dark. Too bad those are all the drops from Timothy’s second round. So if anyone has any great ideas of how to remove red food coloring from cream colored carpet please let me know. The blue, green, and purple came out. It’s mostly just the red and some yellow that remains.
The boys were, and still are, covered in dye too. Timothy’s face was totally covered. It was like cherry red with some blue dripped down the side when I found them. The next day when I was talking to Andrew about it he laughed and said how funny it was because Timothy looked like Darth Maul. (Yes, Andrew is a Star Wars fan and if you don’t know—Darth Maul is the bad guy from Episode I with the red and black face).
Never a dull moment at our house that’s for sure! At least now a few days later I can laugh about it all. Good thing I love my wild children. At least the carpet got shampooed and the floor got mopped before Derek got home!:)
The Budweiser Clydesdales
The Budweiser Clydesdales were here today so we went down to see them. I was amazed at how big they were. The boys enjoyed seeing them. We were there at the end and watched them unhitch the horses and put them in their trailers. Before they put the last horse in they let those of us watching come up and pet him and get our pictures. It was neat. The boys really loved that part. I asked the boys what the horse felt like and Brian said it felt, "like hair." Andrew said it, "felt furry." They are so descriptive!
Here are some interesting facts about the horses:
THE CLYDESDALE BREED
Farmers living in the 19th century along the banks of the River Clyde in Lanarkshire, Scotland, bred the Great Flemish Horse, the forerunner of the Clydesdale. These first draft horses pulled loads of more than one ton at a walking speed of five miles per hour. Soon their reputation spread beyond the Scottish borders.
In the mid-1800s, Canadians of Scottish descent brought the first Clydesdales to the United States where the draft horses resumed their existence on farms. Today, the Clydesdales are used primarily for breeding and show.
THE BUDWEISER CLYDESDALES
They were formally introduced to August A. Busch Sr. and Anheuser-Busch on April 7, 1933, to celebrate the repeal of Prohibition. August A. Busch Jr. wanted to commemorate the special day. To his father's delight, the hitch thundered down Pestalozzi Street carrying the first case of post-Prohibition beer from the St. Louis brewery.
HITCH REQUIREMENTS
To qualify for one of the six hitches (five traveling and one stationary), a Budweiser Clydesdale must be a gelding at least four years of age. He must stand 72 inches, or 6 feet, at the shoulder when fully mature, weigh between 1,800 and 2,300 pounds, be bay in color, have four white stocking feet, a blaze of white on the face, and a black mane and tail.
FEED
Each hitch horse will consume as much as 20 to 25 quarts of feed, 50 to 60 pounds of hay and 30 gallons of water per day.
HITCH LOCATIONS
Five traveling Budweiser Clydesdale hitches are based in St. Louis, Missouri; Menifee, California; San Diego, California; Merrimack, New Hampshire; and San Antonio, Texas. The Budweiser Clydesdales can be viewed at the Anheuser‑Busch breweries in St. Louis, Merrimack and Ft. Collins, Colorado.
The Budweiser Clydesdales also may be viewed at Grant's Farm, the 281-acre ancestral home of the Busch family, in St. Louis and at the following Anheuser-Busch theme parks: Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia, and Tampa, Florida, and at the Sea World theme parks in Orlando, Florida; San Diego, California; and San Antonio, Texas.
CLYDESDALE OPERATIONS
Based in St. Louis, Clydesdale Operations is responsible for maintaining and scheduling the five traveling hitches. They receive thousands of requests for the "gentle giants" every year. Each request is evaluated on the type of event, dates, history of appearances in that particular area and other input from Anheuser-Busch management representatives.
STABLES
The official home of the Budweiser Clydesdales is an ornate brick and stained-glass stable built in 1885 on the historic 100-acre Anheuser-Busch brewery complex in St. Louis. The building is one of three located on the brewery grounds that are registered as historic landmarks by the federal government.
HANDLERS
Expert grooms travel on the road with the hitch. They are on the road at least 10 months every year. When necessary, one handler has night duty to provide round-the-clock care for the horses, ensuring their safety and comfort.
TRANSPORT
Ten horses, the famous red, white and gold beer wagon and other essential equipment are transported in three 50-foot tractor trailers, which weigh 24 tons when fully loaded. Cameras in the trailers (with monitors in the cabs) enable the drivers to keep a watchful eye on their precious cargo during transport. The team stops each night at local stables so the "gentle giants" can rest. Air-cushion suspension and thick rubber flooring in the trailers ease the rigors of traveling.
DRIVERS
Driving the 12 tons of wagon and horses requires quite a bit of strength and skill. The 40 pounds of reins the driver holds, plus the tension of the reins, equals 75 pounds. All hitch drivers are put through a rigorous training period before they are given the reins.
HARNESS
Each harness and collar weighs 130 pounds. The harness is handcrafted from brass and leather. Pure linen thread is used for the stitching. The harness is made to fit any horse, but the collars come in different sizes and must be individually fitted like a suit of clothes.
NAMES
Duke, Captain, Mark and Bud are just a few of the names given to the Budweiser Clydesdales. Names are kept short to make it easier for the driver to give commands to the horses during a performance.
HORSESHOES
Clydesdale horseshoes measure more than 20 inches from end to end and weigh about five pounds -- more than twice as long and five times as heavy as the shoe worn by a riding horse. A horse's hoof is made of a nerveless, horn-like substance similar to the human fingernail, so being fitted for shoes affects the animal no more than a manicure affects people.
WAGON
Turn-of-the-century beer wagons have been meticulously restored and are kept in excellent repair. The wagons are equipped with two braking systems: a hydraulic pedal device that slows the vehicle for turns and descents down hills, and a hand brake that locks the rear wheels when the wagon is at a halt.
DALMATIANS
Dalmatians have traveled with the Clydesdale hitch since the 1950s. The Dalmatian breed long has been associated with horses and valued for their speed, endurance and dependable nature. Dalmatians were known as coach dogs, because they ran between the wheels of coaches or carriages and were companions to the horses. Today, the Dalmatians are perched atop the wagon, seated next to the driver.
Here are some interesting facts about the horses:
THE CLYDESDALE BREED
Farmers living in the 19th century along the banks of the River Clyde in Lanarkshire, Scotland, bred the Great Flemish Horse, the forerunner of the Clydesdale. These first draft horses pulled loads of more than one ton at a walking speed of five miles per hour. Soon their reputation spread beyond the Scottish borders.
In the mid-1800s, Canadians of Scottish descent brought the first Clydesdales to the United States where the draft horses resumed their existence on farms. Today, the Clydesdales are used primarily for breeding and show.
THE BUDWEISER CLYDESDALES
They were formally introduced to August A. Busch Sr. and Anheuser-Busch on April 7, 1933, to celebrate the repeal of Prohibition. August A. Busch Jr. wanted to commemorate the special day. To his father's delight, the hitch thundered down Pestalozzi Street carrying the first case of post-Prohibition beer from the St. Louis brewery.
HITCH REQUIREMENTS
To qualify for one of the six hitches (five traveling and one stationary), a Budweiser Clydesdale must be a gelding at least four years of age. He must stand 72 inches, or 6 feet, at the shoulder when fully mature, weigh between 1,800 and 2,300 pounds, be bay in color, have four white stocking feet, a blaze of white on the face, and a black mane and tail.
FEED
Each hitch horse will consume as much as 20 to 25 quarts of feed, 50 to 60 pounds of hay and 30 gallons of water per day.
HITCH LOCATIONS
Five traveling Budweiser Clydesdale hitches are based in St. Louis, Missouri; Menifee, California; San Diego, California; Merrimack, New Hampshire; and San Antonio, Texas. The Budweiser Clydesdales can be viewed at the Anheuser‑Busch breweries in St. Louis, Merrimack and Ft. Collins, Colorado.
The Budweiser Clydesdales also may be viewed at Grant's Farm, the 281-acre ancestral home of the Busch family, in St. Louis and at the following Anheuser-Busch theme parks: Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia, and Tampa, Florida, and at the Sea World theme parks in Orlando, Florida; San Diego, California; and San Antonio, Texas.
CLYDESDALE OPERATIONS
Based in St. Louis, Clydesdale Operations is responsible for maintaining and scheduling the five traveling hitches. They receive thousands of requests for the "gentle giants" every year. Each request is evaluated on the type of event, dates, history of appearances in that particular area and other input from Anheuser-Busch management representatives.
STABLES
The official home of the Budweiser Clydesdales is an ornate brick and stained-glass stable built in 1885 on the historic 100-acre Anheuser-Busch brewery complex in St. Louis. The building is one of three located on the brewery grounds that are registered as historic landmarks by the federal government.
HANDLERS
Expert grooms travel on the road with the hitch. They are on the road at least 10 months every year. When necessary, one handler has night duty to provide round-the-clock care for the horses, ensuring their safety and comfort.
TRANSPORT
Ten horses, the famous red, white and gold beer wagon and other essential equipment are transported in three 50-foot tractor trailers, which weigh 24 tons when fully loaded. Cameras in the trailers (with monitors in the cabs) enable the drivers to keep a watchful eye on their precious cargo during transport. The team stops each night at local stables so the "gentle giants" can rest. Air-cushion suspension and thick rubber flooring in the trailers ease the rigors of traveling.
DRIVERS
Driving the 12 tons of wagon and horses requires quite a bit of strength and skill. The 40 pounds of reins the driver holds, plus the tension of the reins, equals 75 pounds. All hitch drivers are put through a rigorous training period before they are given the reins.
HARNESS
Each harness and collar weighs 130 pounds. The harness is handcrafted from brass and leather. Pure linen thread is used for the stitching. The harness is made to fit any horse, but the collars come in different sizes and must be individually fitted like a suit of clothes.
NAMES
Duke, Captain, Mark and Bud are just a few of the names given to the Budweiser Clydesdales. Names are kept short to make it easier for the driver to give commands to the horses during a performance.
HORSESHOES
Clydesdale horseshoes measure more than 20 inches from end to end and weigh about five pounds -- more than twice as long and five times as heavy as the shoe worn by a riding horse. A horse's hoof is made of a nerveless, horn-like substance similar to the human fingernail, so being fitted for shoes affects the animal no more than a manicure affects people.
WAGON
Turn-of-the-century beer wagons have been meticulously restored and are kept in excellent repair. The wagons are equipped with two braking systems: a hydraulic pedal device that slows the vehicle for turns and descents down hills, and a hand brake that locks the rear wheels when the wagon is at a halt.
DALMATIANS
Dalmatians have traveled with the Clydesdale hitch since the 1950s. The Dalmatian breed long has been associated with horses and valued for their speed, endurance and dependable nature. Dalmatians were known as coach dogs, because they ran between the wheels of coaches or carriages and were companions to the horses. Today, the Dalmatians are perched atop the wagon, seated next to the driver.
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