ksjumpmd,

I see you knew about this over 4 days ago.

Have you been on the road to Texas this whole time?

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I wish I knew about this 4 days ago!!!!!

Jerry is posting Scrap Yard info on the Busse site 4 days prior to Dan!!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />



By the way ..... Spring isn't that small!!!!

There are LOTS of streets!

.... and I unfortunately don't recognize the clues <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif" alt="" />

.

Not as close as you but only about 45 minutes away!

I was getting ready to go to bed too...... Now I don't know if I can sleep.

I knew but I have not had a chance to go lookin! That darn job of mine just ties me down! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Now that you do know I expect you to get that little gem. If you don't have it by Wednesday I'll be able to go and try to find it myself. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Good luck my friend!

Oh and sleep well!

....Man.... I had a lot of stuff I was supposed to do tomorrow!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif" alt="" />

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[/quote]
Now all you have to do is get inside the head of a 9 year old and calculate the misleading direction of a cigar smoken, bourbon drinking uncle.[/quote]

I should be good at this! My wife says that I act like a 9 year old, I drink scotch, smoke cigars and am an uncle of nine. This should be easy but I now need to get to TX! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Good luck to the Dogs! Long Live the YARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif" alt="" />

K.G., we're depending on you as the rep in Spring to DO THE JOB! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

Now c'mon what is more important work or finding the aqua landmark? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/doh.gif" alt="" />

You know in your heart what is right. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crossfingers.gif" alt="" />

Let us all know when you find it! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Peace.

I found something...... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />


Details later. I am supposed to meet my wife somewhere in about 5 minutes.


Later. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

.

O.K.

Since I am lucky enough (in this case <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />) to live in Spring, TX, I felt an obligation to find the washer for the Dogs. Or at least try.

I spent a fair amount of time last night and today seaching for various options on Yahoo Yellow pages.

From the picture posted at the Busse Forum @ Bladeforums:



you can clearly see "Spring" and faded letters that spell "Auto". I tried Spring Auto, Auto parts, Spring Salvage, etc. and all kinds of variations, but I couldn't find anything that I felt was likely an option that matched the picture.


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But, I couldn't find anything that seemed like a good clue....




The two pictures threw me. The pictures show areas of overgrown trees and brush. Overgrown trees and brush are common around Spring, but the sign also looked fairly old. Some how I just got it stuck in my head that this had to be in "Old Town Spring". "Old Town Spring" is an area of Spring that is on the East side of I-45. It is an area with a bunch of craft shops and such to bring visitors to the area. (* I-45 is the major highway connecting Houston to Dallas.) Spring is on both sides of the freeway north of Houston.

Since I really never came up with a clue to what the sign was for, I just assumed maybe it was an old sign from some deserted business or something. I figured I was just going to have to ride around...... So, I took the motorcycle...


I printed a copy of the pictures from the Busse Forum for reference and went to Old Town Spring.

When I got to Old Town Spring (about 4 miles from my house), I went down the main street - also called "Main Street".... Didn't see anything like from the pictures. I looped around and turned down a side street. Saw a sign and made a quick turn into ........ The Fire Station. I saw three guys out in front of a Fire Station and thought they would be perfect to ask if they recognized the partial picture of the sign. Sure enough, one of the guys knew the sign and told me exactly were it was.
Now it was starting to seem easy. Lucky break with the Fire Fighter guys!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

I went back the way I had come from and right there on I-45 about 2 miles from my house was Spring Auto Parts (looked like Spring Auto Salvage!!!).



I had passed by the place hundreds of times and never even noticed it. It is right on the feeder of the main highway near my house and about 2 miles from where I live. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/doh.gif" alt="" />

This had to be the place. The sign in the background was a match for the sign posted on Busse Forums. The prize was "Hopefully" around here somewhere....



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Sure enough.... it looked like a "Scrap Yard"!!!!!




I recognized the sign from the picture posted on Busse forums and approximated the correct angle for a fairly close match:



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Now I had to find this:



I was there around 6:30 and the place was locked up - barb wire and all...., but I didn't see any Junk Yard Dogs (... little dissappointed <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> )

I started walking around the place. I went to the left first because of the sign angle and there was a vacant lot on the left.

The lot was very over-grown, but there were sections of cement slabs like there had been buildings there at one time. I trecked to the back of the lot and found an old building that had burnt down. You couldn't see it from the front of the lot.... to much weed and brush growth.

I kept seeing chain link fencing with barbed wire around the salvage yard. From the picture I had, I thought I was looking for a fairly industrial size iron gate that was painted green. The bolt somehow looks very large in the picture (, but it wasn't ....)

After digging through enough brush and sticker bushes, I finally found what looked like a fence other than chain link - On the OPPOSITE ( <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif" alt="" /> ) side of the vacant lot away from Spring Auto Parts (... should say Spring Auto Salvage Parts... IMO).



I had to pull and cut some vines and stickers out of the way (Luckily, I brought my Yard Guard - seemed like a fitting name for a knife to be used where I was anyway.
After some cutting and pulling aside a bunch of vines and sticker bushes, I found the post:



Then more cutting and pulling to find ....... is that a bolt and washers???? I see an old washer. But, is the SPECIAL "TAG" washer still there???????????:

[img]http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j183/DWRW/SpringAutoParts-Postinovergrownvine.jpg[/img]

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Success!!!!!!!

[img]http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j183/DWRW/SpringAutoParts-Postinovergrownv-2.jpg[/img]



[img]http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j183/DWRW/jammin_hog.gif[/img] [img]http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j183/DWRW/dancer.gif[/img] [img]http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j183/DWRW/hammer2ui.gif[/img] [img]http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j183/DWRW/LuaralHardy.gif[/img]


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My tool for digging out prizes from overgrown brush (notice the LE finish <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> ):



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And some pics of the "PRIZE" Tag washer <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />:











..... Looks like like an old rusted version of the original one posted:




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Sweet, nice job!!