Author Archives: Mike

About Mike

Michael Heggen is a horseman, maker, and thinker who lives in Salem, Oregon with his wife, Kim, and "three to eight cats". He stays quite busy riding, driving, and caring for their three horses, Boulder, Shasta, and Bob. Among other things, Mike has been a fencing coach, police chaplain, computer consultant, aspirant to the diaconate, computer salesman, box boy, carpenter, computer technician, typesetter, church youth leader, copy machine operator, and network administrator. His other interests include juggling, reading voraciously, and (pretty occasionally these days) cycling.

Minneapolis-Moline LS 200 manure spreader manual

Posted on June 9, 2016 by Mike

This is a high-resolution scan of the owner’s manual for the Minneapolis-Moline LS 200 manure spreader, which was manufactured in the 1920s and 1930s in both a horse-drawn and tractor-drawn configuration. I have one of these units in near working … Continue reading →

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Responsible Gun Owners Can Have Their Cake and Eat It, Too – Part 1

Posted on October 13, 2015 by Mike

(This is the first of two posts on this topic.) According to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): “A mental illness is a condition that impacts a person’s thinking, feeling or mood and may affect his or her ability to … Continue reading →

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Smoke on the Water | Raised By Wolves (I Wish)

Posted on October 8, 2015 by Mike

I went to high school with Kelli. I wouldn’t call us friends in high school: I was a nerd and she was a year ahead of me and, well, kinda wild. We connected a few years back on Facebook and … Continue reading →

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Fingers In Their Ears

Posted on October 6, 2015 by Mike

Instead of endless speculating about what to do about or who to blame for these mass shootings, we could do this thing called “research” using this other thing called “science”. After 400 years or so, science has a pretty good … Continue reading →

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Ibuprofen Will Kill Us All!

Posted on September 16, 2015 by Mike

I’ve found myself writing more and more on Facebook, and a friend suggested I start blogging. After giving it some thought, I decided to try expanding this blog from its on-again-off-again musings about horses, fencing, etc. to being a forum … Continue reading →

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Zen and the Art of Exhaust Brake Installation, Part 2

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Mike

Continuing the saga from yesterday of installing an exhaust brake in my 1997 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins diesel pickup named Hamish. Note that I am not a mechanic. I am sharing my experiences in the hope that it may be … Continue reading →

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Zen and the Art of Exhaust Brake Installation, Part 1

Posted on December 9, 2014 by Mike

I finally got something for Hamish* that I have been wanting for him for a long time: an exhaust brake. What’s an exhaust brake, you ask? Well, sit back and let ‘splain it to you…. Diesel engines surpass gasoline engines in terms of power, … Continue reading →

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Putting the “hat” back into whatever

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Mike

I was in New Orleans last weekend with Kim. She had a medical conference; I tagged along to keep her company and be her travel beast of burden. It was my first time in New Orleans, so on my first … Continue reading →

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Trailer!

Posted on June 11, 2011 by Mike

I finally found (and bought) a trailer this week! It’s a 1997 4-Star gooseneck two-horse slant. It’s in great shape—especially for its age. It is an extra tall and wide model, but it is still going to be a cozy … Continue reading →

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An eyesore

Posted on October 11, 2010 by Mike

Well, today was an interesting day. It started with a 7:30 a.m. phone call from Jenn at the barn. I slept through that. When she called again at 8:00, I woke up and answered. It seems Bob had some kind … Continue reading →

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