Monday, December 1, 2008

Love-less Ash Company
The "Cougar" Story
By Mike Loveless















We are often asked where we get the names for our products. Sometimes it is a little tough to come up with the right name! The following is how the name of "Cougar" Quiet Ash Vac came to be. This is an experience that Mike Loveless, the vice president and originator of our company, had in 1998, in the mountains about 20 minutes from our company offices in Price, Utah.
The following true experience from the 1998 archery deer hunt will last in my mind forever. August 22, 1998 was the opening of the archery deer hunt for the state of Utah. I have always enjoyed being in the mountains. The morning air was fresh and crisp. The smell of pine, the feel and music that the wind makes going through the trees was enough to make me forget all the challenges and stresses of everyday life. That is why I hunt!
The afternoons are cool and often raining. The pure smell of the air after a rainstorm can in no way be duplicated. Your senses are all centered on the hunt and the adrenaline rush when you spook up a nice buck deer or hear a majestic elk bugle in the evening is awesome. There are somethings that money just can't buy!
On this particular afternoon with bow in hand, I was up on Bruin Point looking for deer sign in the bottom of a steep canyon where a small stream meandered through the rocks and clay terrain. I have seen on numerous occasions, bears in this area because there are a large variety of berries. The terrain seems to be just what they like. I have had no doubt that cougars are quite plentiful here. Usually either on of these predators will smell or hear you well before you get close enough to know that they are around. They will usually leave the area in ample time to let you pass harmlessly by.
I was coming up out of the steep bottom and suddenly froze in my tracks as i heard something behind me. Slowly I turned and just about dropped dead in my tracks as there in the trail behind me was a full grown mountain lion right smack dab in the middle of the same trail that I had just covered - and only 5-6 yards away! pulling my eyeballs back into their sockets and gathering my senses, I yelled, "Get out of here you "SOB"... while waving my arms and bow up and down. (At times like this, you don't have time to choose your words for telling the story later.) Well that didn't work! The only thing that big cat did was breath a little harder. It was then that I noticed his tail came up and started to wave back and forth!
Now I haven't been around big cats like this very much but I could see that our meeting was quickly turning into nothing more than a game of cat and mouse. I was getting really worried who the mouse was going to be - me. Without stopping to think about it, I took an arrow out of my quiver and knocked it. I hooked up my release and never took my eyes off of those of the big feline. The only thing I kept thinking was, "Mike you want to make a good shot on this one, it might be your last." Being alone, the last thing I wanted to do was to have a wounded mountain lion turn on me! I pulled back the bow and took just a little longer to aim. I let the arrow fly, hitting him right through the throat. As the cat took off, I took a couple of steps back to watch which way he ran. I was very grateful that he did run. The can ran about 30 yards and ended up side down under a tree with his feet straight up in the air. It was then that I noticed that I was shaking all over. I knocked an arrow, for just in case, and went up to the animal. I kept thinking, "If he is playing possum, I don't want any part of this game." I poked him with the arrow and he didn't move. I sat down thinking about what might have been and just how close I had come to death. That didn't help me at all. After about 10 minutes I felt better and went to find my friends.
I found out later that cats always attack from behind. Their jaws are so strong that they can separate your vertebrae and paralyze you. I am glad that I didn't know that at the time or I might have been more nervous.
I reported the incident to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) on Saturday. On Sunday, I took Officer Allen Green back to the place where I had my hair raising experience. Allen confirmed that he was a tom measuring 6'11' and estimated in to be a younger animal, probably 2-3 years old. When Allen saw where the cat had been and where I had been standing, his comment was, "You are lucky you are a good shot."
Life will never be the same for me! "Life Is Good!"
We at Love-Less Ash Company were trying to find a name for our new Quiet Ash Vacuum and were we already had a Cheetah Ash Vac, we decided to keep with a big cat name. We came to the conclusion that the name COUGAR QUIET ASH VACUUM, would be a fitting name. Thus you can see how product names can come to be made.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

In Memory of a great man......

We have had a hard week. Our beloved husband, father and friend passed away in an airplane crash on Tuesday the 11th. He was returning home from a trade show in Colorado. When he didn't show up we called the airport, and search and rescue was sent out to look for him. Around noon on Wednesday, we found out the devastating news that our father, and best friend did not survive the crash. Search and Rescue thought they would not be able to get him off the mountain until Saturday at the soonest, because of bad weather. After having a family prayer to calm the elements so they could bring him home, we received a phone call about an hour later saying the mountain was clear of the storm, and they were going up to bring our Dad home. It was truly a miracle. We have had so much support from so many family and friends, we would like to thank you all. Your prayers are definitely felt. We love you all!
There will be a viewing on Sunday the 16th from 6-8 at the 4th/5th ward building at545 E 400 N Price UT
On Monday morning there will be a viewing form 9 - 10:30 and the funeral begins at11:00 at the stake center at 150 S. 500 E. Price UT
The last night that we were with our Husband/Dad/Grandpa, we had rented Indiana Jones. Because the movie is not appropriate for Andrew, we set up Finding Nemo in the other room. He did good for about the first 1/2 hour, but then he kept coming in and watching Indiana Jones. So we kept taking him back into the other room, and finally Mike went in and sat with him. Marcy was feeling bad that he was missing the show, so she went in and told him it was her turn to be with Andrew. He simply said, "Are you kidding, I'm hanging out with my little buddy. This is where I want to be." Little did we know those few precious hours with Andrew would be the last. We will forever be thankful for them.


He was also Bishop of a student ward here in Price, in which he touched so many lives. Last night Wednesday the 12th, a bunch of those students got together and wrote letters to Bishop about what they wanted to tell him before he left us. They got helium balloons, and attached the message to the balloons. Around 120 people went to the airport, and Colleen let go of the first balloon and yelled "I love you Babe!" Everyone else released their balloons, and Andrew did as well. When the balloons were all floating in the air we told Andrew to say Good bye Grandpa, and he looked up at the Moon and waved his hand and yelled "Goodbye Grandpa!!" It was a truly touching moment. One we will never forget. We now tell Andrew that Grandpa went to go live with Jesus. And tonight while Spencer asked Andrew where Heavenly Father lives, he pointed up to heaven. Spencer then asked him who else lives in heaven...Andrew answered, "Jesus!" Spencer asked again, "Who else lives in heaven?" Andrew told him, "Grandpa!" Dad loved his grandkids so much! He will truly be missed. He was able to be there for the blessing of our new baby, Monson. During that meeting we heard him bear his testimony of the Gospel. He also said, never ever go a day without telling those you love that you love them. So I am relaying that message, go and tell those you love that you love them, and do it everyday!! We love you and thank you again for your support and prayers.