During this run to New Orleans in which I took 6 large capacity water pumps down after hurricane Mustav I finally got to go through Nashville. Marie and Don rounded everyone up and brought them all to meet with me so I could visit for a while. They told my grandson Logan all about his grandpa and he couldn’t wait to see me. I could not believe how he just jumped out of the carseat and into my arms. He began right away to tell me about his little cars and how he liked the San Diego Chargers. This from a smart little three year old.
I also got to meet my daughter-in-law Lauren. She is real nice. Her and Jeremy got married about a year ago.
Thoren is with Barbara now and she is like a mother to Logan. A real nice woman that Thoren better take good care of.
Many thanks to Don and Marie for making this visit possible. AND buying dinner for everyone.
This is one of the nice things about trucking. That I get to go places I wouldn’t normally get to go. I got a load out of the Spokane, WA area that ended up here in Montgomery, NY. I had to sit here for a little while waiting on a new load when I discovered that Orange County Choppers was just up the highway from where I was. So….. You can bet that I beat feet up there so I could say: “Been there done that…AND… Bought the T-Shirt”! I have a few pictures added to the Gallery of some nice bikes I saw there. Good thing that Paul Sr. wasn’t there for I would have had to challenge him to arm wrestle!. 
I really got lucky for my birthday this year. I got a load from upstate New York down to Louisville, KY. The nice thing about this trip was that I got to go down through Ohio. My sister lives in the Columbus area and I had some extra time so I stopped at a truck stop there and she came over to pick me up. Had a great day and got to see Shea and Chet, Renee, BG and Kendra, Bethany and Ryan and Mary. My brother-in-law Doug took me around the area where we used to live years ago then fired up the grill for some good steaks that evening. They even bought me a cake! It was a good birthday. I took a few pictures and put them in the family section of the photo gallery.
Especially when I have to scrape them off the window! I was driving on I-40 in New Mexico the other evening when I heard what sounded like small hail slowly begin hitting the truck. As it turns out that quite loud thumping sound, that was increasing in intensity, was actually some large brown beetle like bug. Similar to the June Bug of northern Michigan this time of year. Anyway these things began hitting like a hail storm. Now I scrubbed many a bug off my windows in this truck but I have never seen the size and numbers of these things in one swarm. After about 5 miles of this bombardment I had to stop and clean the drivers window at a rest area. Check out the pictures below. Now keep in mind that I JUST HAD THE TRUCK WASHED! So, what you are seeing is 98 percent from this swarm.
Back to the truck wash!
On this first trip to the East Coast I was able to meet up with one of my oldest and best friends. I caught up with Mike in Austinburg, OH along I-90. We took some pictures of our two trucks together. Here is one of them with Mike standing between them. His nice rig is the one on the right. My bug covered rig is the red one… of course. Mike and I have known each other since high school back in Rudyard, MI. Yes, that was a few years ago!
Yes the water is almost over the road here. This was on I-80 by Des Moines, IA
My next trip is from Rooseveltown, New York to Lewisport, Kentucky. I am hauling a load of bulk aluminum. I will be there on Monday and then I am off to Fresno, CA. I am so happy that I am getting the miles I have been wanting for so long. As they say in trucking: “If the wheels ain’t Turning… I ain’t Earning”.
Wasn’t there a song that started that way? On the road again…. oh well never mind. After some much needed home time I am on the longest single trip of my truck driving career. I picked up a load of lumber in Eugene, OR on the west coast bound for Bradford, NH. That’s right.. New Hampshire. 3212 miles. Tonight I am sitting in a little town in Nebraska after doing 661 miles today. I need to run another 600+ tomorrow in hopes of hooking up with my good friend Mike who will be in Ohio when I pass through there on Monday.
This trip will finally get me east like I have been wanting. Good long miles too but tomorrow I will have to pass through Iowa. Yes, the state that has been experiencing the flooding in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and most recently, Des Moines. I called the Iowa DOT today and the recording says that only a 2 mile section of I-80 is still closed where it passes over the Cedar River. Well actually the Cedar River is passing over the highway right now. There is a detour but maybe I will get lucky and it will be open when I get there late tomorrow afternoon.
I saw an interesting cloud formation as I was coming across Nebraska today. I snapped this picture as I watched a section of the cloud hanging down and rotating very slowly. It doesn’t look at good in the picture though. I am sure it did not form anything but it was fun to watch. If I see anything good with high water or the like in Iowa I will try to get some pictures for the Road section.
Jeff
My buddy Timm sent me some pictures of his second flatbed load. He headed up into PA for this one and scored a “no tarp” load. Nice going PAL! I am not sure who he is paying the side money to for these easy loads. On the flip side, he is headed to Louisiana for this delivery and chances are he’ll be out tarping a load in the hot, humid sun down there. If his next one is another no tarp load I’ll have to talk badly of him more!
I am currently sitting in Liberal, KS after delivering my load here last Friday evening. No luck getting a quick turn around load out of here. I am hopeful that come Monday morning I can get one heading me home. Been out for 30 days now and I sure need some time with the family at home!
Yes, it is true. I decided to give up the dry van division and go flatbed. Why, hell I don’t know but I am hoping that it means more miles. It will be lots of work strapping, chaining and tarping. In all weather conditions. I might really hate this when I am working out in the hot muggy days down in the south or in a torrential downpour but I should haul some interesting loads and get to even more interesting places. Maybe even out east.
With this change I got a new truck as well. It is a 2007 Freightliner. It is bigger and more plush inside. So far I like it but I have to see how it performs pulling heavy loads. I have posted a few pictures of it along with a few shots of my 3 person class tarping my first load in the photo gallery.
