Statues of Liberty

Texas loves it's heroes, and yesterday coming up I-45, I caught a couple of them just standing along the road waving at the traffic. This was Stephen Austin who I've never heard of before, but I'm assuming he must have been very important to have the Capital City named after him.




And here's Sam Houston, who we know had Houston, TX named after him.
Please excuse the "bugs" on the window. Night driving here is a constant splat sound and when daylight comes, the windshield's a mess. I'll clean it today when I fuel.



And it is pretty early in the morning when I'm writing this. (03:00 my time PDT) I got up to Dallas last night and the Flying J was over full so I parked on the end of a line along with a couple of others. At 02:00 PDT (my time - 04:00 local CDT) there's a pounding on the door and I'm told in not so friendly terms that I had to move or be towed. So much for Southern Hospitality. Luckily enough, there were a few spots open now and I managed to squeeze into one. It's a lot easier though, when I'm wide awake. And after backing in, I'm wide awake, and have a great Internet connection because everybody else is sleeping - ha! At least with that kind of security, you don't have to worry about being pestered by "lot lizards".

Just gotta put something in here...

Hi everybody,

Sorry, but I haven't had time to keep up with this site. I've been driving a lot and working on a new website when I can. It's about living healthy, vitamins, minerals, and food supplements. A lot has to go into researching articles as I'm no health specialist, but learning a lot about it.

I also had to learn WordPress. That's a Blog format that works great as a website, but a bit complicated to start with. I'd be screwed if I didn't understand some HTML and PHP.

Anyway, I'm pretty proud of the outcome and would appreciate anyone visiting the site.

It's at: www.prescriptionforhealthyliving.com There's a lot of good information there about improving our health and I'm using a lot of it myself. Maybe you'll find it interesting, too.

It's been awhile...

Well, it's been awhile since I've posted anything here, eh?

Not that I've quit trucking, or quit taking pictures, or quit the internet. No, none of those. I've just been so busy driving long hours and trying to get a good website together. Well, its finally paid off. Now I'm pretty good at WordPress, the ultimate Bloggers' software, along with a lot of other great website scripts. And here's the result:

http://www.prescritionforhealthyliving.com

Enjoy

Lots of things have changed

Haven't posted for awhile - too much going on.

I've taken a short leave of absence from work and we've sort of moved. Right now everything is in a container at my son's place at South Slocan, B.C. But we're back in Edmonton because Sandy's Mom died on the 28. We'll head back when everything here is settled.

We can't stay in South Slocan because it's pretty isolated at Brian's place and without a 4 wheel drive, we wouldn't get out 'til spring. We'll probably end up in Kelowna and then I'll go back to work.

I'll try to post more frequently. Phil, if you read this, we really miss you and I hope things are going OK.

Although cloudy and rainy, it was OK when we left Castlegar, BC this morning heading empty to Lethbridge. This was a great trip because I've never had a load to the Kootenays and that gave me a chance to see my son, Brian. It's been awhile since I saw him and a lot has changed

His business, Canadian Power Machines, is doing well and half the shop is full of snowmobiles he's working on. (some pretty powerful machines) You can have a look at some of his work at www.canadianpowermachines.ca. There's also a link in the right column that goes directly to his site.

Well things changed pretty fast when I started up the West side of the Salmo Creston pass. Rain changed to sleet to wet snow. 3 trucks were spun out and I was so busy, I didn't even get a picture. I was fortunate enough to be behind the snowplow. He just went around the stuck trucks as they were chaining up and I followed him. I could feel some slip, but with fingers and toes crossed, made it to the top.

Like I said, going empty to Lethbridge and waiting for a meat load to Waterloo, Iawa. That's a good run, but I wish it was ready when I get there, as we both just detest Lethbridge. Might find a place to hang out before we get there that at least has some scenery. Yes, if Alberta needed an enema, Lethbridge would be the perfect place.

No Snow Oregon

It's been awhile since I blogged, there hasn't
been anything exciting to print or talk about
till now, finally a place where there is no snow,
quite a difference since the last time we were
here in December. If you make the picture bigger you will see the geese on the river.
(Columbia River). We are heading to Tracey,California to deliver a load. We are in
Ripon,Ca. waiting for our next load it is sunny
and 51degrees F(+10C). I met some really nice
people in Klamath Falls, Oregon on Sat. Two
single Ladies 40+ Shirley and Diana.
Shirley designs custom made western shirts if
you are interested they take 2-3 days.
Tell her Sandy sent you. She is in the phone book and she has a website. I miss everyone back home,I hope to go back there soon. I need my family and friends fix. Well that's all for now, I will
post again soon, brighter days ahead I hope.

Well so much for being on time with this load. This is a picture from the www.travelbc.ca webcame at the top of the Rogers Pass on the Trans Canada Highway in BC. These trucks are lined up waiting for the highways dept to bring down potential avalances. They do that with large cannons and send explosives into the snow to create an avalance, then clean up with loaders and graders.

These trucks are facing westbound at the lodge. We're down the other side facing eastbound towards Calgary, and waiting for the same thing. When we got here at 14:30, we were told it would be about 3 hrs. It's been almost 2 hrs and I was supposed to be in Calgary before 18:00. Sorry about their luck. Just hope there isn't a lineup at London Drugs waiting for some of this stuff from Richmond.

This whole trip has been a test. Left Edmonton Tues evening and got as far as Blue River at 4:00 AM. I just couldn't see anymore so I pulled into the Husky. Everythng looked okay, but when I tried to move in the morning, I was stuck. So were all the other trucks in the lot. I tried to chain, but already being stuck on ice, that wasn't going to happen.

Eventually, the person cleaning the parking lot showed up with a backhoe. One by one, he hooked a chain to each truck to his hoe and pulled us all out. It just took a couple of feet to get rolling and then everything was OK to go. He didn't even ask for money, I guess Husky was paying him by the hour because it was their parking lot and they hadn't kept it driveable.

Hopefully we'll make Calgary tonight, although it will be late. We've already been given a load to Ohio with an extra stop in Illinios, 2 extra stops in Michigan, and a final in Springfield, OH. I know there's lots of weather there too, but at least they keep the roads in better shape, hopefully.

Hope you're all safe and upright. This winter is already harder that the last many have been.

All the best in the coming months and Spring will be very welcome from my point of view.

What a difference a day makes!!

Here we are in Sunny Southern California, it is
now boxing day, no snow plus 50F(+10C). We
missed our appointment and they don't except
deliveries on weekends, so we are stuck here
at Flying J in Ripon,California. (boo,hoo). We
can't deliver till 3a.m. Monday morning. Oh
well, the sun is shining and it is t-shirt weather.
I made a few phone calls to my Son and friends
and that cheered me up. It is now Sunday and
our 5th wedding anniversary and we are stuck in
the truck, another disappointment and occasion
ruined. Today is +63F(+16C). I did all my
laundry and John made me lunch, a real
thrilling Anniversary. We have to pick up in Merced,CA, then to Sacramento,CA tommorrow
then we are headed home, I hope the weather is better going back.

Christmas Whiteout !!

Well, this is how We spent our Christmas Eve
and Christmas Day. Driving through a blizzard
in Oregon. It was so bad at times we couldn't
see the vehicle in front of us. Lots of people in
ditches and on the side of the road, very scarry.
We are headed to California, we are not going to make our appointment, we can only go 25mph.
Northern California is suppose to be as bad.
Lucky us, next year I decided to stay home. We
booked time off for New Years Eve and we are
not going to make it either.(Bummer) Have a
Happy New Year Everyone.

Merry Christmas

Well, I hope things are going better for you than the are for us.
The last few days have been very chaotic and topped off by a really bad cold and flu. Right now, we're enjoying the warmth of a nice hotel room compliments of H & R.

Got to Calgary on the 20th and bobtailed over to the Road King. I went right to bed at around 9:30 feeling pretty rough. Sandy went inside for awhile. Later on in the night, it got very cold in the truck. That little bunk heater just doesn't cut it at -30. Anyway, when I woke up and went to start the truck, nothing. She always hangs something over the control panel for the TriPak and this time she must have touched the "off" switch. So the TriPak hadn't run to keep the batteries charged and the coolant a bit warm. It definately wasn't going to start. I had to put in a breakdown message and wait for Penske to come over and boost me.

When it fired up, there was a great big exhaust leak near the manifold. It's been leaking a gallon of coolant every day or two, and servicing was also due. So the truck is over at Penske until Tues AM (Dec 23) I sure hope they get it out early. We have a load to Tracy CA that delivers on the 26 so we'll have to go pretty hard. Sure hope the roads are cleared up. There's been a lot of weather all over the west coast.