Come along for the Ride!

I am so glad you are here. Stay with us as we travel everywhere. I hope you will enjoy the ride.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Our Day of Worship

Riverside Christian Church
Last evening we searched the Church Directory and looked for somewhere to attend services today. We were nearby (within 6 miles) of one church and I made some calls trying to establish contact and get the usual information that we need to know, ie: service times and if parking is available for our truck. I didn't get any call backs from that number.
So we looked for other churches within a certain perimeter hoping to get a contact.
I looked up some websites on the internet and saw one that caught my eye so I called the phone number. Someone answered right away and I could hear a lot of noise in the background so I knew something was going on at the church. He said his name was Paul and he answered all of my questions and said that they would be glad to have us, so in my mind it was settled. We would be attending the Riverside Christian Church in Merrimack, NH.
We got up this morning and took the dogs out while the coffee was brewing. Then got dressed and relaxed with our coffee. After about 45 minutes we got started. We figured that it would take us about 40 minutes to drive the 28 miles since we weren't sure where to go.
It was fairly easy to find especially since the church is located in a business park. So we pulled in and situated the truck and went inside.
It was a very pretty church and seemed rather new. The music team was playing and singing already and it sounded good.
I was told by Paul the previous evening that Sunday School was on the second floor so after making a stop at the restroom we headed upstairs.
The classroom was easy to find and there were already about 15-18 in attendance. We took seats in the backrow.
It was a casual atmosphere and everyone was drinking coffee, just like our home church.
The lesson got started after having prayer for the sick. It was taught by Ray Pouliot. He is the minister here at Riverside. They were studying 1 Corinthians and discussing Paul teaching the Corinthian people about "rights" as Christians.
I really liked this lesson and found out later that Pops did too. We were given worksheets to bring home to use in our studies this week.
After Sunday School we went back downstairs to the Auditorium. There we were led in songs of Praise and Worship and then Ray got up to speak.
His message was on the 8th Chapter of the Book of Romans, verses 28-39. The title was, "Safe and Secure."
He told us about the 5 assurances of being secure in Christ. It was a much needed to hear message for me today and I wish that Starla and Bill could have heard it too. It seems that they are going through so much right now and I know that hearing these assurances would have been encouraging to them.
1. God is in Control (v.28-30)
2. God is for us (v.31)
3. God is a gracious giver (v.32)
4. God forgives us (v.33-34)
5. God will not leave us (35-39)
If you are interested, this sermon was recorded and can be heard at: http://www.riversidechristian.com/
After the message we took communion and then the service ended.
I felt good. It is always good to be in the house of the Lord. I am forever amazed by the love that we see as we travel. We never feel like strangers when we are among the Lord's people.
After the services, Pops and I went out to the truck. I left the dogs out for a little while to play in the grass. And then I cooked our dinner. I made Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Noodles and Peas. It was good, but now everything inside our truck smells like fried chicken. Oh well.
Then we took a nap. I tried to read for a while but that didn't happen. We had a good nap.
The Praise Team was having a Night of Worship at 6:30 so we got ready and went back inside. The auditorium was dim and there were only a handful of people there, (just like back home.)
But once the service started it was beautiful. The praise team led songs and videos were shown along with the words on the 2 large screens in front. Several short messages were seen on the screens and all in all it was very uplifting and touching. We truly have an Awesome God and He is worthy of our praise.
It was a great day in Lord. We are ready to begin another work week. So we'll see what happens.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

This is Healthy Bison.  Check out their website: http://www.healthybuffalo.com/

Our buffalo burger lunch

Chuck with his buffalo bone

Lucy and her bone.

Load

So we were home with Starla the whole day on Tuesday because of a computer mixup by our company. I think and Starla agrees that God just wanted us home with her for an extra day. She really was sore and oh so tired from the meds. She just slept and slept.
I kept the dishes and laundry done for her and made supper while we were home so that she didn't have to do anything.
We thought for sure that we would wake up to a load on Wednesday morning but once again we didn't. Later on in the in afternoon we did get a load. So we would be leaving in a little while. We had to pick up and go to New Hampshire.
I was excited to go there again.
So we made our delivery the next morning and then went to Walmart to stay. I did go in and shop for awhile. I picked up some items I needed to do some repairs and then Pops and I did do the repairs. Just minor repairs but it was satisfying.
And we waited for a load. And we waited some more and finally that evening we moved our truck to a very nice rest area. We got a good place to park and only planned to be there for a short time, but that didn't work out either. We spent that night and the whole next day and then again Friday night.
While we were there we checked out a lot of the brochures for the state. And we found several that were interesting. There was one that sold Buffalo meat and many other meats and it was only a few miles from where we were. We made up our minds that if we were still sitting tomorrow we would go there.
Well, we woke up and still no loads. We were having offers, but none that met all our criteria. So we did drive up to the Healthy Bison Store.
It was a very small shop with not much parking but we managed to get the truck off the road.
When we entered we were offered samples of 2 kinds of sausage, one made from venison with blueberries and the other was smoked bison.
We looked around and settled on 8 buffalo burgers, 4 ostrich burgers, and 1 pound of alligator sirloin. Oh yeah and 2 bison bones for the dogs.
When we got to the truckstop, we fueled the truck and then parked. Once we got settled I cooked up some bison burgers for Pops and I and gave the dogs their bones.
The man at the shop told me that I needed to cook them on low heat and cook them slow and start them while still frozen. So I followed his directions and they came out really good.
I just may run back to that store to get some meat to take home with us so that our family can try it all. They also had lamb, antelope, duck, pigeon, wild boar, ravioli stuffed with duck, rabbit or bison. I just want to try it all.
Anyway, I imagine we will be probably still be here until Monday. Oh, well.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Allison, Hunter and Kailey

Day of Surgery

So the day of surgery is here. We got up early, I was first. I made coffee and prayed. Then Pops, Bill and Starla came downstairs. We talked a little bit but everyone seemed in a little funk.
Starla said that she wasn't nervous just a little apprehensive about the anesthesia. She sometimes doesn't handle it well.
I guess it was around 9:15 when we all got into my car and drove to the hospital.
She was pre registered so it didn't take very long to get in. Her and Bill went back into short stay surgical rooms. Pops and I went to the waiting room and found Melvin (an elder from Wills Mt.) and Ginny his wife, who are both very good friends of ours already there waiting.
We chatted a little bit and Ginny asked me exactly what was being done. I explained to her that because of previous health concerns it was recommended that Starla have an endometrial ablation. She has always had "female" problems and now also the pacemaker it is better that she never try to have children and she probably could not have had any anyway and we have known that since she was in her late teens. So by having this procedure it is hoped to stop or drastically decrease the other problems.
Bill came and got me and said that I could go back and be with her until they took her into surgery. So we twisted and turned and found our way back there.
I helped her pass the time by letting her read the blog on my phone and giving her my phone to play WordMole. She had never played this game before. It is one that I like to play when I get a few minutes in the truck. And then before we knew it they were taking her away.
So Bill and I went back to the waiting room with the others.
In a short time Bill and I went to the snack bar to get some coffee and water. We also grabbed some snacks too.
I guess it was about an hour after that when the doctor came out and told us that all went well and we could visit with her in a short time.
Once they came to get us and allowed us back to her room it seemed like only a few minutes until she was dressed and they pushed her to my car in a wheelchair.
She was trying to be a trooper, but I could see that she was in pain and still very sleepy.
Bill and I went into Walmart to pick up her meds and I needed a few things yet for our truck. It was a good half hour before they managed to count out the 20 pills that she was to get.
Then we drove home and she went straight to her room.
I fixed supper for the rest of us and from time to time one of us would go up and check on her. She was still sobbing and in a lot of pain. I felt so bad for her.
I did take her something to eat and she was groggy and I didn't think she knew that I even brought it up.
When Bill went up about an hour later he brought an empty plate down. Wow, I was amazed. I never thought she would eat anything she seemed too sleepy.
Pops, Bill and I sat up and talked until about 11:30 and then we all went to bed. I think that Starla will do fine. Her papers state that after 2-3 days she should feel pretty good.
Pops and I still plan to go back to work on Tuesday, but only if she is doing okay. There is plenty of food cooked here for Bill to eat for a few days. Her laundry is caught up and the house isn't dirty so they will be fine.
Although I am not in any hurry to be a literal Grandma, I am sad to know that my daughter will never know the joy of being a mother. But we all know that God is God and He knows best. We trust Him always. And Starla is so good with all children. I know she is a good step-mother too. She loves kids.
We have Allison, Kailey and Hunter because of Bill. These will be Starla's only chance at being any kind of a mother and our only chance of being any kind of grandparents through Starla. There are always obstacles when you are in this kind of circumstances. But obstacles can be overcome with patience and love.

Let Us Rejoice!

It was the Lord's Day and we are attending our home church. Let us rejoice in that! I love Wills Mountain. I know I say that often and really I don't know what it is other than, "family;" my church family. As much as I love my literal family, I love my church family.
I can't wait to see them and be with them.
We get to church early when we are home because the ladies have an early meeting. It is a meeting where they get together to discuss a personal study that each has worked on throughout the week and come together first thing Sunday morning to share with each other and encourage each other. It is called First Place.
These women are my true sisters on this earth. They are my backbone and my therapy. I love them more than they will ever know.
This past week we were studying "hiding sin." The lesson involved the stories of Adam and Eve and also the story of David's taking of Bathsheba. We do we try so desperately to hide our sins? Do we really think that we can keep our transgressions from being found out?
Then we had Sunday school and discussed the judgement of the people at the end of time. It was a very good lesson.
After Sunday school we went into the auditorium for Church. Our sermon was about what we need to sacrifice in order to be pleasing to God and be a faithful servant in His church.
This sermon really needs to be heard. It is so easy to attend church and go home and not think about it again until next week, but God expects more and we should be so willing to be in His service each and every day. Our purpose on this earth is to further His Kingdom. So get busy people. What can you be doing to help in the church? Don't wait to be asked, don't wait for someone else to do it. Step up and say, "Why not me? I will do it."
After church we sat around eating our weekly fellowship meal together and talking.  There are so many good people here and we are starting to see a few more young people and that makes me excited.
After we went home we hung out with Bill and Starla and did some stuff around the house.
And then later Pops and I decided to drive down and attend Bibleschool. That was a good time and the kids looked like they were having a good time. And of course Pops and I were next to last to leave because once again it is hard to leave those that you care so much about.
It will probably be another 6 weeks or so until we get to see them again. But I can see that Wills Mt. is finally doing better. I see that they are now ready to grow and move forward. And that makes me happy. I love you all.

Family Breakfast

We drove at a much more relaxed pace now. And did get into the state of New York around 2:30 pm. We were headed into a brewing plant right in the city of Rochester. Our GPS warned us of low underpasses. Now normally we follow "Gypsy's" our GPS directions and for the most part she is pretty good, but because of the low underpass warnings we opted to follow the customer directions thinkng that they would know how to route the trucks in and out of their facility. So at 3:30pm on a Friday I drove into the city.
Traffic was busy but not yet real heavy. And 2 blocks before reaching our destination I encountered the low underpass. There it was, just to the right of me and directions were telling me to turn right. So I quickly made the decision to go straight and get right back onto the interstate highway.
After driving to the next exit to loop back around we got Gypsy to give us directions and she got us right to the plant without the worry of the underpass. Now the next problem....this plant had at least 8 large buildings right in the heart of the city and we didn't know which one to go to and parking spaces were very limited.
So I did manage to get the truck out of traffic and Pops went inside to find out where we needed to be.
The building that we needed was just 2 buildings down from where we were now, so we pulled out onto the street and right back into a lot and backed into a dock. In 10 minutes we were unloaded and ready to head home. We took our truck out of service immediately and headed for home.
The drive was going to take about 6 1/2 hours and it always seems so long once we know that we are headed home, but we stayed moving and made it home between 11 and 11:30.
We unpacked what we needed to take into the house and quietly came in. Bill and Starla were already in bed and we didn't want to wake them.
I went to the basement and threw some clothes into the washing machine and then Pops and I settled in.
The next morning I was up early. I was excited to see my children and our son, Drew, was bringing along a friend that he wanted us to meet, a girl friend.
I cooked some sausage and made a white, peppered gravy for over that. I cooked some green onion, smoked sausage that we brought back from Peto's in Louisiana. I fried 2 pounds of bacon. I scrambled 18 eggs and toasted a whole loaf of multi-grain bread and we had all of that fruit that I had bought in Florida and Georgia. It was going to be good.
Starla and Bill got up and came down not long after I started cooking. It was so good to see them both. And we talked and got all caught up talking while I cooked.
In a short while our son, Tom showed up. I miss him so much. It is always so good to see him. When he still lived at home and was in school he is the one who seemed to enjoy the same hobbies that I enjoyed. We would work for hours in the yard and plant beds doing landscaping.
Breakfast was supposed to be at 10am and Drew wasn't here yet. Bill had plans to work on his vehicles, so we decided to go ahead and eat. Drew could catch up, haha and there was no chance that we were going to eat it all.
Eventually he did get here and we got to meet Katelyn, his friend. She was very easy to talk to and I could see why Drew would like her. No to mention that she is pretty, as one of our friends said later, "how does Drew always find all these pretty girls?"
Katelyn told us all about herself and her family and we tried to be on our best behavior and not embarrass Drew too much. Honestly, just between you and me, sometimes I think we're a little strange. lol
And just to prove my point, while we were all still sitting in the kitchen, Pops went back to the sunroom for something. Suddenly he made a comment about a big spider and needing something to kill it. I told him just to step on it and was on my back there thinking that maybe he didn't have shoes on. Just as I came into the room I saw him pick up one of Bill's arrows that was laying beside his bow (one with a broadhead tip) and "spear" the spider, pinned it right to the window box. The whole episode was hilarious but I did apologize to Katelyn for our silliness. It was funny though.
After breakfast I gave Drew and Katelyn the tour of our "home," the truck. Drew laughed about our bunkbeds. He couldn't imagine us sleeping on bunkbeds especially his dad on the top bunk. But keep in mind that this a temporary truck for us.
We really had a good morning and got sad when it was time for the boys to leave. They both had to work this afternoon. I knew that we would probably be leaving early Tuesday morning and that I wouldn't see them again this time home. That makes me sad. I love my kids so much. You know, family is the most important thing this side of Heaven. And I thank God for my family each and every day. We may be silly, we may not always see eye to eye, but we truly love each other and can talk and reason with other in love and harmony.
So I stood at the window and watched my boys drive away with all the leftover food. And it was sad to watch them go but my heart was full.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Starla's surgery

We woke up the next morning in the parking lot of Walmart and went to make our delivery. It was an easy delivery with the exception of the having to watch the safety video and get visitor passes. And once we were unloaded we headed to Jacksonville, FL to get some work done to our generator.
Our generator is what provides all the electrical power to the inside of our truck, our refrigerator, stove, lights, and outlets. And it wasn’t working properly, it kept throwing breakers whenever I would try to cook something. And it also powers our in cab air conditioner so unless we let the truck idle, we had no AC and we were in Florida!
On our way to Jacksonville we passed through Orlando. This is where SeaWorld and the DisneyLand are located. It was kind of cool to pass by those areas, especially since Pops’ brother, Buck, had his youth group from Church there for a visit.
I kept seeing signs for Florida fruit, $1.00 a bag. I wanted some fruit. I love oranges and grapefruits and I knew we were heading home for the upcoming weekend and that we had a Big Breakfast planned with the family so I really wanted to stop for fruit, but at the same time I just wanted to get to Jacksonville, get fixed and get out of Florida. We weren’t making any money here and there aren’t any loads that come out of Florida. So I didn’t stop for fruit.
We made it to Jacksonville shortly after lunch time. We got in almost right away to get our work done. It was hot! And we couldn’t let the truck idle while they worked on it so we sat in there and baked in the Florida heat while they worked.
Finally at 5:00, quitting time, they rushed the man that was working on our truck until he claimed it was finished. We pulled out of their lot and sat to do some paperwork of our own and watched as one by one all of those workers left the area. Just as we were pulling away from the front of their building our breakers tripped and generator shut off!
So we parked right there in front of their building and camped out for the night. Of course we idled our truck so that we had AC.
In the morning when the workers came back, Pops walked over and explained what happened and they got us right in. So once again they worked for several hours trying to get to the bottom of our problem. And by noon proclaimed we were fixed. This time we tested all the appliances and everything seemed to be working well. Hallelujah! So we headed out and were told by our boss to drive to Atlanta and wait for a load.
Once again I watched the billboards for fruit and debated whether or not to stop. Eventually right on the border of Florida and Georgia I did stop and purchased some oranges, grapefruits, green bananas, and Georgia peaches. Umm Umm it all smelled so good.
We got to Atlanta around 3pm and pulled into a truckstop for the evening. We were not even backed in to a spot yet when a man flagged us down and asked us for food. He said that he was out of work and needed food for his family and wondered if we had anything to spare, so of course I filled up a bag and handed it out the window along with a nice cold can of Pepsi which he opened up right and drank straight down.
After that we got settled in and began to relax. Towards evening we put up our privacy screen and turned the lights on except that they didn’t come on. Oh no, now what. We hadn’t tested the lights when we were done at the shop. Everything else is working good, but no lights inside our truck. So we managed to get by with a battery lantern and 2 flashlights. Honestly, I was about ready to pull my hair out.
Very early in the morning we were awakened by our company wanting us to do a short but very important load. It was hauling pharmaceuticals. These are high paying, high security loads, but we had just wasted 2 working days with no pay and didn’t want a short load, we wanted something long and good revenue. But they talked us into it and off we went.
We got to our pickup and had to wait a little while. But once we got backed in it went quickly. We were hauling 6 small pails of pharmaceuticals. That was it. The whole deal weighed only 19 pounds. Haha
We drove that stuff 56 miles away to a secure plant. We had to go in and watch a safety video and then take a test. We were given security badges and visitor passes. We had to be escorted to our loading dock that was about 125 yards from the front gate and totally visible from the front gate. We were not allowed out of the truck except to unload the freight. And during that 125 yards we had to go through 3 security gates where we had to each swipe our badges to get through. It was slightly ridiculous if you ask me. But whatever.
It took Pops about 90 seconds to unload those little buckets and then back through the 3 security gates and then we were back outside the plant and headed back to Atlanta.
Our daughter, Starla, was scheduled for surgery on Friday and we really wanted to be home so now we had to hope for a load heading that direction. We were offered just about everything else, including good trips to Canada.
While Pops took a nap we were offered a trip going to Rochester, NY. That was the right direction and it delivered at just after midnight onFriday morning. So we accepted that load. But once we accepted it and our dispatch started coming through I realized that I had made a horrible mistake. It wasn’t delivering at 12:30am it was delivering at 12:30pm. Oh no, now we won’t be home for Starla’s surgery! Oh no, how hard would it be to get taken off this load and then find another going in the right direction, this was Wednesday afternoon.
I called Starla and told her that unless a miracle happened we would not be home in time for surgery but we would still get home that evening afterwards, sometime. She said that she understood, but I felt so terrible. I called our sons and asked them to please go to the hospital and sit with Bill during her surgery and keep me continuously updated.
Our pickup was in Alabama, just across the Georgia line so we drove down there in the evening. We found a truckstop and stopped for the night. In the morning we drove to Walmart and I bought all the food for our “family breakfast” that we were still having on Saturday morning. Then we drove over to our pickup. We were scheduled to pick up at 1:00pm, but we figured if we could pickup at 10:00 we could get a good headstart and get home earlier.
I was figuring in my head how we could deliver early and just maybe get to the hospital before she was released from the hospital, but no, it wasn’t going to work out that way. We got word that our pickup wasn’t ready, a machine was broken down and we were going to be later than expected, possibly as late as 7:00pm.
Now this was Thursday and I wanted desperately to be home as early on Friday as possible! Iwas so frustrated. But then I started to think about what if our delivery can’t be made until Monday now because what if they close tomorrow around 5:00 and we aren’t there yet and then we have to sit around until Monday. Well, I’m not! I’ll go home! But wait, if that happens, we can go home for the weekend, it’s not out of the way and then leave Sunday night after church and still deliver on Monday morning. There it’s all figured out, that sounds good, we’ll even make it in time for her surgery.
Except that didn’t happen either. The pickup was ready at 6:00pm and our company set our delivery time for 5:00pm the next day. That means that we couldn’t be at the surgery and we wouldn’t get home until around midnight at the earliest if all went well. But, I don’t live in the land of: Everything goes well.
I was so upset, so frustrated and I just wanted to cry. But what good would that have done?
So the next morning I was awake at 6am and we talked to Starla before she left for the hospital and prayed with her.
And then prepared to drive and be updated by others. Some very good church friends were at the hospital and our son, Tom was there too.
So we waited, and we waited. She was to go in at 8:30 and by 9:00 she hadn’t gone in yet.
I called around 9:30 to see if she had gone in yet only to be told that they might have to postpone because of technical problems at the hospital and within 15 minutes we got final comfirmation that indeed the surgery was postponed until Monday morning.
Wow! Now we can be there. Thank You, Lord. I never saw it working out this way. But I am so thankful.
We drove to Rochester with a big burden lifted and made our delivery. Now we go home to see our family. Praise you, Lord.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Florida

After waiting through many load offers in Iowa a good paying one finally came up. It was to Florida and we had heard that it is hard to get a load back from there but it was kind of hard getting a load from Iowa at the minute and any good paying load was looking good. So we accepted it, besides, Florida is a new state for us so another one to color in.
Our pick up was only a few miles from where we were and we don't deliver until Monday morning so we didn't need to be in any rush.
We got to our pick up and there was no one there. We made a phone call and within 20 minutes someone showed up and we were out of there.
I was driving first and got us through Illinois and into Kentucky before we switched off. While Pops drove I slept. When I woke up we were near Chattanooga, TN. I sat up and talked with Pops for a while and then I drove.
When we got to Atlanta we stopped for a shower and a rest, but the area where we stopped had no water. They were having a water main issue so we drove on to the other end of Atlanta and stopped again. This time all was good and we got something to eat and a shower and sat a rested a bit.
We were going to stay in the Atlanta area (it was Saturday) and attend church in Winder, GA, but we decided to move further south. You never know when you might have something go wrong with the truck so it is always best to get as close to your destination as soon as you can.
We stopped again for a rest just inside the Florida line. It was a really nice Welcome center and we lingered there for a little while and then moved on.
We got to Bartow, Florida around 2am Sunday morning. We parked at a Walmart and I fell asleep within minutes. We woke up just in time to get to church.
We were attending Community Christian Church in Bartow, Florida. I had called the day before and got info from the minister.
He called us this morning before church to see if we had made it in to town. It reminded me of when Pops' mother used to call us on Sunday morning to make sure we were coming to church.
It was a small church in a little residential area. The streets were lined with trees laden with spanish moss. It was pretty. The congregation was small too but very friendly. I enjoyed meeting all of them so much especially Margaret and Rhonda and of course, Granny.
The minister, Jim Stith, is a very nice man. He was very hospitable to us and made us extremely comfortable. We felt very much a part of this congregation.
The order of service was a lot like our home church. We sang hymns and then praise songs. We had communion and then the offering and then we heard a good message about the core values of the church, keeping in mind that WE are the church. So what should our values be and what is the big picture for us in the church and our church in the community?
We learned a lot about a nearby place called, Gatorland. I would love to visit there. It sounded like so much fun.
After church Pops and I went to Golden Corral to eat. Oh my, it was so good. I definately ate way to much and so did he.
Then we went back to Walmart to take a nap. This Walmart is in a nice neighborhood. It is landscaped real nice. It has big trees all dripping with spanish moss and flowering shrubs all around the area. The place where we parked had a big grassy yard next to us so it was perfect to play with the dogs.
We did nap. Almost too much nap. We woke up at 5:30 and evening Biblestudy was at 6:00. I hurried and got ready and we drove over, good thing it is only 3.5 miles away.
They were studying the Isrealites journey into the promised land and comparing that to today's problems in the church. It was a very good study.
We were impressed by the number of teens attending there this evening. It was so good to see them participate in the service and see so many of them there.
There was one boy in particular, Tim Coe. He is really smart and very charismatic. You can't help but like him. He is going to be going to into the military and we wish him the best.
We were told that we were welcome to stay parked there if we wanted to because it is really close to our delivery location so we decided to do that.
After everyone left I got busy cooking up some spaghetti sauce to get a head start on food for the week. I had just finished cooking that and cleaning up and taking out the garbage when we saw blue and red flashing lights right beside us. It was a cop. He told us that we had to leave the area because of a "town ordinance" and the neighbors complaining of us being there.
So we got stuff put away and drove back to Walmart. So here we sit waiting for morning so we can go back over there to deliver.
Florida has been interesting, but I liked it. The worst part is meeting people that you know you could like really well and realizing that you might never see them again this side of Heaven. But you never know.

Some pix

Front of Bulletin from Church this morning

Community Christian Church in Bartow, Florida

Saw this guy at a store and it reminded me of Starla. She loved Oscar when she was little, probably because he reminded her of me. lol

Spanish Moss in the trees. It is so pretty.

Our truck at nighttime.

Friday, July 8, 2011

This display is just inside the door of the Iowa80 truckstop. I knew this place was gonna be interesting.

Back to the US

We came back into the US empty and it was just as easy as going in. The Border Patrol did look inside our box of our truck though.
It was a beautiful sunny day, a nice day for the 4th of July.
We crossed into Vermont because our layover was Portsmouth, NH. I had never been to Vermont with FedEx yet so I needed to get a keychain and some postcards.
We got off an exit to see if I could get some and the little town that we stopped in was having a parade, so a policeman turned us around and sent us to another location.
We stopped at a small town with a big lake. It was Lake Memphrenmagog. It is a very large lake that stretches from Vermont into Canada. There were so many people already enjoying the lake on this day. We saw swimmers, boaters, sailors, and just sight-seers, like us. We spent a little time there with the dogs and then got back on the road.
Vermont is about the prettiest state I've seen so far. There are mountains, and so much nature to enjoy. I would've loved to get to spend more time there.
Then we crossed into New Hampshire. We continued to travel through the mountains and State Parks. There was one place that was called Twin Mountains State Park. It was two mountains coming together with a narrow ravine between the two. They were so steep that while we drove between the two, you almost couldn't see the tops of either one; and it was only two lane traffic and very narrow and curvy. There was also a lake in there too, it was a very busy place this 4th of July day. On the sides of the mountains were ski slopes, very very steep ski slopes. Who on this earth would ever stand up and come down those mountains on skis? Oh, My, gracious! I would love to sit at the bottom and watch.
We really enjoyed our holiday driving through some of God's most beautiful areas. What a great job we have! Sometimes I feel guilty getting paid to drive around and see so many sights.
We got to our place of layover and fueled our truck. We found a good place to park and got something to eat, cleaned up and got ready for bed. Ahhhhh!
The next day we got busy cleaning the truck, sweeping the box, re-arranging the outside storage boxes, doing laundry and all the usual stuff we do while on layover. The day went by pretty quickly.
I wasn't feeling well at all. I must have had some sort of stomach virus because I was throwing up and really tired and weary. I slept a lot through out the day. By evening I was starting to feel a little better so we decided to go inside to get something to eat. Well, that idea wasn't too good because I realized that I wasn't very hungry at all, so we got our food in boxes and went back out to the truck.
The next morning I was all better and we decided that we better find a Walmart and get some groceries. So we found one less than 3 miles away.
I went inside for groceries while Pops waited to see if we would get a load. I had no sooner got our groceries back to the truck when we did get a load. It picked up in MA and was going to Iowa. We took the load.
So Pops and I got busy driving taking our turns the whole way across. I started out because it was just before noon. I drove us down through New England and into PA. I drove through Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. Then Pops took over and drove us most of the rest of the way. When I woke up we were somewhere in Indiana. Then I started to drive again. Traffic around the Chicago area wasn't too bad when we went through there and then before I knew it we were crossing into Iowa.
We made our delivery and was headed back to Davenport, Iowa for layover. We are staying at the Iowa80 truckstop. It is billed as the World's Largest Truckstop. It is pretty amazing. There are many fast food restuarants, sit-down restuarants, a really big, I mean, really big store in the main building and the fuel location. There is a truckwash, a petwash, a laundramat, service center, hotel, musuem, and just about anything else you could want. But it is busy, all the time.
We have been here since last evening. We had some minor repairs done our truck and had a good night's sleep. I fixed a big breakfast of bacon and eggs. We did shop around some although didn't buy anything but a few postcards.
We have been getting some load opportunities, but so far not really anything that we can settle on. I sure hope that we aren't here for the weekend already. But I trust, God takes care and always gives us what we need.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Vermont Pix

I liked this billboard.

This is not Vermont, this is from Canada.

Vermont beauty.

Lake Memphremagog. We stopped here while passing by.

Lake shore.

I wish I could remember the name of this pass through the mountains. It was really pretty through here.
Canadian Flag

Storm brewing

storm clouds

After the storm, place of delivery

Canada

We thought we might have a difficult time getting a load out of San Antonio and I was lining up some things to do if we were stuck there. We missed out on a good load going to NC and figured that was our one chance, but the Lord takes care of us and we were offered a trip going to Quebec, Canada.
We haven’t done any Canada loads before because trucks must have a speed limiter and our other didn’t have one, but this truck does so when the money was right we decided, why not?
So we left San Antonio on Friday afternoon. Tate and Shirley met us at the truck stop while we were fueling and then we headed out.
It was a long drive through Texas, but of course it always is. We had to go through Austin, Waco, past Fort Worth and through Dallas. It was crazy with traffic, I guess because of holiday (4th of July) travelers.
We saw some fireworks over the lake in Dallas as we were driving through.
Then we continued north up through the United States. It was nice weather and a pleasant drive. And we didn’t need to rush so it was enjoyable.
We went through Michigan and then made it to the border around 2am.
I was worried about crossing because we had heard so many scary tales about what they put you through there. And I was nervous when I pulled up. Because of the time there were no other trucks or traffic.
I handed my 2 forms of ID out the window and he looked at me and said, “What are you giving me?” I quickly jerked my hand back inside and said, “Oh.”
“Give me your paperwork and your passports.” I did  and he stamped them and handed them back to me.
“Do you have any weapons or firearms?” He asked.
“No.” I said.
“Ok, you’re clear to go.”
Wow, that was it? 8 minutes total. I was expecting hours. So we drove away. Now where? We didn’t know for sure.
And the speed  limit signs were in kilometers! We googled that to make sure we wouldn’t be speeding.
And I drove us about an hour inside the border to a truckstop and we slept there for the night.
The next morning we awoke and after eating got to driving again. It was really afternoon, because we didn’t lay down until 4:30am.
Pops drove us across Ontario which was mostly all rural areas with big farms. Then through the city of Toronto. Then we crossed the line into Quebec. It was rural too, but with a few more towns and cities every once in a while. Then we went through Montreal.
About that time we started to see the clouds turn dark and begin to gather. A storm was coming. The clouds kept getting bigger and bigger and darker and darker. We did get to drive through a storm but it only lasted about 10 minutes.
We finally made it to Roxton Falls about 8:30pm. It was just getting dark here and the sky was pretty after the storm. We found our delivery sight, but our scheduled time isn’t until 9am so we are parking in the big lot until morning. This is a small town, population 1,300. It seems quiet so it should be a relaxing evening.
Pops and I just enjoyed an ice cream cone. I love having a freezer big enough to keep ice cream. And we have 2 half gallons because he wanted chocolate cherry and I like butter pecan. Haha
Well, I’m quite interested to see if and how we get out of Canada tomorrow.  It still could get pretty interesting.