Getting ready to go home

I am so far behind on this blog, I am sorry. I am going to try to get caught up now.

We were on a load that was going to a Military base on the Florida panhandle. It was to deliver early in the morning just after I woke up. It was hot and humid already.

I took the dogs out and then we drove onto the base. Security wasn’t too bad here. They did the usual truck inspection and check of our credentials then they told us a password that we would need at the next gate. Haha, none had ever done that before.

Anyway we made it across the base and to the building where we were to unload. We were met there and got unloaded and back out of the base in no time.

It was an air force base so there were all kinds of old planes and helicopters around. It was pretty awesome to see them on pedestals that made them look like they were in flight.

We were given a layover in Mobile, AL, so we headed that direction. Since Memorial Day was coming up and we wanted to go home for the weekend we sure was hoping for a load that direction.

We drove toward Mobile, which is a port city in the southern part of Alabama on the Gulf of Mexico. We had to drive across a very long bridge and then the bridge went down into a tunnel under the water and then back up onto a bridge above water and then onto land. We saw a huge gray battleship sitting in the harbor at Mobile. I was really busy looking around trying to see everything. I had never been through here while awake before. It was mostly loading docks for ships. But I sure did enjoy seeing all of it.

Then we turned north toward a truckstop. Pops needed rest and I had some stuff to do also. So we got parked and he tried to sleep. We weren’t parked too long though before we got a load offer that picked up at a Military base in Anniston, AL and was going to Dover AFB. We thought we better take that load because we would be in Dover, DE on Thursday and then we could go home.

So we drove toward Anniston which is in the Northeastern part of Alabama. We didn’t pick up until the next day but wanted to get closer. We stopped in Talladega to spend the night. It was almost dark when we got there and until we got something to eat and took the dogs out it was pretty much time to go to sleep.

When we got up the next morning we got a shower and got on our way. It was around lunch time when we reached the base at Anniston. Security was a big, major deal here. We had to go through a lot of checks and then be escorted to our place of pickup.

Once we were shown where we would pickup our escort left us. I backed the truck into the dock and we waited for someone to come to load us. While we were waiting, a siren went off and kept going off. An announcement came over loud speakers throughout the base, but we couldn’t understand what they were saying. We tried to listen but couldn’t make it out. We looked around but didn’t see anyone. Oh great, I thought, we are in danger and don’t know what to do. Finally down the block at another loading dock I saw a driver outside his truck and someone on a forklift loading his truck. They didn’t seem to be worried about the danger. Then I noticed another truck also being loaded with no apparent worries. Ok, I guess it was just a drill or something. Surely someone (our escort) would have left us know if we were in real danger.

Shortly after that two men showed up to load our truck. It didn’t take long we only had 5 pallets. So after getting them onto the truck we waited while they called for our escort to lead us to the office building so we could get our paperwork.

Once we got the paperwork and every T was crossed and every I was dotted, we were led by the escort back to the main gate. And then started our drive to Dover, DE. This pickup seemed like it took an incredible amount of our time. Oh well, you take the good with the bad, not that it was bad, just sometimes we go right in and right out.

I drove until after dark and then slept while Pops drove through the night. We reached Dover early in the morning. We have been here several times and these soldiers know us by now. We still have to go through the checks and inspections but it is a lot less stress and hassle when they get to know you.

After the inspections we drove to the building where firearms are unloaded and here, too, these soldiers remember us. So we joke with them and Pops talks about fishing while we are getting unloaded. Soon we are ready to be on our way.

Now we are headed home. I can’t wait. I miss my kids. I miss my home. I miss Wills Mountain Church. I am ready to be home.