Sunday, November 13, 2016

Vol. 20 No. 9 - 13 November, 2016

Monday, 31 October we delivered three shipments near Chicago, then loaded a partial/LTL (Less Than Truckload) in Rockford, Illinois.  Roper Whitney, they manufacture sheet metal fabricating equipment.  Loaded a ‘bending’ machine on the deck of the trailer, then tarped it.
LTL Rockford, Illinois to Fort Pierce, Florida.
South to Chillicothe, Illinois (north of Peoria) on Tuesday, and loaded a CAT engine for a pump.  A half a trailer loaded.
Two LTL's so far, for Florida.
850 miles down to Carolina Fabricators in West Columbia, South Carolina to finish loading on Wednesday.  Six steel tank heads.

Three LTL’s on, southbound to Florida.  At a rest area stop later that day, Jim noticed a drive tyre low on air.  After seeing a billboard on the highway for Merritt’s Garagein the town of Coosawhatchie, South Carolina - we pulled off at the next exit.
Coosawatchie, South Carolina - old style garage.
The worker’s there were very helpful – found the puncture and what caused it! A brake caliper – must have picked it up on the highway.  The flat end of the rod went through the tyre.  Jim had planned to replace all eight drive tyres when we return to work next year, and have a matched set. Didn’t want to outlay the money before we take three months off.  The garage did not recommend patching it, but Jim told them to go ahead and we hoped it would last the next 1000 miles to finish the work year for us.
Tyre repair.
The end was worn from rubbing on the road, the other end punctured the tyre.
Wednesday night we stopped in Fort Pierce, Florida – got up early to get the truck washed before the line got too long.  There was a retention pond next to it and I saw this sign as we drove in.



Clean truck after a wash.
Delivered the tank heads to Miami Filter, Inc. near Fort Pierce.
Website:  Miami Filter, Incorporated has been designing and manufacturing water filtration systems since 1958.  Applications include large commercial swimming pools, aquariums, zoos and recreational water parks.  Equipment is utilized for many industrial applications such as wastewater treatment, ground water remediation, potable water, agriculture, and aquaculture.
Delivered tank heads in Fort Pierce, Florida.
And that ‘fingers crossed’, hopefulness regarding the tyre puncture and patch … Thursday morning there was no air in it and it would not hold air - the patch did not hold.  Miami does not have a truckstop, and truck related services are scarce.  After several phone calls – a small place called Alex’s Tires assisted.  It operated out of a mini storage and mostly did mobile service.  We had to buy a new tyre and we pulled into a quiet side street and Mario had us up and running again.
Tyre replaced in Miami.
Next year, Jim will get the set of eight new drive tyres and this one will be a spare.
Some streets and paved parking lots in Florida are unique because the sand and stone quarries contain sea shells and they end up in asphalt and concrete mix. Looks great!
Sea shells in Florida asphalt.
Delivered the CAT engine to Pantropic in south Miami, then drove the Tamiami Trail across the Florida peninsular on Hwy 41.  We had not been on that for a long time – US Highway 41 starts (or ends?) in Miami, Florida.

Internet:  Between Miami and Naples, US 41 runs through the vast Everglades wilderness.  This section has been designated a National Scenic Byway.  The byway runs east-west through Big Cypress National Preserve, skirting the northern border of the Everglades National Park for about 20 miles (32km).  The part of the highway between Tampa and Miami is known as the Tamiami Trail (derived from the combination of Tampa and Miami, the roads two ends.)

The trail is only one lane in each direction, and it has no fences to keep wildlife from crossing it.  Alligators are sometimes on the highway!
Tamiami Trail / US41 south Florida


Delivered to Crowther Roofing in Fort Myers on Friday morning, they make metal roofs.  Then headed to the house.
I received an email from the Peabody Auditorium, in Daytona advertising a performance on that night. They were offering two tickets for $20.00 if purchased from the Box Office.  After parking the truck, we stopped by the Box Office on the way to the house.
Headed out a bit early and wandered Main Street – very quiet this time of year!
 A quiet Main Street, Daytona Beach.

Peabody Auditorium, Daytona Beach.


Peabody Website: Aluminum – This new and unique show brings material, music and artists on stage in a magical, mystery-filled creation combining visual theatre, dance and humor into an exciting, multi-sensory experience …  a unique marriage of art, visual theater, and acrobatic dance with commonplace industrial materials to create a silver-sheened world where machines spring to life with energy and emotion.
The aluminum 'curtain' prior to opening.






Some audience  participation.



Very entertaining - the dance and acrobatics were amazing and creative. Audience interaction as well, there were a lot of children in the audience.  After the show the performers came into the seating area and into the foyer and interacted with people.
A busy week for us in Daytona – getting quotes for replacing the roof, appointments, preparing the truck and trailer for storage and catching up with people.
A lovey dinner at Hulls Seafood in Ormond Beach with Lis and Harvey. Took a couple of photos heading west into the sunset over the Granada Boulevard bridge.
Over the Granada Blvd Bridge in Ormond Beach.
Granada Boulevard.
Dinner in New Smyrna Beach with Ron and Regina at Half Wall on Friday evening.


The Daytona Beach Greek Festival runs for four days, we sent there Saturday afternoon.
The 40th Annual Festival for St Demetrois Greek Orthodox Church - the Church is two blocks from the house beside the Halifax River.  We stayed a couple of hours; a huge selection of Greek food and pastries, we ate well! 

The Greek band was very entertaining.


Also tried a Greek beer.
Watched the traditional Greek dancing and the sun setting over the Halifax.




Sunday afternoon we finalized packing and a bit of business.  Ready to fly to Australia Monday (tomorrow) morning.  Ron Hewitt is taking us to the airport in Orlando.  Flying via Houston Texas, Los Angeles California, Auckland NZ into Brisbane on Wednesday. From Orlando, Florida to Brisbane, Queensland (as per our ticket) is 31 hours 10 minutes travelling.  Add an hour and a half drive from Daytona to Orlando Airport, a couple of hours each end airport time, and four + hours from Brisbane to Chinchilla - we are usually a little tired by the time we get there. 

Monday, October 31, 2016

Vol. 20 No. 8 - 31 October, 2016

Saturday, 1 October we were in Daytona Beach, and caught up on the few jobs we had to do around the house.  Jim wanted to take the moto guzzi Jackal for a run, there was a Bacon and Brew Festival on in DeLand, so that was something different to do for the afternoon.




That was interesting!  Proceeds go to local charities.
Website:  Imagine bacon, craft beer, wineries, and lots of vendors with their products that have BACON in them.





Maple sausage and bacon.
Cheesecake dipped in chocolate coated with crumbled bacon, and bacon popcorn.
Bacon Soda


A quick stop at Daytona Beach Brewing Company on the way back to the house and met truck driver friend, Chuck there.

Sunset and storm clouds across the street from the house in Daytona Beach.
Jim and I left Daytona Beach Sunday morning, and deadheaded 400 miles (640 kms) to Darlington, South Carolina to load Monday morning at Sam Carbis Solutions Group (exclusively dedicated to designing and building safe access and fall prevention structures for workers…).
Darlington, South Carolina to Cornwall, Ontario.

Heading north, the temperature cooled and we noticed the leaves starting to change to Fall colours.
Thousand Islands area, NewYork and Canadian border.
St Lawrence River and islands.
Our load delivered to BASF Chemical Company in Cornwall, Ontario Canada on Wednesday morning.
Crossed back into New York at Akwesasne Indian Reservation where Ontario, Quebec and New York meet at the St Lawrence River – the USA/Canadian border, is a Mohawk Nation.  Temperature and dropped but the river was warmer, made for dense fog!


Loaded at Alcoa Plant in Massena, NY – aluminum ingots.
Website:  Alcoa’s Massena Operations is the longest continually operating aluminum facility in the world, serving customers in the automotive, transportation, aerospace and industrial distribution markers.  Currently employing approx. 700 people, Massena Operations contributes $340 million annually to the local economy.  At its Massena facility, Alcoa operates an integrated aluminum smelting/fabricating facility.  The smelter produces 130,000 metric tons of molten aluminum per year.
Massena, New York to Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Delivered at another Alcoa Plant in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on Thursday morning.  
Truck parking at a 1950's style Diner near Lancaster, PA.
Watching Hurricane Matthew working its way towards the east coast of Florida.  We found a load going to Florida to deliver Monday morning.  We loaded late that afternoon at Ashley Machine and Tool in Wyoming, Pennsylvania – just one small crate and had to tarp it.  Exclusive use of the trailer to deliver in St Augustine, Florida on Monday morning.
Wyoming, Pennsylvania to St Augustine, Florida.
It was a slow trip to Florida because we were headed directly towards Hurricane Matthew.

As we drove south on Friday, 7th , Daytona Beach was being battered by the hurricane.  Our tenants, Sherryl and Vic prepared the house for the storm.  Jimmy stopped by to put the 1970 Moto Guzzi Ambassador on the stand so it was a couple of feet off the floor. The other three guzzis in the garage did not have sentimental value.  Sherryl and Vic stayed in the upper apartment during the storm. By early Friday afternoon the worst of the wind and rain was subsiding.

We waited Saturday in North Carolina; stayed as far inland as we could on Interstate 95, at a truckstop in Kenly - before the highway went towards the coast.
Starting Saturday morning, upwards of 15 inches of rain and 90+ mph winds hit eastern North Carolina.  Interstate highway 95 was closed by mid-day.  The most damage was from flooding.
We spent all day in the truck watching the rain.


Electricity went off Saturday afternoon and the truckstop and all businesses closed.

Sunday morning we started heading south. There were several detours past flooded roads.
A slow trip south on Interstate 95 in North Carolina.




The Lumber River was overflowing and the highway closed, traffic was diverted through the town of Lumberton.  Traffic was being returned northbound to the next exit and then south on another road through Lumberton.  By the time, we got there – no one was diverting traffic north, and I had the map, so we decided to go through the town of Lumberton.  Another truck was ahead of us, so we followed it through the “no trucks” signed streets.  Our load was very light, so that helped.  The fact that huge trees had fallen across the roads had not been taken into consideration!
Lots of huge trees toppled in Lumberton.
We zigzagged – thankfully other traffic gave us the whole road to make turns.  It was slow moving and the water was rising.  We found the street that put us on the other side of Lumber River and back on Interstate 95. The flooding was only just beginning.
Water getting deeper in Lumberton, NC.
Too deep and fast flowing for a scooter!
This car decided to do a u-turn.
The whole next week the town of Lumberton was under water – all roads closed. The Lumber River crested at near record levels on the Thursday.  People had to be rescued from floodwater over a wide area of river and water systems. During the next week there were 26 deaths just in North Carolina.

We made the delivery at Northrop Grumman Aeronautical Systems on Monday morning, then headed to Daytona Beach.

We had experienced hurricanes before in Daytona Beach, this time our house lost a lot of roof shingles, but no other damage.
The east side of the house.
The western side received the most damage to the roof.
The insurance assessor came out on Friday and was up on the roof.  There was daylight visible from the attic. A week after we went back on the road, the roof was covered in plastic and we have to schedule a new roof.
Temporary fix - roof covered with plastic (photo provided by Sherryl - thank you!)
Debris on Oleander Ave.
Debris on Ora Street.
There was plenty to keep us busy for a few days at the house.
The Oasis Tiki Bar fared well.
Loaded in Orlando on Friday afternoon at an off-site parking lot at the Orlando airport.  It was a staging area for emergency response and FEMA.  Hundreds of forklifts, industrial fans, pallet jacks, generators, pumps, light trailers, etc.  Also a lot of trucks to load.  We were there four hours, mostly waiting in line.  The Florida National Guard was in charge.
Orlando, Florida to Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Loaded one forklift and two light trailers, then back to Daytona.

It was the BiketoberFest weekend – a smaller version of Bike Week, held over four days.
Saturday morning, we met with a Sales Manager from Admiral Merchants, Rusty.  He was helping a friend with vendor tent at the Beaver Bar in Ormond Beach.
Catch up with Rusty at Beaver Bar (Rusty's photo - thanks!).
At Beaver Bar, Ormond Beach.


There were a couple of heavy rain storms, then we headed south, bar hopping to avoid the storms!  South Turn, the Moose Club, then we saw that the distillery was open.  Twelve months ago it was in the newspaper that a rum distillery was planned and hoped to be open by Bike Week (March) this year.  It wasn’t.  It is located between Jimmy’s house and ours, so we had been watching it, and waiting for it to open.

Copper Bottom Craft Distillery opened in time for Hurricane Matthew!  The building was a laundromat I often used, it was a bit strange seeing it as a distillery.

From the Daytona Beach News Journal:  East Volusia County has a spirited history with rum and the Craig family want to add to it. East Volusia County’s rum history dates back to the 1750s.  A historical marker at 715 W Granada Blvd. says the Ormond Beach site of the Three Chimneys was home to the oldest British sugar plantation, sugar mill and rum distillery in the United States.
In the early days of Prohibition that ran from 1920 to 1933, Bill McCoy used a Holly Hill boatyard as a base for his ships that ran rum and other spirits from the Bahamas up the US east coast.  According to NY Times articles, he was arrested in late 1923, pleaded guilty and served nine months in jail.

On the walls of the distillery are historical displays including reproductions of old newspapers and equipment.  The Distillery is already distributing to restaurants and hope to include retailers in the near future.  It does small batches and each bottle is filled by hand, the labels put on by hand, etc.

One other couple and Jim and I were there – we had a tour and explanation of the distillery and liquor making. The owners/distiller/marketers, Jeremy and Jenni Craig gave us a taste of their white rum and spent time talking with us.  We bought of bottle of Batch Number 1.  We enjoyed our visit!





Jim and I wandered Main Street.  Not much changes there!  Had a drink at the Boot Hill Saloon and listened to a band.
Main Street, Daytona Beach.











A stall selling patches!
The 1974 moto guzzi Eldorado needed a run, so we took it to The Taproom.
Sunday morning, back in the truck - driving all day to deliver in Winston-Salem, North Carolina Monday.
No loads that paid anything!  Spent all Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning watching load boards on the internet.  Found a load 80 miles south at Mount Airy, NC.  T.P. Supply Co. have used warehouse and storage fixtures and refurbish them for resale.  Our load was shelving.
Mt Airy, North Carolina to Marathon, New York.
North to Marathon, New York – temperatures dropping as we drove north.  Nice to see the Fall and leaves changing.

Delivered Wednesday, 19 October to Marathon, NY, then west to Elmira, NY to load and tarp two crates for Tonawanda, NY (north of Buffalo.)

Stopped the night near Rochester where Teri and Steve picked us up and we went to dinner at D & R Depot Restaurant, in LeRoy.  It is a restored and converted train station.  History, good food, and great conversation (and laughs)!

Thursday morning we delivered the Tonawanda shipment. 

In the afternoon - some visiting around Buffalo, our last time there until the Spring.  Also, made sure the camper was ready for winter.
We loaded and tarped in the rain at Graham Manufacturing in Batavia on Friday morning. Spent Friday afternoon and most of Saturday in Buffalo and left mid-afternoon to Louisiana.

Baillie and Joe went hunting early Saturday morning – Baillie shot (with a bow and arrow) her first deer of the season. An eight point buck.  They process all deer shot, and the meat consumed by them.
Baillie and her first buck of hunting season - shot with her bow (Joe's photo - thank you).
High visibility beer containers - for hunting season.
A lot of the leaves have fallen at Joe and Michele's.
Driving through Ohio Saturday evening – into a lovely sunset.
Through the Louisiana bayous.
Southern Louisiana.

Delivered Monday afternoon at the Occidental Chemical Plant in Geismar, Louisiana, they are expanding their plant.
Website  Occidental Chemical Corp plans a $145 million expansion.  The project includes adding equipment for producing a new raw material to be used in making next-generation, climate friendly refrigerants.
Interesting place - I didn't know Oxy made so many products.
We had one piece of pipe – it was obviously an important piece of pipe, in a crate and tarped.
Batavia, New York to Geismar, Louisiana.
Had a load scheduled for the next day near there, so stayed at the closest truckstop, which was next to a Bass Pro Shop.
Internet  Bass Pro Shops is a privately held retailer of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor recreation merchandise, known for stocking a wide selection of gear.
There are 94 Bass Pro Shops in the USA and Canada, and seven more under construction (one being Daytona Beach, Florida scheduled to open in Spring 2017).
(Bass Pro Shops recently bought its competitor, Cabela’s.)
This one in Denham Springs, Louisiana has a Louisiana theme and decor.



Alligator Gar - this one is taxidermied, but there were live ones in tanks.
Alligator Gar, common name, was derived from their resemblance to American alligators, with their broad snout and long sharp teeth.  They are the largest species in the gar family, and among the largest freshwater fishes in North America.  Gars are often referred to as “primitive” or “living fossils”.  They can breathe in both air and water.  The largest alligator gar caught was officially recorded at 8’5” (2.572 m) long and weighed 327 lb (148 kg).
Tuesday, 25 October we loaded at National Trench Safety in Gonzales, Louisiana.

Gonzales, Louisiana to Charlotte, North Carolina.
Delivered it the next day in Charlotte, North Carolina at another National Trench Safety depot, an inter-company exchange of equipment.
Loaded Thursday in Richburg, South Carolina at Outokumpu , they make stainless steel – wire, reels, rods, and sheet.  Our load was stainless steel rods, going to three deliveries in the Chicago area on Monday.
Rods of stainless steel, had to be tarped.

Richburg, South Carolina to Chicago, Illinois.
The weekend was unseasonably warm weather, so we stopped at a truckstop in DeMotte in north-west Indiana.  The moto guzzi le mans had not been off the truck for two months!  It needed a run, though mostly straight and flat roads where we were.
Friday evening, we went to the next town north, Lowell to visit a small brewery there – Route 2 Brews.  It was nice, and we shared a ‘flight’ of their beers.



It was getting dark, so we didn’t stay long – back into the town of DeMotte and had dinner at a local restaurant.

Saturday, we started mid-morning and wandered a bit.  South to Rensselaer, the county seat Jasper County.  Found a nice restaurant for a late breakfast.
Jasper County Courthouse in Renssalaer, Indiana.
A beautiful old building.
Flat, straight roads in Indiana!
Further south is the lovely town of Montecello, between two lakes.  Geared mostly for summer tourism, boating and fishing – and the amusement park Indiana Beach is there.  Saw a billboard for Fruitshine Winery.

Website:  We decided to open our winery to share our family tradition with everyone.  We use only local, hand-picked, tree ripened fruit in the production of our hand-crafter, artisan created, small batch wines.  No concentrates used here, just honest seasonal fruit.  There is 1.5 pound of  fruit in every jar we craft.
Ingredients – tree-ripened fruit, water, cane sugar and yeast.  NO sorbates and NO Sulphites.
What a find!  We had samples, then shared a glass, and bought a bottle of Nectarine wine.
Relaxing on the deck.
After I took the photo of the barn and tasting room, that is the owner out front.  He talked with us for half an hour, about the property, and wine making – the house was built in 1890 and the oak barn in 1910, there are no pesticides used anywhere.

Found a local Moose Club, then dinner and back to the truck before dark this time.

It was raining and much cooler Sunday morning, so loaded the bike and headed closer to Chicago.  Stayed at a truckstop in Bolingbrook, on the south side.  A sports bar across the street so Jim could watch the Buffalo Bills football game.

Monday, 31 October, the stainless steel shipment we had on went to three different businesses in three different towns on the west side of Chicago and we had them delivered by lunch time.

Followers

Blog Archive