There was a shipment in Buffalo, a truck went to pick it up but could not load it because of the height of one crate. We got over there about 9pm. By then it was raining and extremely windy and we had to tarp. That was cold, wet and COLD! (2 C) We finished at 11pm and found all gates chained and locked! We sat for half an hour. Jim banged on doors and rang bells - could not get any one’s attention. Eventually a forklift driver was going between buildings and he rounded up a key so we could get out.Only went as far as the truckstop in Buffalo that night.
Next morning we headed to Chicago - it rained all the way and again extremely windy. Delivered at McCormick Place Convention Centre in Chicago! We had not been there for 6+ years. Sure felt weird pulling onto the show floor. Like a time warp! Only saw one driver we knew from our Tradeshow days - Lee was sure surprised to see us!
Headed south to Crawfordsville, Indiana and loaded two steel coils that afternoon at Nucor Steel.Website: As the first continuous thin-slab cast flat rolled steelmaking facility in the world, Nucor Steel–Indiana, has an annual capacity of 2,200,000 tons of hot rolled, cold rolled and galvanized products. The continuous thin-slab cast flat rolled steelmaking process transforms molten metal into hot band in an uninterrupted operation.
Had an easy drive south to Mobile, Alabama. Interstate 65 all the way and it got warmer! The leaf colours were awesome, too.
We delivered the steel coils Monday morning at the Port of Mobile.
Website: The Port of Mobile was the tenth largest in the USA in 2006. It is located along the Mobile River where it empties into Mobile Bay. The Port of Mobile has public, deepwater terminals with direct access to 1,500 miles of inland and intracoastal waterways serving the Great Lakes, the Ohio and Tennessee river valleys and the Gulf of Mexico. The Port of Mobile is the largest break bulk forest products port in the United States.
We drove 70 kms to Axis, Alabama and loaded 10 foot 4 inch wide, half inch thick, flat steel - a wide load. Took it to Trinity Marine in Caruthersville, Missouri on the Mississippi River.
They are manufactures of welded steel barges, fishing boats, cargo or container ships, dredging craft, tankers, tug boats, barges, passenger or automobile ferries, cruise ships, salvage ships, oil or gas crew boat, oil or gas workboat, seismic vessel, and trawlers.
The city of Caruthersville located along the western bank of the Mississippi River in Missouri's boot heel. The Caruthersville Bridge is the only bridge crossing along the river between Cairo, Illinois and Memphis, Tennessee.
The major resources for the Caruthersville area include commerce supplied by the Mississippi river barge and transport industry as well as agriculture which accounts for 60% of the local economy. Large portions of the cash crops grown in the area, rice, soy beans and cotton are sent through the Mississippi River transportation industry to distribution points along the Mississippi delta region. There is now a riverboat casino in Caruthersville which has revived the local economy and provided a new source of tourist revenue.
We deadheaded 300kms that evening to Pulaski, Tennessee (south of Nashville) to load a partial (LTL) shipment on Wednesday morning - used machinery.In the afternoon loaded in Gallatin, Tennessee (north of Nashville) another LTL more used machinery. Both tarped shipments and went to Long Island, New York about 25 kms apart
Trivia: Pulaski is known for being the birthplace of the Ku Klux Klan, although the city has condemned the Klan.
Pulaski is a lovely town - decorated for Halloween and Fall. Mannequins on the streets in costumes, and huge concrete turkeys decorated.
The highways were beautiful Fall colours - the changing of the leaves were at their peak in Tennessee. We took back roads for awhile.
An uneventful drive to Long Island and we delivered both shipments on Friday 30 October. Could not find another load, so we headed off the Island. Then loaded on Saturday morning in Stafford, Connecticut at Sikorsky Aircraft: Designers and builders of the world's most advanced helicopters for commercial, industrial, and military use.
The leaves in Connecticut were past their peak, but still pretty.One helicopter blade was all we had on and we delivered it that afternoon in Horseheads, New York to Schweizer Aircraft a subsidiary of Sikorsky.
Sikorsky primarily manufactures medium and large helicopters, while Schweizer produces small helicopters, gliders and light planes.
Only three hours drive to Buffalo, so at 6.30pm we decided to go there - it was Halloween night. We arrived at Joe and Michele’s too late to see Baillie in costume. She dressed as a “mummy” and she and Michele went trick or treating in Michele’s brother’s subdivision.
They also got me a pumpkin to carve! Baillie had already carved a couple, so I carved mine on Sunday morning. Considering Halloween was over, I did a star and a moon instead of a jack-o-lantern. It turned out pretty good - my second pumpkin masterpiece! Fun!
It was cold, but sunny for the weekend. We visited Jim’s mother and sister and his niece, Kristin’s family. Kris dressed five month old Liam in his monkey costume. His first Halloween and he didn't like it much!Sunday evening we did more visiting and had a busy day and a late night. Joe was on the road so we missed him this trip.
Monday morning there was a huge frost at Joe and Michele’s! We headed into Ontario to load plastic pipe. Part of it delivered in Buffalo and part in Salamanca, New York, not far from Buffalo. Near Salamanca Monday night we meet Art at a restaurant for a quick meal and catch up. He just bought one of Jimmy’s moto guzzi’s and was excited about that. Jimmy has sold his truck and trailer, car, two motorcycles. He is anticipating a move - career and lifestyle change.
We delivered the rest of the pipe at the Seneca Nation Reservation near Salamanca on Tuesday morning - a new sports complex under construction.
Internet: Salamanca is the only city in the USA to be built on land leased by an Indian Nation. About 90 percent of the property in Salamanca, a city of 6,600, lies on Seneca land, the largest Indian reservation in New York. The Seneca traditionally lived in what is now New York between the Genesee River and Canandaigua Lake, with some recent evidence indicates that they lived all the way down to the Allegheny River into what is now northwestern Pennsylvania. About 7,800 Seneca people are citizens of the Seneca Nation of Indians. These members live or work on five reservations in New York, with the majority of them living in the city of Salamanca.
Loaded in Erie, Pennsylvania in the afternoon - a wide load. Cold, windy, raining, turning to freezing rain. Tarping was a battle and cold! We can only drive during daylight with a wide load, so by the time we had it loaded and tarped we only got about 120 kms down the road before dark. Jimmy was on his last run and going to Kentucky to quit. We had a quick meal with him because he had to keep rolling.
Our load was very top heavy and all the weight was on one side so it was over 45 cms on the passenger side only. We had to pay for an escort vehicle over the Ambassador Bridge into Ontario. We were pleased to have that off the truck. The machine did precision cutting of titanium.
Headed back into the USA empty and via Detroit to Fort Wayne, Indiana to load steel bars the next morning, 5 November. Delivered them the next morning in Auburn, New York. That morning we discovered light snow had fallen during the night. None on the ground, but still on the trailer and tarp.Three hours drive back to Buffalo for the weekend and there was snow on the ground, so there had been more closer to Buffalo.
We had stayed in the north east area for the week as there was a party on Saturday, 7 November for Jim’s mother’s 90th birthday. Her birthday is 17 December, but that date is close to busy Christmas schedules and possible winter weather makes travel difficult and dangerous, so we scheduled the party five weeks early.
It turned out to be beautiful warm weather for the whole weekend! The news reported that the high temperatures equaled the previous recorded high temperatures from that day in 1891, the warmest November days in over 100 years!
The party was held it at the Whistle Stop Inn, in Alden, beside the railway track. A train theme throughout with model trains operating around the ceiling and trains on shelves all around. A lovely country restaurant and they catered, we decorated in Autumn colours. About 70 people attended, Jim‘s cousin Marianne travelled from Oregon, others came from Pennsylvania, most from the Buffalo area.Nine grandchildren and ten great grandchildren, one great grand child was sick and could not attend.
Grandchildren: L to R Men at back: Jeff Mergel, Robert Hawley, Mathew Hawley, Jimmy Casey, Joe Casey. Ladies L to R: Eileen (Mergel) Lynn, Laura (Hawley) Brown, Kristin (Hawley) McCarthy, Karen (Mergel) Reitz with Helen.
Also, photo with Helen, her two surviving children: Jim and his sister Pat, her husband, Larry Hawley and I.
It was wonderful to catch up with everyone. It was a very happy celebration.
Sunday we spent time with Jimmy and met friends Jim and Jan at the Marilla Grill. The town of Marilla had the Veteran’s Day Parade and a lot of people were still at the Grill (Pub) at 3pm when we met Jim and Jan. Sure was serious partying. The Renegade Drum Corps (marching band) stayed after the parade and partied, they did an impromptu demonstration of their talent! The back room of the Grill is small and with a fourteen member marching band belting out some tunes - it was LOUD! Three bass drums, three snare drums, symbols, xylophones - it is a wonder the ceiling didn't fall in! Sort of got your heart beating out of rhythm. Awesome music though!
Other friends showed up - Bob and Patty were out on their motorbikes. The weather was awesome - many people were out on motorcycles all weekend. Had beers and buffalo wings with them. Afterwards, we said our goodbyes to Jim’s mom, sister and brother in law. The last chance before we head to Australia.There were no loads near Buffalo going near Florida, so we deadheaded to Mechanicsville, Maryland - 730 kms to get one.
Tuesday we loaded pre-cut boards for wooden hay feeders handmade by Amish woodworkers in DIY kit form. Made on a working Amish farm, and we had trouble finding it as there was no phone there we could not contact anyone for directions. And they don't use electricity. They do use machinery - diesel/petrol/propane. Working horses came over to greet us and also beautiful trotters used for their carts. I wanted to take a photo of their forklift, but Amish don't like photos taken.
It was a Case W14H loader with forklift attachment in front, no clue what vintage (old). Two points of articulation, one to the rear wheels and one at the forklift hitch. Also front and rear differentials. I would think it very difficult to make the precise actions required to load the truck. No trouble at all for the young man operating it!
Loaded and headed south and delivered Wednesday afternoon at a hardware/farm Store near Ocala, Florida. Got to the house in Daytona Beach about 7 pm.
We had to cancel our trucking contract, take decals and stickers off the truck doors, return license plate, permits, etc. We plan to return to the same company next year, but $60 is taken out of our cheque each week for worker’s compensation, transponder, load alerts, permits, etc.
These can’t be ‘suspended’, so we have to quit, then reapply when we return.
We leave the trailer at a storage facility, and take the truck cab to Hewitt’s shop in New Smyrna Beach. Did that Friday afternoon and stayed in New Smyrna Beach and had dinner with Ron, Gina, Tim and Helena at Peanuts Bar.
Had a busy few days and a lot of business to finish up and packing for Australia.Saturday evening went to Boondocks Restaurant with Derek and Cindy Bird.
We are all packed and have done most of our chores, so Sunday will be a low stress day. Reading the Sunday paper and eating donuts!
Pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin beer - I love the food at this time of the year!
