Vol 17 No 4 - 29 June, 2013

1 and 2 June, we stayed at Joe and Michele’s near Attica, NY - Saturday and Sunday nights.

Monday, 3 June we delivered the one tank partial shipment that we picked up in Tennessee to Techniflo in Clarence Center, New York, near Buffalo.

Website: Techniflo services all manufacturing and service industries compressing and processing air, steam and gases of all industries.

Over to Hamilton, Ontario to Hitachi Construction Truck Manufacturing.  This company makes the very  large dump trucks like the ones used in mining.

My camera was handy when we drove over the Niagara River at Lewiston, NY and I took some photos of the Welland Canal and a lock, the hydroelectricity plant and Niagara Falls from the highway.  Been over this highway a hundred times but never think to take photos or learn about the area.

Internet:  The Welland Canal is part of the St Lawrence Seaway and enables ships to ascend and descend the Niagara Escarpment and to bypass Niagara Falls.  Approximately 40,000,000 tonnes of cargo are carried through the Welland Canal annually by about 3,000 ocean and Great Lakes vessels.  The original canal and its successors allowed goods from Great Lakes ports of Detroit, Cleveland, and heavily industrialized areas of the US and Ontario to be shipped to the Port of Montreal or to Quebec City where they are reloaded onto ocean-going vessels for international shipping.

The canal extends 43 km (26 mile) from Port Colborne on Lake Erie to Port Weller / St Catherine’s on Lake Ontario, and has 8 locks.  The maximum permissible length of a ship in this canal is 225.5 metres (740 feet), maximum beam is 23.8 metres (78 feet).  It takes ships an average of eleven hours to traverse the entire length of the Welland Canal.

The mist from Niagara Falls and the City of Niagara Falls. 

Internet:  Niagara Falls is one of the natural wonders of the world, but did you know that the power behind Niagara Falls also helps generate electricity?  The US and Canada have shared the Niagara River’s water power – along with a commitment to preserve the beauty of the Falls.

The Niagara project, located about 4 ½ miles downstream from the Falls, consists of two main facilities, the Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant with 13 turbines, and the Lewiston Pump Generating Plant with 12 turbines.  In between the two plants is a forebay capable of holding about 740 million gallons of water.  Behind the Lewiston Plant a 1,900 acre reservoir holds additional water.

Water is diverted from the Niagara River – up to 375,000 gallons a second – and conveyed through conduits under the City of Niagara Falls to Lewiston.  From there, water flowing through the Robert Moses plant spins turbines that power generators, converting this mechanical energy into electrical energy.  At night, when electricity demand is low, the Lewiston units operate as pumps, transporting water from the forebay up to the plant’s reservoir.  During the daytime, when electricity use peaks, the Lewiston pumps are reversed and become generators, similar to those at the Moses plant.  In this way the water can be used to produce electricity twice, increasing production and efficiency.

To balance the need for power and desire to preserve the beauty of Niagara Falls, the US and Canada signed a treaty in 1950 that regulates the amount of water diverted for hydroelectricity production.  On average more than 200,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) of water flow from Lake Erie into the Niagara River.  The pact required that at least 100,000 cfs of water spill over the Falls during the daylight hours in the tourist season – April through October.  This flow may be cut in half at night during this period and at all times the rest of the year.

Monday afternoon we left the truck at Empire Truck Services in Buffalo for a check up and preventative maintenance.  We took the le mans off the truck and went back to Joe’s.  The remainder of the week was in preparation for the Western New York Moto Guzzi Rally.  I also attended Baillie’s softball game with Michele and her parents which was fun and the last one for the school year.

Tim and Helena Hewitt drove up from Florida to attend the rally and pick up the 1976 silver Moto Guzzi Convert.  Jim and I rode it to the rally last year and Jim sold it to Tim and Helena last October.

Rain started on Wednesday through to Friday.  Joe left with the pick up and trailer with rally tent and supplies on Wednesday afternoon.  Tim, Helena, Jimmy, Jim and I headed down on Friday morning.  Michele and Bailie came down Friday evening after Baillie’s school field trip.

Tim on his 'new' convert, Jimmy on Joe's eldorado, and Jim and I on "Stella" Stone with Helena in their pick up truck.  Stopped in Springville for a late breakfast and arrived mid afternoon at the campground.  Jim and I have been attending the WNY rally at the Westfield KOA campgrounds since 2006, each year we find something different to see or do as well as some things we do almost each year.

The vineyard campground was a quagmire after two plus days of soaking rain.  Friday evening dinner was Joe and Michele’s “saddlebag soup”, it was very tasty and perfect for the cold, damp, foggy evening.  Also hot dogs and Frank and Penny’s Buffalo wings.  And birthday cake for one of the kids celebrating.

A group made a trip to the new Southern Tier Brewery in Lakewood, NY.

Website:  In operation since late 2002, Southern Tier Brewing Company has grown to produce around 50,000 barrels of beer annually.  The hand crafted ales are now available in more than half of the US, as well as parts of Australia, Denmark, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, Ontario, British Columbia, and the United Kingdom. 

The brewery started an expansion in 2010, a larger brewing capacity and high-tech bottling line that fills, caps and labels 10,000 bottles per hour.

Tim and Helena Hewitt with the Silver Bullet moto guzzi convert.

Guzzi group at Johnson's Winery in Westfield, NY.

Joe, Lesley, Jim and Jimmy "Joe Faces".

Saturday evening was the Rally dinner and awards.  Joe is the Western New York Moto Guzzi  Representative and he conducts the awards.  Before the awards there was a slow procession to the Blake/Poole camp.  Jim and Jimmy had an idea to play a trick on Joe.  He has a ‘man-scape’ moustache/beard that they tease him about.  They wanted to have lots of people sporting a “Joe Face”.  Lissy and Rob painted about 30 faces.  As people were gathering for the awards we all walked up the hill towards Joe.  It was hilarious!  Lots of photos taken, most people left the paint on for the rest of the evening.  Luckily it washed off easily!

Michele and Baillie.

The group of "Joe Faces" (photo stolen from Lissy Poole)

The clouds cleared to produce a beautiful sunset and we did the usual hike to the cliffs along Lake Erie to watch and take some photos.

The sun was out and getting warmer on Sunday morning for the pack and clean up, still muddy though.  Tim loaded the convert and he and Helena headed off to Florida.  The big tents, cooking and camping gear were packed up by 11am and we had breakfast at the Barcelona Café, then back to Attica to unload the trailer and pick up and clean everything.  Exhausted, but lots of laughs and good memories.  Joe thought attendance would be down because the Virginia Rally was the same weekend and unfavourable weather forecast, but 112 adults registered and 13 children, so it was close to the previous years.

Jim and I headed to Buffalo on the le mans Monday morning to get the truck.  It didn't need much and should make it to 1,000,000 miles (1,609,000 kms) we hope to reach in the next few months.

Jim loaded the le mans and we went to the truck stop.   Jimmy's truck was getting suspension work done.  Joe bought him in and all our gear in the car.  We met up at the truckstop for our goodbyes.

Tuesday afternoon we loaded and tarped in Cortland, NY at Pyrotek, 13 skids of parts for a trough system in aluminium production.

Pyrotech Website:  In the Global aluminium industry, Pyrotek is a recognised world-wide leader for equipment, consumables and consulting related to the refining, melting, processing and casting of molten aluminium.

Headed south to Foley, Alabama and delivered on Thursday at Vulcan Aluminium.  A new construction extending their factory.  This division makes the aluminium street signs from recycled aluminium.

Over to Pascagoula, Mississippi to load, but when we got there we found out the load had been picked up the day before.  Someone forgot to let our broker know that piece of information.  We found a replacement load for the next day in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.  Loaded and tarped that one on Friday morning at Loresco International, manufacturers of carbon backfill products for the catholdic protection and electrical grounding industries.  (??)  Whether the task is to control corrosion or to enhance electrical grounding capabilities, Loresco offers an extensive line of products.

Our load was 11 pallets of carbon backfill in bags and plastic pipe that had to be tarped.  The forklift driver explained the stuff we were hauling "it is mixed with the soil around the pipe to stop it from rusting".

It was a short haul to Missouri and we got to the nearest truckstop to our delivery about noon on Saturday and took the motorbike off the truck.  The truckstop at Kingdom City is in central Missouri and we had never done anything in that area before.  We headed to Fulton.  I was surprised to discover the Winston Churchill Museum and part of the Berlin Wall, also Civil War activity.

We rode around the Brick District, the historic downtown area – brick buildings and brick streets!

Brick streets were laid between 1910 and 1912, replacing the muddy clay streets and wooded sidewalks.  The combination of the brick streets and buildings constructed between 1870 and 1938 insure that the historic commercial centre of Fulton retains its historic feeling.

Westminster College in Fulton Missouri.

 Fulton has Westminster College, a private, residential, undergraduate college with a curriculum based on the liberal arts, (established in 1851).

These Columns are the only remains of the first Westminster Hall built in 1854 and destroyed by fire in 1909.

 In 1946 Sir Winston Churchill was the speaker for the commencement ceremony at Westminster College and delivered his "Iron Curtain" speech.  The National Churchill Museum is a national historic site located on campus and includes the Church of St Mary, Aldermanbury.  The church was in the City of London and first mentioned in 1181 and destroyed by the Great Fire of London in 1666, then rebuilt in stone by Sir Christopher Wren.  It was gutted by the Blitz in 1940, leaving only the walls standing. In 1966 these stones were transported to Fulton, Missouri by the residents of the town and the church was rebuilt on the grounds of Westminster College as a memorial to Winston Churchill.  The Churchill Museum is underneath the church.

 Churchill's grand daughter acquired eight segments of the Berlin Wall to create a sculpture entitled "Break Though".  The segments were from an area near the Bradenburg Gate and was frequented by artists and are covered in graffiti.  The sculpture is near the Church and was completed in 1990.

Church and the Berlin Wall.

There was a wedding in progress when we stopped at the Church on Saturday afternoon.

Fulton, Missouri is an interesting place! 

Internet: The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the first American expedition to cross what is now the western portion of the United States, departing in May 1804 from St Louis on the Mississippi River, making their way westward through the continental divide to the Pacific Coast. (And returned!!)

Their route in Missouri followed the Missouri River to its headwaters.  Jim and I followed parts of the Lewis and Clark Trail.  There are many state parks and trails, we crossed or followed the Katy Trail all weekend.

Wikipedia:  The Katy Trail is a recreational rail trail that runs 390 kms (240 miles) of the former Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad.  Running largely along the northern bank of the Missouri River, it is the country's longest Rails-to-Trails trail.  The trail is open for use by hikers, joggers, and cyclists year round from sunrise to sunset.  The nickname "Katy" comes from the phonetic pronunciation of "KT" in the railroad's abbreviated name MKT.  Sections of the Katy are also part of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail and the American Discovery Trail.

Our travels on Saturday afternoon took us to the city of Hermann, Missouri!

Website:  The City of Hermann was established in 1837 – a German Society settlement.  This quaint City is nestled along the banks of the Missouri River.  With original architecture, prize-winning wineries, a variety of shops, a strong industrial community and a host of ‘down home’ folks.  Hermann has been chosen several times for the title of Missouri’s most beautiful town.  The charm of old Germany and vineyards in the hills above town the centre of Missouri’s wine industry.

And the Tin Mill Brewery!  Saturday afternoon the place was busy – lots of tourists in town. 

Website:  Located in a landmark 100 year old tin mill in historic downtown Hermann is Tin Mill Brewing Company. Established in 2005, we brew all our beers using the old world German tradition of Krausening.  In this process we take beer that is almost finished fermenting and add a small amount of newly fermented beer.  This recharges the fermentation activity and adds natural carbonation.

We tasted the sample platter of six brews, all were good.

Late afternoon we headed back to the truck and experienced the worst storm we have ever ridden in!  High winds, torrential rain – very scary with zero visibility.  We wore rain gear and stayed mostly dry, but water on the road was deep, our feet and helmets were soaked.  Flash floods and damage all around.

Sunday, the stormy weather had cleared and we took a different route on the bike.  Went north to (the town of) Mexico for breakfast, then past where we had to deliver the next day.  Took little quiet roads along the Missouri River, past Jefferson City, the state capital of Missouri (named after Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the US).

Made a big circle and found our way back to Hermann.

The Gasconade County Courthouse in Hermann, sitting on a bluff with its dome gleaming and Old Glory flying in the breeze.  The Courthouse was heavily damaged by fire in 1905, the entire dome, the roof and a large portion of the second floor were destroyed.  When the building repairs were completed, the dome was not the same as the original specifications, but the building remains in almost its original condition.  The Courthouse was constructed of the finest materials available, including copper gutters and marble floors in the halls.

The Concert Hall and Barrel is the oldest continually operating tavern west of the Mississippi River.  Built in 1878, the Concert Hall was the hub of social life in early Hermann.  On the first floor a fine saloon was a gathering place for locals and a destination for fun-loving St Louisans.  The spacious upstairs hosted plays, lectures, dances and concerts.

First stop was the Hermann Wurst Haus for lunch.  The Wurstmeister offered free wurst tastings, some I remember – apple maple sausage, Caramelized Pear and Gorgonzola Bratwurst, Rueben Bratwurst, Andouille Sausage (hot Cajun style), Garlic and Butter Bratwurst.  For lunch we had their special – choice of two brats on a bed of sauerkraut and two sides (German potato salad and cauliflower/broccoli slaw).  Wurst Haus make over 40 varieties of Bratwurst and smoked sausage.

Also Missouri beer and wine tasting - I found a peach beer, “Peachie Wheat” and Jim had “Black Cabin Smoked” from Crown Valley Brewing in Sainte Genevieve, Missouri.

Back to the truck to load the bike before dark.  That was an interesting and enjoyable weekend.

Delivered near Clark, Missouri on Monday 17 June.  Part of the Keystone TransCananda Pipeline.

Internet:  The US portion of the Keystone Pipeline is 1,744 kms (1,084 miles) of new 760mm (30 inch) diameter pipeline in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Missouri and Illinois.

Over to Clinton, Missouri to Tracker Marine Group:

Website:  In 1978, Bass Pro Shops’ founder Johnny Morris revolutionized the boating industry when he introduced the first fully rigged boat, motor and trailer package on the market.

Our load was two boats and trailers for a Bass Pro Shop near Toronto, Ontario and we delivered them on Wednesday morning, 19 June.

Back across the border and loaded in Silver Creek south of Buffalo in the afternoon at S.Howes Inc., they manufacture processing equipment.  After tarping, we left the truck on the side of the road and friends, Dave and Sandy Stroud picked us up and took us to their house for a visit and dinner.  We left early Thursday morning to deliver in Clinton, Iowa on Friday morning 21 June.

Clinton, Iowa is a Mississippi River town, our delivery was conveyors and hoppers for Nestle Purina Pet Food.

Trivia: Clinton, Iowa was named in 1894 in honour of DeWitt Clinton, two time governor of New York, as was Clinton, Missouri and probably other towns called "Clinton" in the USA.  He was one of the driving forces behind the construction of the Erie Canal.

To Chicago O’Hare Airport and loaded a CF34 aircraft engine Friday afternoon.  The engine had been flown in for Jordanian Airways for repairs.  Easy load, that is all we had on the trailer and tarped in a rain storm and headed out of the city.

Stopped in St Joseph, Missouri on Saturday afternoon.  A guzzi friend there had a replacement wheel for the Moto Guzzi G5 in Australia.  Ace has a shed full of parts.

Delivered the aircraft engine to GE in Arkansas City, Kansas on Monday morning. 

Website: GE Aviation is among the top aircraft engine suppliers and offers engines for the majority of commercial aircraft.

Tuesday morning for the next load, so we went to Fredonia, Kansas to wait.  Parked the rig behind a service station and walked ¾ mile to the town.

A small rural Kansas town, population about 2,500.  There were large grain silos on the way into town.  Monday afternoon it was very quiet.  It has a town square where the courthouse is, and shopping around the square. Old and neglected for the most part.  Not many stores open.  A town with no exciting history that I could find.  We eventually found a diner for lunch, but only one bar in town (we like to talk to locals) but it was closed on Mondays.  It was a fun and   interesting afternoon, and friendly - everyone said hello to us or waved.

Some Fredonia scenes:

Old cars in a vacant lot next to the Fredonia, KS Post Office.

The Gold Dust Hotel is a National Historic landmark which opened in 1885.

The Clock Tower was erected in the 1960s.  The clockworks from the 1886 courthouse
were saved and the enormous antique clockworks can be viewed through windows. 

Many buildings had painted murals depicting rural life.

Loaded Tuesday morning at Lefarge Cement Plant.  Lafarge website: Lafarge North America is the largest diversified supplier of construction materials in the US and Canada.  We produce and sell cement, ready-mixed concrete, gypsum wallboard, aggregates, asphalt, paving and construction, precast solutions and pipe products.  Our products are used in residential, commercial and public works construction.

Lafarge Fredonia Plant is a casualty of the 2008 Global Financial Crises.  The Plant had been running at a loss, so began closing down and moving its equipment to other Lafarge Plants across the USA.  Our load was all large metal chains.  We were unsure how the chains were Cement Plant equipment, they are used to absorb heat when mixing large batches of cement.  After many hours of continuous agitating they wear down to be thin links.  We saw several fences in Fredonia made from the worn out chains.  The wooden storage boxes were weathered and fragile, chains falling through the bottom and sides.  The boxes cracked when Jim strapped them.  A bit nervous about the whole load making it to Ohio!  A driver had gone in the day before to load and refused it.

Delivered on Wednesday 26 June at Lafarge in Paulding, Ohio – had no problems with the load, everything stayed in the containers.

Loaded and tarped machines in Cincinnati the next morning and delivered them in Henderson, Kentucky Friday morning and loaded roofing in Evansville, Indiana in the afternoon, a partial tarp. Henderson and Evansville are cities on either side of the Ohio River, we had a 15 mile deadhead.

The roofing does not deliver until Monday, 1 July so we had a day to fill in enroute - Nashville!

We had a fabulous Friday evening listening to music and having a few drinks in the city.  Walking past Roberts Western World was impossible.  It was early and there was a crowd, but still room to move.  Spent a couple of hours there listening to The Don Kelley Band rocking the place.  The best "Ghost Riders in the Sky" EVER!  There was a young guitar player the band were promoting - he was very good and played several solos.  When we wanted to eat there were long lines waiting to get into almost every bar and restaurant.

Greg Allman Bros Band was playing at the Ryman Auditorium. It was sold out and after the concert about 2,000 people joined the large crowd already on Broadway Street.  So many people!   We had never been to the Hard Rock Café in Nashville before, but this night it was almost empty.  There was no live band, just video screens and music.  We had a nice meal and had intended finding a place for more music, but it was much too crowded for us (and it was midnight), so we headed back to the truck.