Vol 17 No 6 - 30 August, 2013

On 1 August we loaded two forklifts in Perrysburg, Ohio at Cargotec  - they manufacture a variety of cargo handling equipment, large and small.  We had two moffetts – truck mounted / piggyback fork lifts.  They are mounted to a trailer to go with the load and allow fast and easy loading and unloading.  No waiting for customers to provide a forklift as many places don't have them.

We delivered them the next day in Rochester, New York to a logistics company and they will be put in a container for shipping overseas.

Attica School Band - Baillie in centre with clarinet.

Friday afternoon we were back at Joe and Michele’s.  That evening we went to the Attica Firemen’s Picnic, a fundraiser in the town of Attica.  Baillie plays clarinet in the Attica School Marching Band.  Very impressive band – all in marching band style uniforms.  The Band has many commitments during the year, playing at picnics, parades and sporting events in the area and further away (they play at all Buffalo Bill’s home games!).

It is time for blueberries!  Joe has a blueberry and blackberry patch in the yard.  They are just starting to ripen and I picked some before we left there!  Mostly blueberries.  Blackberries are red when they are green… (un-ripe!)

Watched a chipmunk in the woodpile – cute little things:

Wikipedia: Chipmunks have an omnivorous died primarily consisting of seeds, nuts, and other fruits and buds.  The also commonly eat grass, shoots, and many other forms of plant matter, as well as fungi, insects and other arthropods, small frogs, worms and bird eggs.  Chipmunks mostly forage on the ground.  At the beginning of autumn, many species of chipmunk begin to stockpile nonperishable foods for winter.  Cheek pouches allow chipmunks to carry multiple food items to their burrows for either storage or consumption.  These small mammals fulfill several important functions in forest ecosystems.

Saturday evening Joe, Michele, Baillie, Jim and I went to the 56^th Annual Attica Rodeo in Attica, New York.

A popular and well run rodeo that attracted competitors from all over the USA - Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania as well as locals.  From the program “Our rodeo has been voted No. 1 rodeo for the last three years by the American Professional Rodeo Association” (APRA).  There are APRA, IPRA (International Professional Rodeo Association) and PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association) events.

The Rodeo was held over four evenings, starting Thursday with preliminary events, twice on Saturday, and Sunday evening being the finals.  Saturday evening we watched bull rides, bareback and saddle broncs and barrel racing were the same as in Australia also steer-wrestling (bulldogging to me), calf roping, team penning. 

Team Cattle Penning was new to me.  Thirty head of cattle are in the far end of the arena and each has a large number on white stuck to their backs – three of each number 0 to 9.  Three cattlemen work as a team to break out three of the same number and put them in a smaller pen at the other end.  As the riders gallop into the herd, the announcer calls out the number of the animals to be penned. That starts the clock – 90 seconds to cut the three cattle from the herd.  The fastest time getting only the three animals penned is the winner.

Break-Away Roping – a variation of calf roping for women and youths.  When I saw this I thought the competitor has made a mistake by not tying the rope to the saddle properly!  The calf gets a 10 foot head start, then the rider goes after it and attempts to throw a lasso around the neck.  Once the rope is around the calf’s neck, the horse stops suddenly.  The rope is tied to the saddle horn with a string, when the calf hits the end of the rope, the string breaks.  The breaking of the string marks the end of the run.  The fastest run wins.

Audience participation for the kids – the Calf Scramble - children aged between 5 and 12 are invited to enter the arena.  Three calves had ribbons tied on the end of their tails, there would have easily been 100+ children chasing those calves to get the ribbons off for a prize.  Scary!

Great sportsmanship and talented cowboys and cowgirls – entertaining clowns and announcers.  Good music!  After the arena events, there was a band for dancing and a mechanical bull for further entertainment.  Baillie had several tries on the ‘bull’ and exhibited a talent for bull riding - very impressive!  It was almost 1am when we left.  A memorable outing!

Sunday afternoon Jim and I left in the truck to be ready to load near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Monday morning, when we got there we were told that that another driver picked it up on Friday night.

Found a load in Turtle Creek, on south side of Pittsburgh and loaded at Anker Industries – 15 pallets of slag for Axis, Alabama.

Website: Anker Industries is a producer of metallurgical powders and briquettes and slag analysis services for steel mills, ferrous foundries and other ferrous and non-ferrous metals producers throughout North America.

Turtle Creek, PA to Alabama.

Wasn't going to the house, but it got us moving and salvaged the day.  Delivered Wednesday morning in Axis, Alabama at SSAB Steel – a leading producer of high strength steel and employs approximately 9,000 persons in 45 countries.

Foggy morning crossing a bridge in Alabama.

35 miles to Irvington, Alabama and loaded a 20ft storage container and skids of cables and hoses at International Marine Coatings – we deliver pioneering marine coating technologies that keep the global shipping fleet protected for a lifetime at sea.

Alabama to Kings Bay, Georgia.

Stopped at the Florida Welcome Centre on I 10 - interesting place!

The materials were needed at the Naval Submarine Base at Kings Bay, Georgia.  We had to meet a company there that was painting the submarines.  I had to stay outside the Base because I am not a US citizen, also take with me all cameras/computer/knives.  Jim had to go through several checks for himself and the truck/trailer before he could deliver.  It took hours!

At the entrance of the Base is the concrete USS George Bancroft submarine:  Dedicated 7 April, 2000 as part of the submarine forces’ 100^th Anniversary.

USS George Bancroft, a Benjamin Franklin class (or 640 class) fleet ballistic missile submarine, was the fourth ship of the US Navy to be named in honour of George Bancroft (1800-1891), US Secretary of the Navy and the founder of the US Naval Academy.

Wikipedia: The Submarine Base is the US Atlantic Fleet’s home port for US Navy Fleet ballistic missile nuclear submarines armed with Trident missile nuclear weapons.  This submarine base covers about 16,000 acres (6,400 hectares) of land.

Jim has a memorable experience while delivering on Base.  The submarine to be painted is the USS Florida.  The sub refitting area is below ground, Jim walked above it on catwalks and it was massive!

Navy Website: USS Florida: Keel Laid: July 4, 1976. Launched: November 14, 1981.  Propulsion system: one nuclear reactor.  Propellers: one.  Length: 560 feet (171 metres) Beam: 42 feet (12.8 metres) Draft: 35.5 feet (11.1 metres).  Speed: 20+ knots.  Armament: Tomahawk missiles, Mk-48 torpedoes, four torpedo tubes.  Crew: 17 Officers, 15 Chief Petty Officers and 122 Enlisted (2 crews).

USS Florida is the third ship in the Trident class.  She is the first submarine and the sixth US Naval vessel to bear the name of the State and on January 14, 2003, the Florida became the first Ohio-Class submarine to launch a Tomahawk cruise missile.

We arrived in Daytona Beach late Thursday afternoon.  Before we got there, we had already found a load for Tuesday, which gave us four days to get things done and neither of us had to spend long hours at the house scanning load boards on the computer.

Friday evening had dinner with Ron, Gina and Tim Hewitt at Peanuts in New Smyrna Beach – always fun.  Jimmy was in for the weekend too, so caught up with him.  Jim had work to do on the truck – the steering is getting difficult, so he changed all filters and fluids.  (That didn't fix the binding, so will need more looking into…)

Wikipedia: Known as Persimmon Hollow for the wild persimmon trees that grow around the natural springs, the area was originally accessible only by steamboat up the St Johns River.  It was settled in 1874. Henry Addison DeLand, a baking soda magnate from New York visited there in 1876 and envisioned building a citrus, agricultural and tourism centre.  He bought land and founded the town, naming it after himself.  The City of DeLand was incorporated in 1882, and became the county seat of Volusia (county includes Daytona Beach).  It was the first city in Florida to have electricity.

DeLand University’s name was changed in 1889 to honour hat manufacturer John B Stetson, who served as a founding member.  Stetson is a private, nonprofit university with four colleges and schools located in Central Florida.  Its various sports teams are called the ‘Hatters’.

During the 1920s Florida Land Boom, DeLand’s streets filled with fine examples of stucco Mediterranean Revival architecture, many of which have been restored.  One being the recently reopened Athens Theatre.

Athens Theatre in DeLand, FL.

Renovated old stores, café’s and restaurants, several antique stores, handcrafts, and beautiful murals on the buildings of area attractions and historical events.  Café Da Vinci is in an old warehouse with local artists displays.  Da Vinci Gardens is the outdoor area (possibly old stables?). 

I found a newspaper travel review that sums it up:  “A congress of bohemian and Cracker.  It’s a bar, coffeehouse, art gallery and antique shop that happens to boast an outdoor show space that is awfully difficult to match in terms of atmosphere.  Take a courtyard that radiates Southern charm, turn it into a beer garden, book bands to play under the Spanish moss, and I am sooooo there.”

It was a fun and interesting evening with Lis and Harvey!

Spent a little time each day to enjoy Daytona Beach, close to the house, walks along the boardwalk.

Daytona Beach, FL.

Daytona Beach, FL.

Daytona Beach and Main Street Pier and Joe's Crab Shack restaurant on Pier.

Tuesday morning we left Daytona Beach early and just before the exit to our pick up, we received a phone call to say it wasn't ready and cancelled it.  We parked on the side of the road for 3 hours looking for a replacement, but nothing suited, so we headed back to the house.  70 miles (120 kms) down there and back- for nothing.  Later found one to load Wednesday morning.

Progress Energy power station north of Clermont, Florida had some challenges.  It was on a narrow, sandy, unpaved road.  The crane was an hour late getting there.  When Jim attempted to back in the driveway, because of the ditch and a guy wire from a pole, he had no room, so had to blind side back in.

There was no ditch beside the driveway on that side, but where the driveway and road met was a ‘v’.  The driveway had a hard gravel surface, but the red dirt road was loose sand, especially the edges.  The drive axles of the truck got stuck in the ‘v’ and lost traction.  Couldn't go forward because the steers would have sunk in the soft sand on the other side of the road.  I had visions of the road under the steer axle collapsing and the truck cab sitting on the fuel tanks! 

Jim put a chain around our trailer bumper and the fork lift pulled the whole rig out of the sand.  Sheesh! 

Two more trucks were waiting on the road, they had seen us get stuck and were walking the area contemplating their turn.  Jim had used a driveway further along the road - it was wider and flat and made it easier to get turned around without getting into the soft sand.  Both drivers decided to do the blind side back like Jim.  One got turned around, the second one got stuck and the fork lift driver had to pull him out before he even attempted the challenging driveway!  There were so many obstacles, the sand made it difficult. The trucks were making it softer, so the third truck had very soft sand to deal with.

The crane would not work…  Three hours we sat there before they got it moving.

We had an old transformer to be recycled for the copper and some silicon sheets.  A near maximum weight load.  Delivered that to TCI of Alabama in Pell City the next morning.

Clermont, FL to Alabama.

Internet: Trans-Cycle Industry (TCI) provides environmentally safe disposal of oil-filled electrical equipment.  The company’s disposal facilities are able to clean and process transformers and all metals contaminated with PolyChlorinated Biphenyls. TCI’s operational capabilities for PCB containing materials include non-burial electrical equipment disposal, advanced metal cleaning/recycling process, substation field dismantling, and solid waste PCB disposal.

Made me a bit nervous when the people unloading us wore hazmat suits...  ??

South to Phenix City, Alabama and loaded at Continental Carbon.

Website: Global leader in the development, manufacture and supplier of Rubber, Industrial and Specialty Carbon Black grades. Look around you and count how many items you see that are black.  Virtually every one of those items uses carbon black.  Be it wet traction for tyres, tint for plastics and inks, durability for hoses, reinforcement for conveyor belts - Carbon Black is used in the manufacture of countless items we use every day.

Do I need to say that both of us, the truck, the load, everyone working at this place – ended up ‘black’…  

The machinery making black things produced a fine black dust that settled on everything!

All we had on the trailer was a small crate, some pipes, a pump and ladder pieces.  Very light and took up little space on the trailer.  Delivered that to Tri-Mer in Owosso, Michigan on Saturday morning.  Tri-Mer Corporation specializes in air-pollution control filtration systems.  Yes, that black dust is air pollution.

Veterans' Glass City Skyway near Toledo, OH.

A load was organised for Monday in north west Ohio, so Saturday afternoon we took the bike off the truck and went exploring around Toledo for the rest of the weekend.  Stayed at the truckstop on the east side at Stoney Ridge at the junction of I 80 and I 280.

Internet: Interstate 280 is a spur that travels mostly through east Toledo. This highway travels over the Veterans’ Glass City Skyway. This 400 foot (120 metre) tall bridge incudes a glass covered pylon, which lights up at night adding a distinctive feature to Toledo’s skyline.

Wikipedia: Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan.  The city was founded in 1833 on the west bank of the Maumee River.  Toledo grew quickly as a result of the Miami and Erie Canal and its position on the railway line between New York and Chicago.  It has become a city well known for its industry, particularly in glass and auto assembly.

We stopped at The Froggy Museum in downtown Toledo, but it had just closed.

Website:  Frogtown is a nickname for Toledo that comes from its early days as the “Great Black Swamp”, an area of Northwest Ohio covered in water.  It seemed like a good idea, then, for Toledo to have its own “Froggy Museum”.

Saturday afternoon we had to stop “at a bar in Toledo, across from the Depot… “*. Decided on Nick and Jimmy’s Bar.

*Explanation - The Kenny Rogers 1977 hit song “Lucille” was written by Hal Bynum and inspired by his trip to Toledo in 1975.

Explored Downtown Toledo, and the towns of Perrysburg and Maumee.

Sunday morning we started early and went east along Lake Erie to Sandusky, we found where we were loading on Monday.

Wikipedia: Sandusky is situated on the shores of Lake Erie in northern Ohio and is midway between Toledo and Cleveland. Major tourist attraction, Cedar Point Amusement Park has one of the largest collections of roller coaster in the world. In 1892 the park’s first roller coaster, the Switchback Railway was built.

The Historical downtown area was interesting and restored.  A busy port for the ferries back and forth from the nearby islands. There were several painted lighthouses – apparently the painted icon for this town.

Historical Trivia: Prior to the abolition of slavery in the USA, Sandusky was a major stop on the Underground Railroad.  As depicted in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”, many slaves seeking freedom in Canada made their way to Sandusky, where they boarded boats crossing Lake Erie to Ontario.

In Sandusky we stopped at The Original Margaritaville – a bar and grill.  A biker bar with all brands of motorcycles there. 

 A great rock band playing.  I was intrigued by the banner near the band – “Win A Trip For Two On The World’s Only Biker Rally On A Cruise Ship” ….  The High Seas Rally.

The plan had been to take the ferry to the islands, but the long lines and crowds changed that idea.  The weather was perfect and the people were out enjoying the beaches.

We went back to Perrysburg and Maumee and found “The Village Idiot” for pizza.  It was a nice and relaxing weekend.

Loaded in Sandusky Monday morning 26 August at Ahner Industrial Inc.

Website:  We are a precision job shop with the capabilities of fabricating from 26 gage sheet to heavy steel, stainless steel, and aluminum plate.

We took a tank system to Welded Tube in Lackawanna, New York near Buffalo and delivered it that afternoon.  Welded Tube of Canada is opening a new facility to service its USA customers.  They manufacture steel tubes for the oil and gas industries.  Mostly for fracking operations.

Time for the 42^nd Annual Moto Guzzi Club National Owners Club National Rally!  This year held in Lavigne, Ontario, Canada.  Joe, Jim and I left Wednesday morning.  Joe on his 1973 eldorado and towing his trailer, Jim and I on the 2003 stone.

In Guelph, we stopped at Sleeman Brewing & Malting, we had driven past it numerous times in the truck.

Wikipedia: John H Sleeman originally began brewing beer in 1834.  By 1933 the Sleeman Brewery had ceased operations when their liquor license was revoked for bootlegging, specifically, smuggling beer into Detroit, Michigan.  The brewery restarted in 1988 by the great great grandson of John H Sleeman. The company’s current products are based on the family’s original recipes.  In 2006, the brewery was purchased by Japanese brewer Sapporo Brewery.

The route we chose took two days to get to the rally.  Once we cleared all the city traffic along the Lake, we travelled via Route 6 north through smaller towns.  Stopped in Fergus for lunch.  

Stopped in Owen Sound and looked at the harbour where a large freighter was docked, a Great Lakes freighter from Sault Ste Marie.

Wikipedia: Owen Sound is located at the mouths of the Pottawatomi and Sydneyham Rivers on the inlet of Georgian Bay.

Then further north and spent the night in a motel in Wiarton on the Bruce Peninsula.  A great town, rode to Spirit Rock, the marina, then we wandered the main street and stopped at several places for drinks and food and talked to the locals.

There was a group of local musicians in the street – singing and playing to a small audience.  Old sing along songs, people came and talked to us.  Impressed that several young people were involved with the older ones – very enjoyable for us and the players were having fun.

Wiarton: Geographically, the town is defined by the rugged limestone cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment which bisects the town.  Known as the gateway to the Bruce Peninsula.  The Wiarton Willie Festival is held in February each year (Groundhog Day for Canada). 

There is a statue of Willie the Groundhog at the entrances to town and his image on the light post flags.

Thursday morning we arrived at Tobermory an hour early for the ferry, and had time for a look around the town.  The water was crystal clear – beautiful.  Tobermory is known as the “freshwater scuba diving capital of the world”.  There are many shipwrecks in the bay and with the clear water, it is a huge attraction for divers. The Fathom Five National Marine Park has 22 known shipwrecks and several historic lighthouses and 20 islands.  Several glassbottom boat cruise companies operate as well.

A few boats in the marina were mostly enclosed for maximum working space in the cold, windy winters – called ‘turtle hulls’.  Something we had not seen before.  

Several tug boats there as well.

Turtle Hull boat.

Tug Boat.

Internet: The Big Tub Lighthouse was built in 1885 and replaced an earlier 1881 light.  It marks the end of the Bruce Peninsula and the entrance to Big Tub Harbour.  It is a 44 foot tall, six sided, wooden tower and it stands on a rocky ledge exposed to the fury of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay.

Most of the businesses in the town are open from late May until the end of October – and are closed the rest of the year.

I didn't get a photo of the ferry as it docked out of sight where we were lined up.  It unloaded the southbound traffic, and the motorcycles were the first loaded. We drove in to the opening at the front and exited at the rear.

I bought a postcard:

From Postcard: The MS Chi-Cheemaun is a passenger and car ferry.  It traverses Lake Huron between Tobermory on the Bruce Peninsula and South Baymouth on Manitoulin Island.  Carrying a capacity of 638 passengers and 143 vehicles, the crossing takes approximately two hours travelling at 18 miles (29 km) per hour in good conditions.

Seasonally, M.S. Chi-Cheemaun captain and crew total 70 employees with another 35 employees at terminals in Tobermory and South Baymouth.  There is a cafeteria, licensed restaurant, boutique, gift shop, casino, and tourist information on board.  Note: ‘Chi-Cheemaun’ translation is ‘big canoe’ in the local native language.

Postcard.

I scanned a couple of pictures from the travel brochures – to show how the vehicles are loaded:

 

It was a smooth, sunny, warm and relaxing crossing.  Clear blue water, past many islands and Cove Island Light, part of the Fathom Five National Marine Park.  One way passage for 3 adults, one motorcycle, and one motorcycle and trailer (considered a small car) was $105.00.

The Stone tied down on the ferry.

Joe's bike and trailer tied down on the ferry.

Looking back along the line of large vehicles.

Leaving Tobermory and Big Tub Harbour - looking out the back of the ferry at the Fathom Five Marine Park Islands.

Cook Island Lighthouse.

The last town on Manitoulin Island on Highway 6, is Little Current and we stopped for lunch.

All Canadian beers.

After leaving there we encountered a Swing Bridge between Manitoulin Island and Goat Island.  Instead of a draw bridge or high rise bridge to allow marine traffic through, specifically boats too tall to go under it.  It is a single lane bridge with traffic lights.

Originally a railroad bridge that converted for road traffic - it was built in 1912-13 and operated by gasoline engine until conversion to electric in 2003.  Jim and I had been over a swing bridge in Ontario before but this is the first time we've seen one in operation.

There is an operator in a room in the top centre tower. The bridge pivots and rests parallel to the shore and allows a marine channel either side of it for east or west bound craft.  The process takes 15 minutes.

Headed then direct to Lavigne Tavern to register for the Rally – arrive there about 6pm.  Lavigne is a small town in the north shore on the western end of Lake Nipissing.  The area is known as West Nipissing.

Internet: Lake Nipissing – name means “big water” in the Native Algonquin language.  In the days of fur trade, voyageurs travelled through the lake by canoe.  When the fur trade started to decline in the 1880s, logging became the main economic activity.  After World War I, the primary economic activity became tourism and recreation, although logging still contributes significant economic stimulus.  The lake contains over 40 different species of fish.  Most anglers target walleye, smallmouth bass, muskie and northern pike.

Jim and I shared a three bedroom cabin at DeLuxe Camp with friends and Wisconsin Guzzi Reps Judi and Chris Collins. and Mack from New York.  It was beside Lake Nipissing and each cabin had a name and ours was “Loon Nest”.    Joe set his tent up in the campground.

A “loon” is a North American freshwater bird that closely resembles a duck (but isn’t one apparently…).  Larger than a duck but smaller than a goose, it dives underwater to locate food, mainly fish, frogs and insects.  It is on the Canadian one dollar coin – they are nicknamed “loonies”. (When the two dollar coin was introduced, it became known as a “toonie” – for two loonies.)

Or the other is definition: loon - a silly or foolish person…

Our cabin for the weekend - Loon Nest.

Beautiful sunsets each evening over Lake Nipissing.

Thursday evening was settling in and catching up with the crowd that was already there.  The rally was widespread between two camps of cabins and a campground about a mile from town, with the meals held at the Community Centre and Registration and the Tavern in the town.

At the Campgrounds - Joanne, Joe and Galen.

Friday Judy, Chris, Jim and I went to Killarney. It was a long, rough road getting to it, but was a little gem of a town.  It is a fish camp and part of a wilderness area located on the northern shore of Georgian Bay.

We bought fresh fish and chips – the fish was alive moments before being fileted and battered and fried and handed to the customer.  A very popular place, we waited until the tour bus had left before enjoying our lunch on the deck.  The fish shop is an old converted school bus.  Several moto guzzi friends had also chosen Killarney as their destination.

Fish and Chip shop at Killarney.

Jim, Randy and Louise Peterson from Michigan.

Judi and Chris Collins from Wisconsin.

Friday night the temperature dropped to chilly!  We enjoyed some campfire camaraderie that evening after dinner.

Saturday Jim and I went to North Bay. We have been there several times in the truck, but this time we stopped in the historical downtown beside the north shore of the eastern end of Lake Nipissing.  We bought raspberry scones and ate them as we strolled the old buildings and streets.

Wikipedia: The site of North Bay was on the main canoe route west from Montreal.  Apart from First Nations tribes, voyageurs and surveyors, there was little activity in the Lake Nipissing area until the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1882.  North Bay grew through a strong lumbering sector, mining and three railways in the early days.

Our destination for the day was Highlander Brewing Company.

Website:  Highlander Brew Co. is located in South River, Ontario, in the Almagin Highlands from which Highlander takes its name.  The brewery is on the Northern edge of Algonquin Park, making Highlander the most northerly craft brewery in Ontario.

The brewery is located on the outskirts of the small town, in one end of a building including a lumber company and a chair company.

Highlander Brewery in South River, Ontario.

Very interesting – the smallest brewery ever! There were no tours on a Saturday and we were the only people there other than the young man at the tasting bar. They brew three craft beers that are getting a lot of attention in Ontario.  The Twisted Spruce is their biggest seller and they are working overtime to keep supplies available, they were all out of it and we didn’t get to taste it there, but we had some at Lavigne Tavern (very nice). It has the spruce tree tips added somewhere in the brewing process.

The Scottish Ale and Blacksmith Smoked Porter are excellent!

The beer chair made for Highlander by the Bear Chair Company in the same building was fascinating!

The keg goes in the larger barrel behind the chair and filled with ice, the smaller barrel below it for the CO2 tank for carbonation, with lines going to the beer tap on the arm.

Rode a very scenic road back to Lavigne and got back in time for dinner and the awards.

Lavigne Tavern for Registration.

Livigne Community Centre for awards and dinner.

Randy Tefft from New Hampshire, Jim and I.

Joe, Jim and I with Joe's 1973 Eldorado.

155 people registered for the rally, which was low for a National, but going into Canada requires a passport and not everyone has one.  Spent the evening at the cabin, winding down with our fellow Loons.

Packed up, cleaned up and loaded by 8am Sunday morning and met with Joe, Frank and Penny, Dave and Julie, and Scott for the ride back to Buffalo.  First stop for petrol was an opportunity for Dave to change the points on his 1973 Eldorado.

Frank and Dave making a quick points switch out en-route.

Three 40 year old moto guzzi’s towing trailers – that was the only maintenance done on the return trip – 350 miles (560 kms).   Only three stops for fuel, we made good time until we arrived at the USA border.  Took an hour to get to the border check.  The bikes were switched off as much as possible because it was hot weather and the men ‘manually’ moved them up as the line moved (except for uphill!).

Hot and hungry by the time we met Michele at Wales Centre Hotel for dinner.  We all had a great time, the weather was near perfect – making memories!

After unpacking and getting somewhat back in order, we had an early night for an early morning as it was back to work for Monday morning.

South to Irvine, in northern Pennsylvania to load drive shafts – they were crated but required a full tarp.  

Delivered them Tuesday afternoon in Marinette, Wisconsin.  That place was interesting – and huge!  All cameras had to be left at the front office, so no photos.  That scenario is getting more prevalent – they may not want to see photos and company secrets pictured on my Blog.

Website: Marinette Marine Corporation was founded in 1942 along the Menominee River in Marinette, Wisconsin to meet America's growing demand for naval construction. From humble beginnings with a contract to build five wooden barges, MMC has grown into a world-class shipbuilder, having designed and built more than 1,500 vessels. Under construction: USS Little Rock, USS Milwaukee, USS Detroit, and USS Sioux City.

Sat in the truck all Wednesday at a small truckstop in Marinette, spent all day on the computer searching for a load but found nothing that suited us.  Late that afternoon we drove south to the next truckstop for showers and do laundry, but there was no internet service.  Thursday morning we drove south to the next truckstop south of Green Bay.

Cheesehead 'hats' for Green Bay Packers (football) supporters - in the truckstop in Wisconsin.

Cheese refrigerator in the truckstop in Wisconsin.  The other side is sausage.

Loaded Thursday afternoon at Rocore Industries in Franklin, Wisconsin.

Website: Established in 1984, Rocore designs and manufactures heat transfer products.

It is the Labor Day long weekend, so we can't deliver in North Carolina until Tuesday.  Just a little out of our way, the Ohio Moto Guzzi Rally in Zanesville, Ohio will fill in the weekend for us!