Casey Capers - USA: Vol 18 No 8

From 1 October, we stayed with Joe, Michele and Baillie for five days near Attica, NY.

Joe, Michele and Baillie were busy collecting and storing wood for the winter. Jim and I helped several days. A neighbour is clearing trees and had excess. The trees were cut down the year before and left to dry out. Only hardwood is used. The trees are dragged out of the woods, cut into about 18 inch long blocks, split to firewood size, loaded on a large trailer and taken to the house.

The wood is stored in the basement of the house and burned in the basement furnace as the primary heat source for the whole house and has to last six (plus) months. The basement was already half full, and this wood had to go to the other side of the house, but it had been raining and didn't want to take the loaded trailer over the lawn or the concrete septic tank. The wood had to go onto a smaller trailer and towed with the four wheeler to the basement window. Double handled, but necessary this time.

A chute set up outside the basement window and each piece of firewood is dropped into the basement where it is stacked the full height of the basement - row after row! It is ALOT of firewood! And alot of work! People in the north spend a good part of the summer, preparing for winter! Joe and Michele have an oil furnace for back up - sometimes the winter out lasts the firewood! Firewood works out cheaper than oil.

It was cold enough to have the heat on while we were there!

The Casey family was assembling for a party to celebrate Jim’s mother’s 95^th birthday. Her birthday is in December, but an early celebration was had so Jim and I could attend and also the weather is better for the people travelling from other areas.

The party was held at Jim’s sister’s house. Some of the eastern Pennsylvania nieces and nephews attended - lovely to see everyone!

Eve and Kaitlyn and great grandma in the candle glow.

Jim with nieces and nephews: L to R rear: Laura, Danny, Jim, Kristin, David. Front L to R Veronica, Helena, Kathryn (just out of the tub), and Kaitlyn.

Cousins: Joe, Jeff and Jimmy.

Monday morning we were scheduled to load in Niagara Falls, New York. We had disconnected the trailer last Tuesday, and tried to hook up on Monday morning - the fifth wheel turntable would not catch the trailer king pin. Ended up bobtailing to the other side of Buffalo and had it replaced! Two springs had broken and it was worn, and we were not going to jeopardize safety bypassing the safety mechanisms.

Took it to Empire Truck and Trailer Service, the place that does work for us in the Buffalo area. They got to it right away and a new Fontaine fifth wheel was available locally.

New fifth wheel at Empire Truck and Trailer Service.

Then we had to go back to Attica to get the trailer, then back to Niagara Falls to load steel forms at Sevenson Environmental. Made us very late, and we got to the north side of Milwaukee Tuesday afternoon at 2.30pm. To discover three other trucks ahead of us – waiting. They had loaded before us on Monday and arrived Tuesday morning, BUT the forklift had not arrived, so no one could be unloaded! Ugh! The forklift was coming from the same place in Niagara Falls where we loaded and it was coming on a RGN trailer, but the oversize permits for Illinois has not been ordered, they had to sit at the state line for over 24 hours until they had them.

Waiting in line to unload - Lincoln Park, Milwaukee.

The other drivers lost their reloads. Luckily, we had not lined one up until the next day.

Once the forklift got there, the deliveries went very quickly! We got unloaded after 6pm. The Milwaukee River through Lincoln Park is going to be dredged this winter to remove sediment that is a clean-up project by the EPA, DNR and Milwaukee County.

The steel pieces we had hook together and will make a wall.

Wednesday morning, 8 October we loaded 9 portable air-compressors at Sullivan-Palatek in Michigan City, Indiana.

Internet: Sullivan-Palatek manufactures electric and diesel driven high performance rotary screw air compressors along with a complete line of accessories.

Michigan City, Indiana to West Palm Beach, Florida.

Southbound to Florida - last load for 2014.

We had not been to Broadway Street in Nashville this year, so stopped Wednesday evening, it was on our way south.

Downtown Nashville from the truckstop.

Enjoyed an hour or so at Robert’s Western World first – the Don Kelley Band was playing, a favourite! Great musicians and music!

The Don Kelley Band at Roberts Western World, Nashville.

Broadway Street, Nashville.

Saw Bridgestone Arena abuzz with activity and wondered what was on. The side street was closed, lots of people, lights flashing, several limousines out front. The video billboard was flashing “CMA AwardsTonight”. Hmmm. Names of ‘stars’ I had not heard of. There was a notice board on the street corner with a disclaimer something like: filming in this area - if your image appears on TV or film, you won’t be paid …

A local told us they were filming for the Nashville TV show. Cool! We don’t watch the show, but it is popular.

Nashville's Bridgestone Arena - filming Nashville.

Film set for Nashville.

Bridgestone Arena is primarily a sporting venue: hockey, basketball, figure skating, gymnastics, some football (the NFL Tennessee Titans football stadium is across the river, opposite the truckstop). It is also used for concerts, religious gatherings, rodeos…

The Arena has a seating capacity of 17,113 for ice hockey, 19,395 for basketball, 10,000 for half-house concerts, 18,500 for end-stage concerts and 20,000 for centre-stage concerts, depending on the configuration used. It has also hosted several professional wrestling events and a boxing card since its opening in 1996.

Beginning in 2006, the Country Music Association Awards have been held in the arena after the awards show moved from the Grand Ole Opry House.

The brewery on Broadway Street has changed names again – now Nashville Brew Pub. We had dinner there and tried their brews: I had Tennessee Beer Works Country Roots Sweet Potato Stout. Aged in George Dickel (bourbon) Barrels. First time I have seen sweet potato beer! Description from the website: Generous amounts of baked sweet potatoes are mashed with the grains to create a complex, silky smooth stout with a prominent presence of coffee and bitter dark chocolate. This stout is great on its own, but compliments many dessert items. Look for the roastiness of the sweet potatoes on the finish.

We were back to the truck by 10 pm, had a nice time.

Oil change and truck wash on the way south and delivered Friday in West Palm Beach, Florida to Kelley Tractor. Last day of work, and Jim gets called for a random drug test!

Back to Daytona Beach. Found something to be done as soon as we get back next year, before going back to trucking … A nail in a drive tyre, and the bubbles are soapy water, and indicates that the nail has gone all the way through and the tyre will have to be replaced.

It will wait until we get back in March, 2015!
Parked the truck and trailer, done for the year – worked / travelled 50,306 miles for 2014 - 167 days on the road, usually we spend around 200 days in the truck if we are here for eight months - so that is about a month less we worked this year. About 70 days at the house, that is the most time EVER in Daytona Beach. Looks like semi-retirement to us!!

The truck is getting old and needing work, but we will continue repairing it. If we had truck payments, we could not take very much time off.

The weekend was the Wings and Waves Air Show in Daytona Beach – we have not been here when it was on for a while. An awesome, thrilling show! Jim and I went to the Bandshell area and watched all afternoon on the Saturday, and Sunday was a repeat. Thousands of visitors attend. There is no admission fee, but many stalls and souvenirs available. Sponsored by the local Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, and Geico Insurance, Budweiser, and a few others. The US Air Force Thunderbirds are our favourite part - the speed, the noise. The Firebirds and stunt shows are spectacular as well. They were very close to the shore.

The last week was filled with medical appointments and Jim had stem cell therapy on his left knee rather than a knee replacement. A simple explanation – blood and bone marrow is harvested from the person, the platelete-rich plasma separated, then injected into the knee joint. He was sore for a few days, and is limping a bit still, but improving each day. Hoping he can put off a knee replacement for years, or the best scenario - will never need to do that.

With Jim out of action and not allowed to ride a motorbike, Biketoberfest was quieter than usual! We did meet guzzi friends at Pantheon Pizza on the Friday evening. Diane and I spent a couple of hours on Main Street on the Saturday.

The parking lot between our house and Main Street.

We caught up with lots of friends in the area for Biketoberfest. Pumpkin Latte's with Diane at Starbucks. Went to BJ's Brewhouse with Lis and Harvey for more pumpkin treats!