Hot stuff

Cuz, David Lee had the rear seals blow out of his truck last Sat.  Today, $ 400 towing plus sitting in the back seat of a Colorado State troopers car while they towed the trailer, then his truck to Ford dealer Denver.  Scares the snot right oitta me, but must press on.  Springfield,  Mo tonite to deliver to Tulsa tomorrow, then home to squeeze some grandbabies then back to Goshen.
A South Dakota Moon. Probably fuzzy.

Tire delay

Loosing air in driver side rear tire.  Minot ND.  Sun going down & a big truck in front of me.  Guess ill be staying at the Walmart Hilton tonite.

Clairmont, Alberta, Canada

1376 miles to go, or about 700 miles per day.  I guess I can be ther LATE Friday afternoon if I scoot.

Clairmont next to Grand Prairie (not the Texas one) northwest corner of picture.

Yumpin yimminey Im in Minnesota!

Rush hour, or as some acquaintences call it, "traffic time" in Minneapolis.   It was a breeze coming thru St. Paul, all the traffic was headed east.  I didnt put as many miles on today as I had hoped. I contacted the dealer in Alberta and will call them when I get to the North Portal (I think thats what they call it).  Dininh on turkey sandwiches & fruit.  I think the state park im staying in is closed.  At least there was a note that the showers are closed.   Maybe a KOA tomorrow nite.  Quarter moon tonite, waxing.  Im parked at a boat ramp on a frozen lake.  Lake Carlos north of Alexandria, MN.  Too much hassle tocstart a fire & cook, ill just finish up some paperwork and turn in soon.  Traffic looks the same everywhere, but no all lakes are frozen solid.

La Salle, Illinois, my Virgin voyage

I had trouble hooking up a 35 foot Phoenix 5th wheel today, for my Virgin trip.  I DID get my paperwork done & my DOT inspection, mud flaps & louvered tailgate.  I went to dispatch in Goshen & Emily asked me how I'd like to go to Canada.  2100 miles worth.  How could I say no? 
     The breakaway brake attachment was missing which caused the truck computer to read "faulty wiring in trailer". Mike fixed that, but same error message.  Found out you have to shut everything off, unplug trailer, plug it back in and restart the truck.  Like turning off a computer and restarting it.  Everything worked right.  That was about 4pm in Goshen, EDT.  I fueled up and made it to La Salle by 10:30 Goshen time.  The truck stop was full and I was kinda out of place with a 35 ft Phoenix camper trailer, so I'm in for the night at Walmart in La Salle, Il.
     Besides all that, I just have to say how graceful and musical the Amish/Mennonite horse drawn carriages are.  I could watch them all day, but I dont want to stare.
  I loaded up in the rain, & it looks like it is headed this way.  Ill take I 39 north tomorrow and try to make it to Minot late afternoon tomorrow.  Gotta check on cost of using phone in Canada.  "..think I'll go out to Alberta"  line from Four Strong Winds...old song.  G'nite

Elkhart, IN

This photo shows how little time I spent in St Louis.  Actually took a wrong exit, but ended up on I 44 (old Route 66 - where you get your kicks) and it was fine.  Took it all the way to Indianapolis & turned North on 31.  The other route was a bit farther south, but had a string of Indian Mounds I wanted to see.  Missed the mounds, but took a cool nap at a rest stop about 30 miles into Illinois.  S'posed to rain here with hi in mid 40's tomorrow.
     Mastercard quit working.  Plenty of cash in account, I think fraud dept declined it cause I didnt tell them I was leaving town.  Go figure.
Will find out tomorrow.  Start first run tomorrow after I get a new tailgate & heavy mudflaps.

Putnam County, Indiana

My great great grandfather, Eli Zink was born in this county in the 1820's +/-  .  His obituary in the Terrell Tribune said (after his wife passed & all his kids were gone, he returned to Alaska, Indiana, which no longer exists as far as I can tell, and developed a toothache and died there, returning to Texas, where he was buried at College Mound,  Texas.  Not too many people could spell his name, Eli Zink, because his grave says Ely Zink.  He was a vetetan of both the Civil War (cobfederate serving at Camp Lubbock - which is now part of the Houston ship channel, and the Mexican War.

A couple of shots of Chambourg, a plum or two, extra sharp white Cabot cheddar a spicy V8 and I'll put these 450 miles to bed.  By the way, the inflated bed in back seat is perfectamundo. 

Springfield Mo

Lit out from ^D 10:30ish cdt.  Came up 69 to Joplin then I44 Rt 66 to Springfield, Mo.  Train track across the street from KOA.  So far pretty comfortable in air mattress back seat of "big red" ...an appropriate name for truck and harkens to what Poppop & I used to call Lindsay.  Rear window open, expecting 34 tonite.  Day 1 on my way to Goshen.