29th March - Good Friday
Made it back in plenty of time, slobbed out had a mcdonalds and watched a dvd!
30th March - Easter Saturday
Day off, boring stuff, shopping and laundrette but we found a nice park to give maddy a run. We also got ourselves a creme egg for tomorrow. Job has just come in, Los Angeles, yes more sunshine!
Saturday 30 March 2013
LAREDO
Monday 25th
Loaded trailer of mangoes to go back to Calgary, really hot. Had a nice walk with maddy in the sunshine.
Staying here the night after weighing the truck (on all the highways there are weigh stations which are compulsory to stop. They are intermittent and you have to have your seatbelt on) Early start tomorrow, but we have an extra day to get back so not so much pressure. We`ve just had peanut butter on toast yum.
Tuesday 26th
Well we did`nt get loaded last night afterall, waited 6 hrs, 10pm came and customs went home so we had to come back at 9am. The mangoes are from Mexico and bonded (which means no tax paid) so customs have to see trailer loaded and sealed. Its 10am very hot and sunny so im going to walk maddy while were waiting.
We still have to weigh truck and fuel up so it will probably be lunch time before we hit the road. Hoping to get to Amarillo tonight but i think Lubbock is more realistic.
(weigh in: truck to heavy at front so we had to slide axels back, i watched them reslot while dave moved truck forward from trailer, learning something new everyday!)
The local birds are twice the size of our blackbirds, very shiny with blue/black feathers and a large fan tail, they screech and whoop, its fascinating to watch them.
On our way up through texas on highway 83 we passed ranch after ranch with deer and goats instead of cattle (wild deer graze by the roadside at night. they are so close i suppose one day we shall hit one) we also saw a few eagles, one flew close to the cab, amazing.
Loaded trailer of mangoes to go back to Calgary, really hot. Had a nice walk with maddy in the sunshine.
Staying here the night after weighing the truck (on all the highways there are weigh stations which are compulsory to stop. They are intermittent and you have to have your seatbelt on) Early start tomorrow, but we have an extra day to get back so not so much pressure. We`ve just had peanut butter on toast yum.
Tuesday 26th
Well we did`nt get loaded last night afterall, waited 6 hrs, 10pm came and customs went home so we had to come back at 9am. The mangoes are from Mexico and bonded (which means no tax paid) so customs have to see trailer loaded and sealed. Its 10am very hot and sunny so im going to walk maddy while were waiting.
We still have to weigh truck and fuel up so it will probably be lunch time before we hit the road. Hoping to get to Amarillo tonight but i think Lubbock is more realistic.
(weigh in: truck to heavy at front so we had to slide axels back, i watched them reslot while dave moved truck forward from trailer, learning something new everyday!)
The local birds are twice the size of our blackbirds, very shiny with blue/black feathers and a large fan tail, they screech and whoop, its fascinating to watch them.
On our way up through texas on highway 83 we passed ranch after ranch with deer and goats instead of cattle (wild deer graze by the roadside at night. they are so close i suppose one day we shall hit one) we also saw a few eagles, one flew close to the cab, amazing.
Monday 25 March 2013
Friday 21st
After truck was fixed (starting motor) we left at 1pm and drove through Colorado, we had heavy snow and high winds, terrain was mountainous, dave found it hard as it was dark. We carried on into Oklahoma, stopped overnight in Boise city (we didnt make Amarillo!)
Saturday 22nd
Texas at last! passed Amarillo, heading for San Antonio, where the load is to be delivered. Last 600 miles, its been hard going because of the hours lost on breakdown. Were booked in for 6am sunday and want to make a good impression as its our first job.
Sunday 23rd
Yes we made it! (5.50am) next to unload so we had breakfast. Now the days our own until we get a load back. Lovely warm and sunny here, have our flipflops on!
11am. Job has come in, driving this afternoon to the Mexico border to pick up trailer, but first shopping - get more supplies!
After truck was fixed (starting motor) we left at 1pm and drove through Colorado, we had heavy snow and high winds, terrain was mountainous, dave found it hard as it was dark. We carried on into Oklahoma, stopped overnight in Boise city (we didnt make Amarillo!)
Saturday 22nd
Texas at last! passed Amarillo, heading for San Antonio, where the load is to be delivered. Last 600 miles, its been hard going because of the hours lost on breakdown. Were booked in for 6am sunday and want to make a good impression as its our first job.
Sunday 23rd
Yes we made it! (5.50am) next to unload so we had breakfast. Now the days our own until we get a load back. Lovely warm and sunny here, have our flipflops on!
11am. Job has come in, driving this afternoon to the Mexico border to pick up trailer, but first shopping - get more supplies!
Friday 22 March 2013
On our way to Texas
Thursday, 20th March
Picked up trailer in Calgary eventually after all paperwork sorted and travelled down to within 10 miles of American border, arrived at midnight, a place called milk river, we were so tired. Up at 5am to cross border control, more paperwork! Border control very strange, two buildings seperated by the road, they took our passports and truck docs from 1st, then we had to park up and walk to 2nd dodging the vechicals coming in and out, of which our passports etc was passed magically, then back to 1st to pick everything up again. We had our fingerprints and eye scan taken of which we had to pay 6$ each, this lasts 3 months.
Then it was meat inspection, a real joke, couldnt believe the state of the place, run down and actually looked derelect, no overalls, men wearing jeans or tracksuit bottoms inspecting the meat in the trailer. Its put me off beef for a while!
Now in Montana, a big dark cloud over us but can see bright blue sky ahead. Landscape bleak, all the trees look dead, can still see the Rockies in the distance, dave said they run down to Colorado. Sporadic dwellings, very run down all seem to have heaps of scrap cars around. We`ve just been past a place called Dead Mans Basin, that sounds about right.
We hav`nt unpacked yet, still wearing the same clothes as yesterday, i`v managed to brush my teeth and spit it out the window, obviously it will get better as we get organised. Dave running on adrenelin as its all new again. We have 3 days to get to Texas which is 2000 miles. Drove past a city called Billings, set down in a valley, took maddys photo for facebook, we were on a cliff edge, a very beautiful setting. Landscape then became all fur trees and snow as we travelled over foothills of the Rockies called crow country into Wyoming. Arrived at port of entry at the Wyoming border, we had to present truck docs but guess what the permit was missing! we then had to wait for the office to fax doc over, by now its getting late in the day.
On to Casper through the snow covered mountains where we parked up overnight at flying J truckstop.
Friday 21st March
Truck wont start! just as well we made it to a truck stop last night. We`ve had showers and organised the the cab while waiting for breakdown to arrive, we have heating as the truck has a tripac (a seperate generator) so we can boil the kettle etc. Its been snowing and very sunny now, weve got 600 miles to do today and heading for Amarillo, i didnt realise it was a place just a song by tony christie!
1
o
Picked up trailer in Calgary eventually after all paperwork sorted and travelled down to within 10 miles of American border, arrived at midnight, a place called milk river, we were so tired. Up at 5am to cross border control, more paperwork! Border control very strange, two buildings seperated by the road, they took our passports and truck docs from 1st, then we had to park up and walk to 2nd dodging the vechicals coming in and out, of which our passports etc was passed magically, then back to 1st to pick everything up again. We had our fingerprints and eye scan taken of which we had to pay 6$ each, this lasts 3 months.
Then it was meat inspection, a real joke, couldnt believe the state of the place, run down and actually looked derelect, no overalls, men wearing jeans or tracksuit bottoms inspecting the meat in the trailer. Its put me off beef for a while!
Now in Montana, a big dark cloud over us but can see bright blue sky ahead. Landscape bleak, all the trees look dead, can still see the Rockies in the distance, dave said they run down to Colorado. Sporadic dwellings, very run down all seem to have heaps of scrap cars around. We`ve just been past a place called Dead Mans Basin, that sounds about right.
We hav`nt unpacked yet, still wearing the same clothes as yesterday, i`v managed to brush my teeth and spit it out the window, obviously it will get better as we get organised. Dave running on adrenelin as its all new again. We have 3 days to get to Texas which is 2000 miles. Drove past a city called Billings, set down in a valley, took maddys photo for facebook, we were on a cliff edge, a very beautiful setting. Landscape then became all fur trees and snow as we travelled over foothills of the Rockies called crow country into Wyoming. Arrived at port of entry at the Wyoming border, we had to present truck docs but guess what the permit was missing! we then had to wait for the office to fax doc over, by now its getting late in the day.
On to Casper through the snow covered mountains where we parked up overnight at flying J truckstop.
Friday 21st March
Truck wont start! just as well we made it to a truck stop last night. We`ve had showers and organised the the cab while waiting for breakdown to arrive, we have heating as the truck has a tripac (a seperate generator) so we can boil the kettle etc. Its been snowing and very sunny now, weve got 600 miles to do today and heading for Amarillo, i didnt realise it was a place just a song by tony christie!
1
o
Wednesday 20 March 2013
Hi everyone, not so cold today (maddy actually went out without her jacket) it was -9 yesterday am, it snowed heaveily (well in our terms) but clear today. Still at hotel, daves waiting for drug test to come back, waiting by phone for work to call us to start. We went out looking at cars yesterday came back 2 hrs later with one! its a chevy trailblazer how cool does that sound, so when we get weekends off we can travel to see things instead of hiring constantly, also we need storage and transport to airport as we have 2 weddings this year to come home too, apparently we don`t keep the truck so we need somewhere to store our belongings. So last night we went shopping in the local Walmart (asda to the rest of us) to buy microwave, duvet etc, that was after another meal in the grill downstairs, i don`t think we can take much more, food okay but everything tastes fatty, so this morning dave went to car and brought up our toaster, wholegrain bread and marmalade yum normal food at last. Maddy not keen on her breakfast though, bought her the best, hills science diet and she has`nt touched it yet, shes used to the supermarket stuff, il probably have to put some gravy on it!
Yes were off to TEXAS!
Yes were off to TEXAS!
Monday 18 March 2013
Dave and Jackie - Our New Adventure
Were here! Weve arrived in Canada! I cant quite believe it! It was a long journey from leaving home, flight was ok (maddy was well looked after) but immirgration was tedious to be kind, then it was a 2hr drive to hotel everything is so big here. Yesterday we spent day in hotel as it was -12 outside and snowing, lucky i brought the scrabble! Maddy has been very good, there is a small park outside of hotel to take her for a wee, she has a her own flying jacket to keep her warm. There is a bar/grill downstairs so we dont have to go far also a 7 to 11 and a liquor store where believe it or not we spied a bottle of "Little Penguin" i thought i had drunk my last glass! Today monday, dave gone to have medical etc, open bank account and change his driving licence, hopefully start work tomorrow, he should come back with news to pick up truck. Not so cold today and sunny (but needed tights under my jeans and couldnt take off hat or gloves) so me and maddy went for a walk, no one walks just drives everywhere, we got stopped by a journalist from the Herald who took our photo, he said he was driving by and saw us, were famous! From our hotel window i can see the Rockies so looking forward to our trip over them, will put photos on soon, lookout for Wheres Maddy on Facebook!
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