New Jersey and Maryland

Wednesday 8th May
We waited 24hrs for the load to be released at Brooks (just north of Lethbridge) It was about 2.30pm when we headed for the border, stopping at Milk River for paperwork to come through, it was now 8pm when we crossed the border. Meat inspection at Sweetgrass closed at 4pm so we had to wait until 8am for the inspection.  We got there early to beat the queue, but then they decided to do a full inspection, everything had to come off, coultures taken etc, this took about 2 hrs (where as the driver next to us just had his paperwork signed and was off) this job was doomed, we had 700 miles to do each day for us to deliver in Massachettes for sunday with another two drops to follow, second in New Jersey, last in Maryland. It was hard going doing 600 miles a day.  While we were waiting i took maddy for a long walk across the field opposite so we would`nt get a peep out of her today!  10am we were on our way to Shelby to fuel up.  It was a lovely sunny day, shorts and flipflops on.
We were travelling on Highway 2 across Montana dropping down to Glendive to get on I94.  We were hoping to get into North Dakota to stay at Dickenson tonight.  It would be interesting to see how the landscape had changed since we were last in Montana.  Most off the grass on the plains was now turning green and some fields had been ploughed.  The trees which had looked blackened and dead before now had small buds on them which we were pleased to see.  We passed Bears Paws Mountains on the right near Havre.  Oh no disaster struck, we were just past Havre when we head a loud pop, a tyre had burst, which meant the tread would come off, we made it too Chinock and had to wait for fitter to come out.  4pm we set off again!
Thursday 9th May
We only made it to Beach last night, not bad considering the day we`d had, at least we were over Montana.  North Dakota looked so different without any snow, real indian country.  We made our way across on I94 to Fargo to fuel up. The farmers were out in force busy ploughing and spraying with their massive machinery, chucking up dust in their wake. We saw a dead wolf by the roadside,  yesterday in Montana on the local radio station we heard about a farmer having trouble with wolves attacking his sheep.  Just before New Salem on a hill is the worlds largest Holstein cow, you can see it for miles.  At Jamestown they had the worlds largest buffalo!  apparently they have real buffalo there but we didnt see any (dave has!)  We made it to Fargo by 2.30pm, fueled up and into Minnesota.  The sun was still shining with little white fluffy clouds.  It had taken us 6hrs to get through North Dakota so hopefully we`d be into Wisconsin tonight.
Friday 10th May
We stopped just other side of Tomar last night at a place called Oakdale.  We awoke to a dull and damp day.  Still 700 miles infront of us again today who knows what the weather would be in the next state.  Winconsin was lovely and green, it made Minnesota very drab in comparison as if spring had`nt arrived yet.  We`ve noticed some brightly coloured birds and found out from the locals that they are backbirds.  They have three types, plain black, black with a orange breast and another with red wings, they do`nt sing like ours but sqawk.  The I94 bypassed Madison then we were on I90 into Illinois, it was a toll road, for 54 miles it was 45mile/hr,  the whole of the right side was under construction, from the start until near Elgin, what a pain, we`ve never seen so much earth being moved.  We did`nt have to pay any toll!
Into Chicago, it got very cold and started to rain, we didnt go through the centre this time but around on the I90 to Gary, Indiana which seemed qucker.  Just before going in Gary we passed over a huge quarry, we did`nt expect that in the city!  We were traveling across Indiana on toll road I80 as before.  Just as we got on the toll a thick fog came down.  We stopped at Elkhart the travel plaza yes we`re on the posh toll road again.  A guy came up to us with some story about not being paid, yes he wanted cash for gas (or so he said) this is about the 5th time its happened, even in California.  The fog lifted and rain stopped, it seemed to be brightening up, we were trying to make for the other side of Cleveland tonight.  We saw a swan on her nest.  Reaching Ohio the sun was back!  We listened to Gareth Brookes, our favourite at the moment to pass the time on the toll.        
Just pass Toledo all of a sudden blackness engulfed us, huge black clouds decended over us and the surrounding area............to be continued,