NEBRASKA AND MONTREAL

Tuesday 24th September
Truck was'nt ready yesterday, only a 10 minute job but it took them all day! H&R put us up in a Travelodge. Picked up truck about 11.30am, we were going to Nebraska! Took up an empty trailer to Cargills (another meat processing plant) in High River and picked up a loaded one, it was now quite late so stayed in Lethbridge yard overnight, early start tomorrow to border.

Wednesday 25th
Made our way to Sweetgrass.  The load was booked in for delivery friday am in Schuyer.  This was the quickest time through border yet!  We could'nt believe it, we were only at meat inspection for 30 minutes! Just goes to show how quick it can be.  Maddy did'nt get her run across the fields though.  We were stopping at Shelby to fuel up.  It was cooler now, the sun was out but there was alot of low cloud as we entered Montana.  Just past Sweetgrass was a small town called Sunburst, what a lovely name, it has a lake by its side which looks quite salty due to the residue on its edges but it had loads of small ducks on.  We were travelling down on I15 past Great Falls onto H87.  Just before Lewistown we turned onto H191 to Harlowton.  It was raining now off and on. It looked like the farmers had finished harvesting their crops in Montana.  Last night near High River we saw 8 combines in one field, it was dusk, they had their lights on all working alongside eachother, it was quite a sight to see.  We were now on H12 heading towards Billings, we'd visited Billings before, it was a huge town set in a valley.  The rain had stopped and the sky was bright ahead.  Dead Mans Basin was on our left, only it did'nt look dead this time, the grass and trees were green.  Oh no a dead skunk on the road, dave hates the smell, i do'nt think its that bad!  There were small farms everywhere you looked and cattle wandering and grazing the hillsides, it made us laugh when one would be left behind and would trot along, head up, eager to catch up with the others.  About 20 minutes outside Billings was pretty bleak, flat lands with hundreds of pylons.  It was raining again, harder this time, even more bleak!  We came down a hill, 8% gradient (the Rockies are 6%) overlooking Billings on a cliff edge, it was amazing, it looked like a model we were so high up.  We were now on the I90, in Crow country, passing Big Horn, Custors last stand and on the right of us Wolf Mountains.  At Little Big Horn Battlefield we took H212 to Broadus, hoping to park up there for the night.  You could tell we were getting near Dakota as the landscape had changed dramatically, we were high up amidst cloud and the hills were covered with fir trees.

Thursday 26th
Into South Dakota this morning.  Stopped at Rapid City to refuel.  I'm logging the fuel now and doing the expenses.  We can cash a company cheque at the truck stops which will pay for faxes, weigh in's and tolls etc.  We were making our way across on I90 to Sioux Falls.  It was lovely and sunny again,, just a few clouds in the pale blue sky.. There were alot of references to cowboys here, more so than in any other state, western shops, saloons and billboards advertising western wear and buffalo burgers.  We passed fields of dried sunflowers ready for harvesting, they must have been an amazing sight a few months ago.  The landscape was beautiful,  small rollings hills with gulleys between filled with trees and bushes which had started to change colour,  all shades of reds,  oranges and yellows. We stopped for lunch just past Vivian, the landscape was now flat, most of the fields a burnt orange with the occassional small lake, a deep dark blue, the surface rippling in the breeze.  The clouds were gone, just blue sky and brilliant sunshine.  Near Chamberlain we went over the Missouri river, we turned off on H81 near Salem towards Yankton.  There  were fields of crops now, some we did'nt recognise. At the state line we went over the Missouri river again, we were now in Nebraska!

Friday 27th
5.30 am, down to Norfolk to fuel up and have breakfast. It was just light and there was a storm brewing.  Forklightning in fornt of us and sheets of rain on our left.  We drove past it into brilliant sunshine.  It was getting hot already.  8.30am we arrived at plant (another Cargills funny enough! oh the smell!)  strange how we were bringing meat from Canada when they had their own processing plant here?) we just had to drop trailer.  Our reload came in for Quebec! Pickup another loaded trailer here and deliver in Montreal.  We were only here 30 minutes, the trailer seemed heavy so we were stopping at the scales down the road (there wer'nt any on site) Dave moved the axels on his own as no way was i getting out of the cab here! When we scaled the front of the trailer was still a ton over weight so we had to move axels again (i helped this time) We drove from Schuyler through Freemont into Blair. Not much to say about Nebraska of what we saw of it, just cornfields oh and pesky flies! Back again over Missouri river into Iowa.  Stopped at Loveland for an early lunch then onto the I680, then the I80 heading for Des Moins, pesky flies are still here!  Passed through De Soto, John Waynes birthplace and over the South Raccoon River.  We stopped on the outskirts of Des Moines to refuel.  Went around on I35 and joined the I80 heading towards Davenport.  The landscape in Iowa was much the same as Nebraska only we noticed the fields had grass lanes between them, mostly cut, what were they for i wonder? a fire break or just access?  We stopped just outside Davenport at "Iowa 80" the largest truck stop in the world! At last the pesky flies have gone back to Nebraska!

Saturday 28th
My birthday, we went into the restaurant at Iowa 80 for breakfast, yummy! Dave mooched around at all the shiny truck parts, they actually had two brand new kenworth trucks in the shop to look at, i coud'nt believe
they actually went on the road,  they looked so good! Into Illinois over the Mississippi.  A bright sunny day. We were headed for Gary, through Chicago on the I80. We stopped at a nice rest area near Princeton (near where Ronald Reagan was born)  I picked some bullrushes to decorate the lodge in January, I'd already started collecting fircones.  I had shared out the large ones we had at home for christmas decorations between kirsty and sophie, grandee had collected them for us from the New Forest all those years ago.  It was noon when we reached Indiana.  Fueling up at Gary.  Then on upto Detroit, Michigan on I94.  This interstate was mostly tree lined and autumn had definately arrived here.  It was such a hot day,  it did'nt smell like autumn.

Sunday 29th
Up at first light and made our way to the border at Windsor, Ontario.  Detroit was quiet, we watched the sun come up in front of us, a blazing ball of orange.  We went over the Ambassordor Bridge to customs. Meat inspection was in an industrial area not far from customs.  All okay.  On our way on I401 towards Toronto.  Upto Chatham, the surrounding countryside was dotted with wind turbines amongst the farms and small towns.  A couple were being constructed by the roadside, a crane was on site, they were huge close up.  We fueled up at Mississauga. Toronto was big and spread out, some high rises but not as many as you'd expect.  The 401 expressway ran through the centre and we were on it, fast and furious! We stayed on the 401, past Kingston the fir trees started to take over and the terrain became rocky..  There was a 2 hour time difference so even though it was 5pm our time it was 7pm here and starting to get dark.  We were stopping soon and would deliver tomorrow.

Monday 30th
Not up till 7am today, a lay in! Delivery was'nt till 3pm and we did'nt have far to go, a  place called Chambly, Montreal.  Another bright and sunny morning, apparently Alberta have 65/mph winds, so glad were not in Calgary.  Another dead skunk!  thats woke dave up!  The different coloured trees lok a picture against the clear blue sky.  Just past Cornwall we could see St Lawrence alongside us on the right. Into Quebec.  We were so fortunate as not many H&R drivers came here, they would usually stop at Brampton, near Toronto and a local driver would take over.  Immediately everything turned french!  Road signs, billboards and shops.  We drove through the centre of Montreal,  like most cities it was a mixture of old and new.  Some flyovers and roads were falling apart.  It even smelt like france, we were at traffic lights outside a bakery and i swear i could smell croissants!  We went over the Pont Chamlain Bridge.  Ten minutes later we were in Chambly.  A Cargills, but only a distribution compay, no smells and green fields all around what  a difference.  We were early but did'nt wait too long before the unloading started, but it took them 2 hours they must of been counting every box!  We then headed back to the H&R yard near the airport in Montreal and dropped the empty trailer.  We now had a 34 hour break. Our new job would be on wednesday am.  Hopefully we would skype the kids tomorrow.                     .