DG: I tried to make it to my delivery in McDonough, GA, but my clock and the traffic were having none of it. Thank goodness we have a yard nearby.  I made it with four minutes to spare. Laundry, shower and a PM on my truck and I’ll be good to go.

So not much to tell today. I was concentrating on getting here so didn’t take any pictures so I will include some from previous trips. It’s a beautiful country we live in. 

   
    
    
   
Yes that is Nashville straight ahead.  That one’s for you sweetie pie. Missing you terrible. 

Good bless. 

DG: Made it to receiver with barely 20 minutes to spare. The lot where they had me drop my trailer was snow and ice and I did get stuck for a bit. 

  
All was good after a while and I was able to get out from under that trailer and pick up an empty thanks to a very helpful yard dog. 

On to Nestles in Mt. Pleasant, IL about 30 miles from where I was to pick up 34000 pounds of Butterfingers.  Oh the temptations this job puts me through. These are going to Georgia. 

And then it’s off to Cape Coral and my sweetie pie and her little angels. 

One more picture. This was my parking spot last night outside of St. Louis. You can imagine how long it took me to park given all that room. 

  
And snow in Illinois. That’s all for now. 

  
Good night and God bless. 

DG:  Not much to tell today. Booked it pretty hard to here to help cut down on miles tomorrow as I gotta be in Streamwood, IL by 10:00 am. I think I can make it. 

So here are some more pics from yesterday. 

   
    
   
Good night and God bless. 

DG:  I drove 600+ miles today while Annie made cup cakes. 

  
This is what was awaiting me as I pulled in. 

The rest area had a display of the history of Route 66. Pretty interesting.

Well, not much happened today, which is a good thing and I should get some sleep before pulling out at 4:00 in the morning. 

Good night and God bless.  

Annie – Maddi after the cupcakes.   

DG: Due to the concern over a possible leaking tire I spent the night at Love’s in Lost Hills.  If the tire technician truly put 105 pounds of air pressure in my tire then it leaked approximately 10 psi over night. A concern but not a dramatic one. 3:30am moving on. 

A little over 100 miles later there is another Love’s truck stop. As the wheel had been taken off to check for leaks and then reinstalled and lug nuts torqued to the proper poundage it’s always a good idea to have them retorqued in about 100 miles. So this stop was right on time. 

I pulled into a fuel isle, not because I needed fuel but because I had to devoid myself of some fuel as it were. Checking the tire I find that it is at its proper pressure of 110 pounds and this is due to the heat of being on the road for two hours. While I was checking it the tire technician happened to be close by and asked if I needed help. I explained to him the situation and inquired as to the presence of a tire shop on the premises as I did not see one when pulling in. He directed me to the tire shop explaining that he was the tire tech on duty and he would be happy to retorqued my nuts. He didn’t actually say it like that but my mind has a hard time passing on possible funny expressions. Annie hopes that someday I will grow up, but I’m afraid she is hoping against hope. But anything is possible. 

Nuts torqued, pressure checked and rechecked, all is good so I was on my way.

Now, I am on the eastern edge of the desert and wanted to get some pictures and take a 30.  Not much to see but here goes. 

  
A home in the desert. 

  
Tough desert tree. 

  
  
Look like some kind of pine. 

Well, I go back to my truck and guess what?  In my haste to get to the restroom I locked myself out of my truck. Oh boy. Called road break down and after determining my location sent out a tech that took less than two minutes to open my door. I thanked him then he gave me a piece of advise that was invaluable. Hide a key in the engine compartment.  I just happened to have a couple of spares so one is now in a place accessible even with the doors locked. 

Annie sent some pictures of a Thanksgiving event tonight at Sadie’s school. What pirates have to do with Thanksgiving I don’t know but looks like fun. 

   
    
    
 
And here are some pics of Arizona. 

   
    
 Well, more tomorrow. Good night and God bless. 

DG:  Up at 5:30.  Not because I had to be anywhere, just couldn’t lay there anymore.  

Stopped at a place called Harris Ranch. Apparently they are purveyors of premium beef products. Next to the truck stop is a restaurant and Inn. I’m debating with myself whether or not to have breakfast at the restaurant.  They are a bit pricey but I’ll bet it’s good. 

Besides the regular gas and diesel pumps they have a Tesla charging station as well as a battery exchange. Neat. 

  
Cows.  Every state has cows. 

So, I decided against breakfast at the main restaurant and instead got a steak, egg and cheese sandwich at Subway.  Well, whattaya gonna do?  

Oh, I forgot to mention, this place also has its own airport. 

  
Behind me where I took this photo is sign to inform those who fly in to use call box for shuttle to the Inn. 

I mentioned earlier that they have a Tesla charging station and battery exchange garage. In the garage were two Teslas and this one was parked out back. 

   
 
As I was driving out this morning, past the restaurant, there too were several Tesla charging stations and three cars parked there and charging.  

My drive to the shipper was down a two lane road through farmland. Not sure what they are growing but they’re growing a lot of it. 

Well, my appointment was for 12:30 local time and not wanting to start my clock until necessary I called around 09:30 and was told it was ready. Great, I was 15 minutes away and told them I would be right there.  So I arrive around 09:55, go to check in and they are out of check in forms.  The girl, who speaks broken English, and I think she is the one I spoke with this morning, tells me someone, somewhere is printing her some more and they should be here shortly.  I go back to my truck and wait. One of the dock workers comes to my truck, after about half an hour, and asks for my sign in papers.  I tell him she was out and getting more and he tells me she now has them and so I need to go fill one out so they can get me loaded. So I go to the window again, fill out said form and then I’m told the produce I am supposed to be taking to Illinois is not even here yet. Well while I appreciate their desire to ship the freshest product possible, I’m assuming it’s coming straight from the field, I question why they would previously tell me it was here when in fact it was not. Oh well, nothing I can do about it so I drive back across the parking lot, park and get in the bunk. 

2:06 I am awakened by the phone ringing.  Oh, I was sleeping so well. Okay, now they are ready.  Back into dock 4.

Loaded and heading for Arizona.  Uh oh, right front tire going flat. Had it checked, but nothing found. No leaks. Just about out of time now so stopping in Lost Hills, CA.  Maybe I have some family here?

God bless. 

DG:  Fudge bars delivered.  All of California just breathed a sigh of relief. 

Left Fernley around 1:00am and arrived before sunrise so my California journey thus far was in the dark. 

Crossing over Donner Pass I was reminded of the family and the circumstances for which that area is named. So tragic. 

A sign that got my attention said downgrade next 40 miles. That’s a long downhill slide. I saw other signs that said snow tubing. Not sure what that was. 40 miles would be a long way to tube. Haha. 

Annie – Alex had his first trip to Walmart today.   We have avoided taking him there to keep him out of the germs but time for Med refills so had to go.    

I can’t believe how big he is getting.   He had his two month check up yesterday and is now over 11 pounds.   

Here are some pics from today.  Such a big smile.   

He loves his big sisters and they him.   So sweet.   
 

That’s about as sweet as it gets huh?

Well, my pictures are not near as beautiful.

Californians like their rivers in concrete.

 So that’s where I am so far. Picking up fresh veggies tomorrow and taking them to Illinois.

God bless all. 

Melissa was working the last 3 days which means we were using bottles for Alex.   Sadie was so excited she got to feed him for the first time.   She sang to him while she fed him.  So sweet.  
   

Taking Sadie to the dentist. He says she needs a crown. On a six year old. Don’t get me started. Anyway, she’s a trooper and doesn’t get nervous at all.  

Looks comfy. 

Well, my windows are clean, inside and out. Now for the rest of the cab. 

  Yea, it’s cold. 

  Companies are desperate for drivers. 

  It says zero emissions vehicle on the side. I guess so when you’re being hailed by a truck. 

  My sweetie made sure I would stay warm.   

DG: Woke up to a rocking truck. High winds. Turned on the weather channel and there is a wind advisory for the area. No kidding. 

Some more on the Truckers Lounge. I gotta  give it to Nevada, they have the hospitality thing down to a T.  Went in to use the bathroom and saw an ice machine with a sign “Ice for Truckers Only”.  Free ice, so I got a bag.  And free coffee, 12 oz, but hey, it’s free. 

Okay, don’t think the wind is going to let up for a while so guess I’ll mosey on.  Don’t know if you can see it or not but to the right of the Truckers Lounge is an American flag on a pole. At the time the picture was taken there was no wind so it’s just hanging there. When I got up this morning it was straight out. After I sat there a while listening to weather reports and trying to decide whether or not to go I looked up and it was gone. I went inside to use the restroom, one more time, and asked the guy in there if he took it down because of the wind. He said no. So it’s Gone With The Wind. True story. 

Stopped in West Fernley, NV. Going to be here at least until tomorrow midnight. Yea, governmental time regulations again. 

More pics of the trip. 

   
    
 
God’s pretty good huh?  God bless. 

DG:  3:00 am, hit snooze, 3:10, up, cold, 51 degrees in the truck. Brrrrrr!! Coffee. Mmmmm…..

Well, the coffee didn’t come for a few hours. But when it did it was good. 

Long drive today.  666 miles. Across Wyoming and Utah to just over the line of Nevada. 

I forgot to mention a couple of days ago that I hit a turkey.  There was a flock of them, probably a dozen or more, by the side of the road and they decided to fly just as I was too close to avoid them or slow down to miss them. One hit on the top driver side corner of the grill and all I saw was a big explosion of feathers. It literally looked as if it desentigrated. There was no need to stop and I was on a two lane road so that wouldn’t have been safe to do even if there was anything that could be done for the turkey, which there wasn’t. I checked my grill at my next stop and there was a small crack, plastic truck, on the corner where it hit. I didn’t think to look anywhere else and then today as I was walking back to the truck after fueling I saw a feather hanging on the bumper on the passenger side. And holy smokes, it’s cracked. Big time. LOOK!

  
Oh well, whattaya do?  

More pics of trip. 

  
  
And my stop for the night. 

  
It’s not Vegas, but pretty neat.  

I don’t know how else to describe this, the parking lot for two of the casinos has a building labeled “Truckers Lounge” and in there you will find snacks and personal items for sale, free showers, three TVs with tables and very comfortable chairs and very reasonably priced laundry facilities. Oh and one free cup of coffee.

A real food dinner at Primo, the main restaurant at the rainbow casino. And now a cookie and off to bed. 

God bless