Busy day around here.   Got moms garage cleaned out quite a bit and took a big truck full to The Salvation Army.   Garage looks good but I am bushed.  

DG:  getting ready to head out. Break is over and my clock has time to drive. Probably get to CA by morning.  Unload Sunday morning and go pick up next load heading for IL.  That one should get me to my sweetie who I miss oh so much and can’t wait to give her a big hug and kiss her all over her face. 

In the meantime enjoy some pictures of Utah. 

Good night and God Bless. 

Oh, and say hello to my feathered friends. 

Annie – Don’t feed the birds!    I see a group of birds and still get the feeling like they are going to attack thanks to that awful movie years ago.   

We went to J&J’s for dinner.  Had a good plate of spaghetti and brought home some butterscotch pie for dessert later.   Yummy! 

Jim is here so I am going to cook tomorrow.  I get so tired of eating out but mom still not eating much and it doesn’t make sense to cook.    I get to get my knives and whisks out tomorrow!! 

Well, going to watch TV a bit and turn in.   Goodnight y’all! 

Never stay up until 3 am with one niece when you have to take the other one to soccer practice at 8 am.  So sleepy!   

DG:  Sounds like sound advice.  I will remember that.  

West Wendover, NV is where I be at the moment.  Was really counting on putting about 500 miles behind me last night, but government regulations put the quietus to that plan.  Where have we come to that the government tells you when to rest, sleep, eat and work.  I don’t know. Now I have to wait until midnight to get some time back, then probably swap with another driver that has more time on their clock so that the load can be delivered on time. 

Oh well, getting some important stuff done like a shower, laundry and banking matters.  I don’t know how truckers did this job before cell phones and the Internet. Guess you took care of stuff when you were home.  

Annie – Went to the movies with mom and the girls.  Saw San Andreas where California almost falls in the ocean.   Pretty good movie.  

They left about 3:30 and I hit the bed for a nap.   Definitely not enough sleep last night.  

Jim came in for a few days.   Hopefully get a shed put up for mom while he’s here.    

Turning in.   Goodnight everybody.  

Not much going on here today.   Mom had doctors appointment for follow up.   All is well.   Got her last pneumonia shot ever they said.  Guess you don’t need them after a certain age.   

Went to Texas Roadhouse for lunch.   Had a good steak.   Mom of course brought most of hers home so she will have it for dinner.   

Greg has his time table turned around.  He had to sit so much yesterday that he drove at night now he has to work to get his schedule back around.    

Abby and Lindsey got to come over and spend the night.  Yay!   Watched tv for a bit.   Now time to go to bed because Lindsey has soccer at 8:30.  Uughhhh 

Goodnight! 

DG:  Yes, schedule is turned around and I had every intention of driving all night but after taking my last break noticed my 70 hour clock is nearly expired and that may cause me to sit here for a while. Wanted to leave you with some pictures and say, good night and God bless. 

I got a phone call from Greg this morning saying get on a plane.   I’m not leaving California.  Then he started telling me how beautiful it was as he was going through wine country.   Nobody likes a smarta$$ Greg Hill!  So here I sit waiting while he’s off seeing amazing things.  Boo hoo.  

DG:  Sorry my dear.  I was torn between wanting to share with you and not wanting you to be jealous.  Sharing won out. It is truly like no place I have ever seen.  What Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio are to corn, California is to every other vegetable and fruit. Truly amazing.  
I’m at the Dole plant in Marina. CA. Just north of Monterey.  I was driving on CA-1, the road that follows the coast but the section I was on is too far from the coast to see the ocean. Maybe some other time. 

Well, here are some pictures I took over the past few days. Enjoy. 

Did I mention it is really cold here?  Oh yea. In the low 50s with a strong breeze. Didn’t think to bring a jacket. Did think I would be needing one. 

Oh well, stay warm. We love you. Good night and God bless. 

DG:  What a day.  Started early. Finishing late. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Here’s a few thousand for you. This is California by the way. 

It’s like no other place I have ever seen. But, so is Kentucky. 

Good night all. And God bless. 

Annie – Got to sleep in a bit this am.  Of course, I didn’t go to sleep until 3 am.   LOL  Still not sleeping well without my snoring partner.   

Greg is off in to New Mexico, Arizona and California today.   I bet he is seeing some gorgeous views.   I can’t wait to see them too! 

No plans on this end today.   

DG:  I am officially in the middle of nowhere.  I am at the Hi Sahara Oasis truck stop in Essex, CA. Google map this place. You won’t believe it. It’s the farthest I could get with time left. It’s just what you would imagine of a small truck stop/gas station/convenient store in the middle of the desert. Everything is expensive but what are you going to do. Just glad I am not fueling here. Diesel is $5.35 a gallon. Welcome to California.   

That’s a zoom picture taken from about a quarter mile. I was two miles away and it looked like it was about a block away. The desert does things to your perception.

There’s a big flatscreen TV in the “dining room” but it’s not on. Classic rock from the 70’s is playing over the speakers.  I am the only one in here at the moment besides the staff. Seriously I feel like I am to meet some desert shaman here to show me the secrets of the universe. Oh, and it’s 100 degrees outside. But it’s a dry heat. 

The sun is unforgiving here. It is relentless. If you challenge it you best be prepared. Glad I have a hat.  Doesn’t mean I am going to spend much time outside. Just that I am protected during the walk to and from the truck. 

One other thing, the Oasis is on old Route 66.  It just happened to be located on a section that got an exit when the interstate came through. So like the plants in the desert it survives. 

  
This was across the street from where I last filled up. I would get to know this place if we lived in Flagstaff. 

Annie – So glad I am missing the 100 degree weather but wish I was with you sweetie.  Don’t get out too much.  

Mom and I didn’t do much today.   Binge watching Chasing Life and found a really cute BBC comedy called Rosemary and Thyme.   It’s about two older women who are professional gardeners and amateur sleuths.   Also, as a guilty pleasure, we have been watching Transporter, the series not the movie.   Yummy visuals on that one.  

Greg will make it to his stop in the morning so hopefully will be back on his way east.  

I’m turning in.  Night y’all.  

Westward bound. Go west young man. And so on and so on. 

Needless to say I cringed when I found out where this load was going and I don’t have my sweetie with me. And she so wants to go to California.  I started to turn it down as that is my option but she assured me she would be fine for a few more days until I can get routed back to Kentucky.  I do miss her though. Even more now that I am having to do my own navigating. 

Well, pre trip inspection done it’s time for coffee and to fire up the beast and head into the sunset. Well, west anyway. It will be a while before sunset actually begins. 

Annie – Hmmm. Does he miss me or my navigating and paperwork duties?    Either way I plan to be on the road soon.   

Today is my niece Ashbeys birthday.   Happy Birthday Ash!  

DG: I miss everything about her and don’t let anyone tell you any different. 

Started out in Sapulpa, OK this morning with the best cup of coffee I have had in quite some time. I told you about the little truck stop I stayed at, well, I don’t know what time they closed because I went to bed prior to that but I do know they opened at 6:00 am because I was already up and completing my pretrip inspection. Well, if you’ve ever gotten a cup of coffee at a truck stop you know they have about a dozen different blends. Some bold, some dark, some house, etc, etc.. Well, this little place had one pot, one choice, and that was it. But it was the best coffee I think I’ve ever had. It was dang near perfect. I’ll have to remember that place for next time we are through there. 
Made it to Albuquerque where I will spend the night, get up early and head to California. It pretty here and the town is spread out over everywhere. See below. 

Oh and Russell’s Travel Center. Just this side of Texas border has a museum inside. Check it out. 

That’s not all but I don’t think blog will take anymore. 

Love to all.  Goodnight and God bless.

Annie – Love the pictures sweetheart.  Wish I was there to see these things with you.  

We finally made it out and had lunch and then walmart.   Yeah!   

My sweetie was supposed to call me tonight and tell me goodnight but I’m guessing he fell asleep.   

Goodnight y’all.    

DG:  Sorry about yesterday.  I was bushed. Three weeks out of the truck, had some getting used to.  Got real used to sleeping in and eating very unhealthy.  Back to slim Jims, bananas and peanuts. Road food. 

Stopped early in Oklahoma just west of Tulsa.  An hour and a half left on my clock and the next rest area 72 miles away. Not a problem with my last truck that did not have a governor on it, but with a max speed of 62 mph didn’t want to risk running over on time. 

Went through some torrential downpours.  Was keeping an eye on this bugger too. 

It looked a lot darker and more forbidding than it does in the picture.  Tuned to weather radio and there were flash flood warnings all day. Every river and stream I passed was over the banks or right ready to burst over. People do crazy things in that kind of weather. At one point I was coming up on a car that had pulled over to the shoulder on the right with his hazards flashing and just ahead of him a car was half off the road to the led with his blinkers on making the vehicles in the left lane swerve to get around him. I guess some people just panic. 

Well, like I said I’m parked for the night at a place that’s almost a truck stop. The main store is about the size of half a single wide trailer, restrooms on the outside but they have about a dozen parking spaces and I got me one. 

Love to all and especially my sweetie pie who I am missing something terrible. Love you baby. 

Good night and God bless. 

Annie – Miss you and love you too sweetheart!   Hope it’s a quick trip to California and back.   

We haven’t done much around here today.  Too busy binge watching shows we missed on Netflix.   Lol 

Going to turn in too.   Goodnight y’all. 

Wide awake at 4 am.  Didn’t go to bed until 2.  Not sure what is going on tonight.  Even Precious won’t settle down.  Prayers that everyone is okay and maybe it was just too much caffeine.  

My sweetie is headed to Illinois in the new truck today!   Should be heading my way soon!

Took mom to eye doctor today.  Follow up from cataract surgery.   She is still having trouble seeing so they gave her a prescription for glasses.   Hope it helps! 

Looks like Greg fell asleep before posting his day.   He got the truck this am and a load of bananas to take to illinois.  They didn’t give him enough time to get all the way so he swapped it out for a load of M&M’s heading to California. Again California without me!   I will let you tell him about his day.   It was a busy one.  

Goodnight y’all.  

DG: I often wonder what God’s got in store for us given some of the circumstances we find ourselves in. Like now, here I sit in a hotel room after a week of orientation, waiting for the dealer to call me and tell me my truck is ready. The very same truck I meticulously examined and test drove to make sure everything was working properly. Then when I was all set to go, I get an error message and end up taking it to the shop where they didn’t start looking at it until this morning, if then. So is God telling me I missed something?  Is He keeping me from some catastrophe that I might encounter if I ignore the signs.?  I don’t know. What I do know is that He has something big planned for me. So it is in my best interest to relax and know that God is in charge. That’s hard to do. Probably the hardest because it takes faith and self control. And I need more of both. I mean it’s my life right? So why shouldn’t I be in control?  Well, we’ve seen what can happen with that scenario.  No, it’s best to let God lead. I will learn that process someday I’m sure. 

Miss you sweetie. I’ll be there soon. 

Annie – Miss you too!  Wonder if he is telling us truck driving isn’t it.   I just don’t know.  I am tired of being away from you though! 

DG:  I’ve often thought that, but then get excited about being on the road. But, this may not be the way to do it. It’s raining like crazy here so glad I’m not out in it. 

3:30 and the truck is ready. 3:45 I call dispatch to get a ban to take me to dealer to pick up truck. 7:45 the van comes but has to pick up a couple of drivers at Wal Mart then two drive through a to get everyone fed, then to dealership. So I have my truck, all is well and I should have a load in the morning. Coming to get you sweetheart.

Good night and God bless.