Finally off to Pleasanton

This morning got back to 3045 nice and early, pre-tripped and ready to move, then couldnt move.

One trailer axle was frozen solid so there was a lot of hammer tapping, swearing and cursing and eventually it decided to play and off we went.

The journey so far....................

Drove west out of Alberta and into British Columbia then through the Eastport border into Idaho. Bimbled on south and now i am sat in Pasco Washington, parked up for the year, its 11:30 Albertian time and will be signing off now till the new year, as i am now going to bring in the new year with my wife and son via the MSN.

See you all on the other side !

Happy New Year everyone !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Me losing track of time

I was so tired when i filmed this and its really just a tester, i wanted to share it coz i think it shows just how i was feeling at that point.

Lethbridge to Pleasanton in a day ...................... i dont think so !!!

Done in a day

The clock was ticking and i had to get done. TomTom (sattelite navigation) came into its own here taking me straight to each doorstep, at each delivery i went in and helped unload (and to hurry things along) so towards the end of the day, even though we were both completely knackered, we got it all done and even got a message to bring the empty trailer straight back to Lethbridge.

Once the last skid (pallet) was heave-hoed off the back, 3045's snout found us a north-easterly heading and we got back as far as we could.

That night the snow was so heavy i just couldnt see where i was going so we called it a night at a fantastic little truck stop just passed Siccamous.

Next morning was........................................

well just look at the photo !

Now this was heavy going and there were a couple of serious accidents, untill we got down into the foothills, most of the driving was on powder snow sat on top of compressed snow.

At one point i noticed 3045 was going down the road at a slight angle, i tried to steer into it and nothing happened, i carefully tried to brake, again nothing. One of 2 things was happening, either 3045 was driving herself or we were on sheet ice.

Well instantly remembered that 3045 isnt fitted with auto pilot so we were doing a damn fine impression of Torville and Dean, and with no music.

We also drove through a small avelanche which isnt quite as exiting as i sounds but proberbly worth a mention anyway.

Anyway we got back in one piece (2 pieces actually) and i parked up back in Lethbridge under the origional trailer.

Jan picked me up, we both picked up KFC on the way home and got a few hours kip.

Local run for local people

So this is it, i got to do all this lot and still get a truck load of friendship fries down to Pleasanton for the good people there, bloody hope they appreciate them.

So on with the story, i backed 3045 under a trailerload of something or other and started dragging it up to Calgary, the load was so heavy it was only just legal so 3045 wasnt impressed either.

As we left Lethbridge and trudged up the first hill, 3045 was sweating her little grease nipples off and i was contemplating 3 days of hard work, the phone rang and it was John Penney, he was about 3 minutes behind me so i slowed down a bit to let him catch up and we drove up in convoy having a good old chinwag on the Auntie Mary (Conversation on the CB).

Got up to Calgary, dropped my trailer and bobtailed the half mile or so to get this multi drop load. The load was ready so we scooted under it and hauled it off the door. I left 3045 outside (obviously) and went into get the paperwork.

The roads were deadly but so was our resolve, we took a rough westerly bearing and went screaming across Calgary, out onto highway 8 then headed north up to the Main route into British Columbia.

We actually made good time as we took a slip slidey route over the mighty rockies, tipped into Salmon Arm that night and managed to get to the outskirts of Kamloops where i pulled the curtains for the night.

That dreaded macro

Okay the story so far..................

Got back to truck......................check
Going to Pleasanton..................check
Pleased with myself..................check

Message on Sattelite..................oh dear !

Okay the message came thru saying i wasnt due in Pleasanton till Wednesday so could i do a local run.

BEEP:Local run comes thru..................... Pick up in Calgary, deliver in Penticton BC.

Okay thats not very local but its do-able.

BEEP: Extra delivery to Salmon Arm BC ...............oh okay.

BEEP: Extra delivery to Kamloops BC ................... hang on a minute.

BEEP: Extra delivery to Kamloops BC ................... Oi !

BEEP: Extra delivery to Vernon BC ................. Aagh switch the damn thing off.

BEEP: Extra delivery to Vernon BC ....................... Help !

BEEP: Extra delivery to Kelowna BC ..................... Please, no more !

BEEP: Extra delivery to Kelowna BC ..................... No Stoppit !

Okay so when i had finished staring at the computer screen in utter disbelief, i gave the machine a little shake just in case there were any more in there,.............there weren't.

Multidropping In Horrendous Conditions

Went back to work on Friday, got to my truck, checked the sattelite and my job came through, delivering frozen chips to Pleasanton in California.

I was chuffed to bits, got the paperwork, backed under the trailer, scaled off and then another message came over the sattelite.

IT WAS NOT GOOD NEWS !!!!!!!!!!!!!

more to follow........................................

Boxing Day and beyond

Well thats another Christmas out of the way, yesterday was good fun as we had a few friends round.

John and Carrol Penney came round with the kids so we did ribs and buritos and ended up playing pool, air hockey and table-tennis. It was the first time they had seen Gizmo so that was interesting. They all seemed to get on okay although Gizmo thought it was hilarious to keep knocking little John over and little John thought it was hilarious to keep feeding him bananas, grapes and oranges. At least it kept them both occupied.

Later on Jonny and Karen Goulding came round, we did the old "Jack Daniels" some damage then it was a pool air hockey and table tennis tournament, cant remember who actually won but it was good fun anyway.

Jan and i are a little fragile this morning and even a fry up couldnt cure us so its a quiet day for us and tonight we are going round the Gouldings for a return pool match.

I might drive round as i wont be drinking, im back in my truck tomorrow morning, i phoned up earlier to find out where i was going but nothings come through yet.

Thought i would be brave this morning and go out in the snow in my slippers and no socks, big mistake, i got stranded at he bottom of the garden and my feet were freezing. The lesson learnt there was "if you go out in the snow at least put your socks on".

1st Christmas Dinner in Canada

What it takes to be a Blogger

I would like to introduce you to the world of Blogging and to show you the process of maintaining your site.

I hope when you see this short film, you will realise the patience required and the skill of intricately putting together the window into your life.

Just watch how this skilled blogger plies his trade.................

A true professional.........................................

Star Guest - Mr Frogz

okay as promised, the dodgy camra work.

............ and i dont think its going to get any better

Sorry !!!

Lyndon's Christmas message to the nation

Christmas morning in Canada

Hello all !

Managed to escape from Christmas for a few minutes, ive left Jan and Luke playing table tennis down stairs so i thought i would post a few pics from our first christmas morning in the Dominion.

Santa bought Luke what he wanted which was XBox games, DVD's and a skateboard like contraption called a "Rip-Stick", its all the craze apparently. We also got him a pool table which converts into air hockey and table tennis.

Jan got a sheepskin coat and some native american stuff including earings made out of porcupine quills and teepee creepers (moccassin slippers).

As you see Gizmo must have been a good doggy (not sure when that was !) coz Santa bought him something too.

Santa bought me a camera so i am busy annoying everybody with it today, its also got a pretty good video mode so be prepaired for some pretty dodgy video work...................

Merry Christmas to all our readers

Merry Christmas Everybody !!!!!!!

We got free booze for everybody, its at the end of this article..............................

To all our readers from all around the world...........................

Afrikaans: Geseënde Kersfees

Afrikander: Een Plesierige Kerfees

African/ Eritrean/ Tigrinja: Rehus-Beal-Ledeats

Albanian:Gezur Krislinjden

Arabic: Milad Majid

Argentine: Feliz Navidad

Armenian: Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand

Azeri: Tezze Iliniz Yahsi Olsun

Bahasa Malaysia: Selamat Hari Natal

Basque: Zorionak eta Urte Berri On!

Bengali: Shuvo Naba Barsha

Bohemian: Vesele Vanoce

Brazilian: Feliz Natal

Breton: Nedeleg laouen na bloavezh mat

Bulgarian: Tchestita Koleda; Tchestito Rojdestvo Hristovo

Catalan: Bon Nadal i un Bon Any Nou!

Chile: Feliz Navidad

Chinese: (Cantonese) Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung Haw Sun

Chinese: (Mandarin) Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan

Choctaw: Yukpa, Nitak Hollo Chito

Columbia: Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo

Cornish: Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth

Corsian: Pace e salute

Crazanian: Rot Yikji Dol La Roo

Cree: Mitho Makosi Kesikansi

Croatian: Sretan Bozic

Czech: Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok

Danish: Glædelig Jul

Duri: Christmas-e- Shoma Mobarak

Dutch: Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! or Zalig Kerstfeast

English: Merry Christmas

Eskimo: (inupik) Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo!

Esperanto: Gajan Kristnaskon

Estonian: Ruumsaid juuluphi

Ethiopian: (Amharic) Melkin Yelidet Beaal

Faeroese: Gledhilig jol og eydnurikt nyggjar!

Farsi: Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashad

Finnish: Hyvaa joulua

Flemish: Zalig Kerstfeest en Gelukkig nieuw jaar

French: Joyeux Noel

Frisian: Noflike Krystdagen en in protte Lok en Seine yn it Nije Jier!

Galician: Bo Nada

Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath ùr!

German: Fröhliche Weihnachten

Greek: Kala Christouyenna!

Haiti: (Creole) Jwaye Nowel or to Jesus Edo Bri'cho o Rish D'Shato Brichto

Hausa: Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara!

Hawaiian: Mele Kalikimaka

Hebrew: Mo'adim Lesimkha. Chena tova

Hindi: Shub Naya Baras

Hausa: Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara!

Hungarian: Kellemes Karacsonyi unnepeket

Icelandic: Gledileg JolIndonesian: Selamat Hari Natal

Iraqi: Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah

Irish: Nollaig Shona Dhuit, or Nodlaig mhaith chugnat

Iroquois: Ojenyunyat Sungwiyadeson honungradon nagwutut. Ojenyunyat osrasay.

Italian: Buone Feste Natalizie

Japanese: Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto

Jiberish: Mithag Crithagsigathmithags

Korean: Sung Tan Chuk Ha

Lao: souksan van Christmas

Latin: Natale hilare et Annum Faustum!

Latvian: Prieci'gus Ziemsve'tkus un Laimi'gu Jauno Gadu!

Lausitzian:Wjesole hody a strowe nowe leto

Lettish: Priecigus Ziemassvetkus

Lithuanian: Linksmu KaleduLow

Saxon: Heughliche Winachten un 'n moi Nijaar

Macedonian: Sreken Bozhik

Maltese: IL-Milied It-tajjeb

Manx: Nollick ghennal as blein vie noa

Maori: Meri Kirihimete

Marathi: Shub Naya Varsh

Navajo: Merry Keshmish

Norwegian: God Jul, or Gledelig Jul

Occitan: Pulit nadal e bona annado

Papiamento: Bon Pasco Papua

New Guinea: Bikpela hamamas blong dispela Krismas na Nupela yia i go long yu

Pennsylvania German: En frehlicher Grischtdaag un en hallich Nei Yaahr!

Peru: Feliz Navidad y un Venturoso Año Nuevo

Philipines: Maligayan Pasko!

Polish: Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia or Boze Narodzenie

Portuguese:Feliz Natal

Pushto: Christmas Aao Ne-way Kaal Mo Mobarak

ShaRapa-Nui (Easter Island): Mata-Ki-Te-Rangi. Te-Pito-O-Te-Henua

Rhetian: Bellas festas da nadal e bun onn

Romanche: (sursilvan dialect): Legreivlas fiastas da Nadal e bien niev onn!

Rumanian: Sarbatori vesele or Craciun fericit

Russian: Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom

Sami: Buorrit Juovllat

Samoan: La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou

Sardinian: Bonu nadale e prosperu annu nou

Serbian: Hristos se rodi

Slovakian: Sretan Bozic or Vesele vianoce

Sami: Buorrit Juovllat

Scots Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil huibh

Serbian: Hristos se rodi.

Singhalese: Subha nath thalak Vewa. Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa

Slovak: Vesele Vianoce. A stastlivy Novy Rok

Slovene: Vesele Bozicne Praznike Srecno Novo Leto or Vesel Bozic in srecno Novo leto

Spanish: Feliz Navidad

Swedish: God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt År

Tagalog: Maligayamg Pasko. Masaganang Bagong TaonTami: Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal

Trukeese: (Micronesian) Neekiriisimas annim oo iyer seefe feyiyeech!

Thai: Sawadee Pee Mai or souksan wan Christmas

Turkish: Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun

Ukrainian: Srozhdestvom Kristovym or Z RIZDVOM HRYSTOVYM

Urdu: Naya Saal Mubarak Ho

Vietnamese: Chuc Mung Giang Sinh

Welsh: Nadolig Llawen

Yoruba: E ku odun, e ku iye'dun!

BOO BOO BOO

The last run in

Well this is the last day of my crappiest run so far, what else can go wrong.

Woke up nice and early, skipped breakfast, checked 3045 and hit the road. Stopped at the McDonalds in Golden for McMuffins and coffee (double double) then ploughed on through more horrendous conditions.

Passed a Dutch driver (Hi Manfried) shouted "Hi" over CB and made a witty comment about him having a heavy load and see him back at Calgary.

Big mistake, i got over the next hill, my engine warning lights came on and the motor died.

Well Manfried pulled over too and i thanked him for not laughing.

I had lost a lot of coolant and tripped the sensor that killed the engine, luckily i always carry a couple of gallons of water so in it went, this solved the problem and off we went again.

I met up with Manfried again at Calgary and at last my luck changed.............................

There were no loads coming back to Lethbridge so we were both told to bobtail back.

Thanks Peter.

So Christmas begins................................

Beautifull and Deadly

Read the title and take note !!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was snowing as i left the foothills at Hope and the weather got worse as i got higher, before we got to the first avelanche shelter we were at a standstill and 3045 was sitting in sheet ice.

There was a nasty accident (i had already seen half a dozen minor ones today) up ahead involving 3 trucks spinning out and a car, it was grim and i thought back to me explaining to my dispatcher that it was a bad idea to send me over the mountains this close to my holiday.

Then came some fantastic news.......................... CHAIN UP !

Well i put the old jewelery on (15 minutes this time) and we trudged up the mountain and squeezed through the carnage, the chains stayed on till passed the toll boothes.

By this time it was dark and i was getting low on hours, luckily the roads got better and i actually managed to get passed Siccamous then pulled the curtains for the night.

Chilly in Chilliwack

Opened the curtains next morning and there was about 4 inches of snow on the truck, great and i still had to negotiate Coquihalle. Got underway and had a slidey journey all the way dow into Chilliwack. Down in the valley it was tipping with snow and it was the wet slushy stuff. As it was melting it was refreezing as ice and the roads were treacherous, the ploughs were trying their best but it was a losing battle.

Okay the plan was, deliver into Chilliwack and there was a load waiting for me in Delta (Vancouver) that was going straight back to Lethbridge, checked my hours and just had enough, so far so good................

10 minutes from Delta i was told my Lethbridge load had cancelled (????????) and i had a load that was going back to Calgary, oh how i laughed.

Well picked up my load this afternoon and started my return journey.

Over the mountains and far away

Spent the night at H&R Calgary, woke up, showered, glugged a chocolate slimfast and phoned in.
I was told i had to take an empty trailer down with me, this was about 08:30. 10:30 phoned in again and told to bobtail down................... thanks a bunch, half a day lost for nothing.

Bobtailed down there, got my load immediatly and headed into the mountains, got as far as Kamloops and pulled the curtains.

Last run before Christmas (Definitely)

Okay i was in Calgary and on a wind down for the holiday. I had just been on the phone to Jan saying it would be funny if they tried to send me to Vancouver just before the holiday........

Then my sattelite beeped and a job came for me.

Take a trailer from cargills in High River and deliver it to Chilliwack
(100
kms from Vancouver)

Well i thought it was a mistake at first, but no, they actually wanted me to go over the mountains, three days before my christmas holiday.........................................

After a bit of a concerned phone call to my dispatcher, he was adamant i was going and assured me that the roads were good, the weather was good.......................

I wasnt convinced !

Anyway i thought if i could get down to Cargills that night then at least i would have a head start so i phoned dispatch. The night dispatcher who answered told me they were very busy and to call back in 2 hours.

He wanted me to sit there (unpaid) till they had time to help me.

I pondered this for about 2 and a half seconds and thought "Screw you" and went to bed.........

Glorious Estevan

Woke up next morning and it was straight into Timmy's for breakfast. I was really good and just had coffee.

Trouble is though, every time i order coffee i always try to say

Could i please have a zero calorie sweetner and a non fat dairy substitute
with that please

but it always comes out as "Double Double please".

Anyway, breakfast done and paperwork filled out, Don and I headed up towards Calgary. It was pretty much a full days run so it was a quick refuel and then i said farewell to Don and i believe he had a load to get him back into Kelowna.

At this point i was three days away from finishing for Crimbo so i thought it would be a few days moving around Alberta.

so i thought................................................................

First Nations Of Canada - The Beothuk

Introduction

One First Nation, who lived in what is now known as Newfoundland and Labrador, no longer exists. These people were known as the Beothuk. Unfortunately, little is known about the history and culture of these unique people.
The last Beothuk, a woman named Shanawdithit, died in 1829.

The Story

The first English settlers told stories about the Beothuk, that they were giants in height and had light skin. There may be some truth to both of these stories. Because of their balanced diet, the Beothuk were probably much taller and healthier than the early Europeans who encountered them. It is also possible that some Beothuk had light skin. About A.D. 1000, Norse sailors ("Vikings") from Greenland settled in the northern part of what is now the island of Newfoundland in a place that has come to be known as L'Anse aux Meadows. Norse legends tell us that after settling down and living in peace with the Beothuk, the Norse ended up fighting them and were forced to leave. During the first peaceful contact however, some children may have been born between Beothuk and Norse parents. If so, some Beothuk children could have been born with lighter skin.

Another explanation goes further back than the arrival of the Norse and is based on a story told by the Cree of James Bay. A long time ago, the Cree knew a people who lived near them, and who they called Buatuk. This was thousands of years ago, before the Inuit arrived in the area. These Buatuk were said to be a tall race of people, who inhabited several islands in what we now call the Hudson Bay region. The Buatuk left the area and were replaced by the Inuit. It is possible that the Buatuk traveled east and ended up on what is now the island of Newfoundland, where they later became known as the Beothuk.

Some 500 years after the Norse left what is now known as Newfoundland, a Portuguese explorer named Gaspar Corte Real was the next to meet the Beothuk. He captured 57 of them and brought them back to Europe. This set the stage for how the Beothuk would be treated by European explorers and settlers for the next 300 years.

In 1612, something happened that forever changed the fortunes of the Beothuk people. An English merchant named John Guy had set up a trading post in the southeast part of the island of Newfoundland at Conception Bay. There, the English and Beothuk were maintaining good trade relations. One day, a ship arrived in the bay and the Beothuk, thinking it was their friend John Guy, canoed towards the ship. The ship was not Guy's however, and the captain of the ship, not aware of the good relationship between the Guy and the Beothuk, was afraid when he saw so many people canoeing towards him. As a result, he shot at the Beothuk with a cannon. This was the start of bad feelings between the English and the Beothuk.

The Beothuk never used to live in one place for very long. They would travel to the coast in the spring and summer to fish, and move to the interior away from the harsh winds to hunt in the fall and winter. When it was time for the animals or fish to have their babies or lay their eggs, they stopped hunting or fishing those animals. This was to make sure there would always be new animals or fish being born to take the place of the ones they killed. When the Beothuk were forced into the interior however, they had to hunt and fish always in one place. This broke a cycle that had evolved over thousands of years between them and the animals. As well, the Beothuk could no longer hunt and fish the marine life from the ocean. Whenever the Beothuk went near the ocean, English fisherman would shoot at them.

The end result was starvation for the Beothuk people.

Of all the Newfoundland settlers, it was John Payton Sr. and his son John Payton Jr. who had the worst history with the Beothuk. John Payton Sr. had clubbed several Beothuk to death. In 1819, his son, John Payton Jr., was under orders to capture a Beothuk woman to use as an interpreter. He surprised Nonobawsut's wife, a Beothuk woman named Demasduwit, carrying her baby. She tried to get away but was too ill to run. Nonobawsut tried to save her but was shot dead by Payton.

Demasduwit was captured and renamed Mary March (because she was captured in March). She was taken away and then promised that she would be let go but died of tuberculosis before she could get back to her village.

Soon there were only about 19 Beothuk left. In 1823, William Cull captured a Beothuk woman named Shawnadithit, along with her mother and sister. Shanawdithit was renamed Nancy April (she was captured in April) and lived as a servant. Her mother and sister died soon after.

In 1829 Shanawdithit died of tuberculosis. She was the last of the Beothuk. Her skull was taken for scientific research and her body was buried in St. John's. Although fisherman told a story of having seen some Beothuk paddling out into the ocean towards Labrador, the Beothuk were never seen again in Newfoundland.

Don's Back !!!!

Woke up this morning at Fargo and it was one of those mornings, i felt grotty, irritable, tired, headachey and generally shitty.

Well dear reader, as we all know there is only one cure known to man kind and that is a hot steaming shower and a really unhealthy breakfast so i had both and in that order.

So, carcass scrubbed, hair brushed and belly full of sausage, bacon & eggs i felt much better as i waddled back over the slip slidey truck park back to 3045.

........ And then i saw she had a friend, sat next to her was 3940.

Ha......... it was Don Humphrey again.

I got back in 3045 and sorted out a bit of paperwork while i waited for him.

We were both heading into Calgary through North Portal which is the border crossing into Saskachewan so we decided to travel together. i havent been this way before so i let Don lead the way, and what a fascinating route it is too.

We headed West across North dakota to Jamestown then went Northish across country. There are loads of nice little truck stops and it makes a nice change from the Flying J. We had a great steak in one of them but i cant remember where we were.

Well we crossed over at Portal and had to pop into he brokers to collect an M-Cap (just another bit of paper) i already had loads of paper but apparently i needed this bit aswell.

We are parked up in Estevan Saskachewan now at the Husky and after a nice hot chocolate in the resaurant its time again for beddy-byes and a 7 oclock start in the morning.

I did notice a Tim Hortons on the way in so i guess its Timmy's for breakfast.................

Between Waterloo and Fargo

Got a message on the satelite to go collect a trailer from BFI in Waterloo and get across to Jefferson Wisconsin for my 1st collection then get over to Millwauki. That was easy enough and the loads were very quick and it was in to the Flying J at Oak Creek which is just south of the City for the night. This is where the plan went pear shaped coz the J was full, next choice was the Pilot and there was just 1 space left. I wasnt too worried as there was also a Petro, a Mac Donalds and some other place i noticed on the way in.

Anyway i discovered that i can buy food on my pilot card, i had $37 and you can use it in Subway, TacoBell, Wendy's, Arby's and a few other places, ha, result.

So it was a steak and cheese foot long with a handfull of veggies thrown on for good measure, i love free food, me.

Next morning i got a message to go get the last part of my load so i could head for the border, again this was pretty quick then it was a scale off and a dash for the border.

I wasnt sure whether i would make Fargo as it was pretty close to the mark but i gave it a go, making sure i made a mental note of stopping places as i got closer, another reason why i was a bit unsure about the J at Fargo was the fact that i would be getting in there at about 22:00 local so it might be full.

Anyway i got there with about 10 mins to spare and guess what? it was half empty, deep joy !

Okay i know what you are all thinking right now, "C'mon Lyndon, whats with the half empty nonsense, you are glass half full kinda guy, not half empty"

Well let me explain dear reader, when we are talking about glasses i do like them half full, but when i am talking about Truck Lots, believe me i prefer them half empty, its easier to park.

Oh well, parked up, pulled the curtains, cranked up the night heater and went to bo-bo's........