My latest trip to Waterloo

Hello again, wow i wish i hadnt eaten that pickle now, i feel a bit sick so i hope this bag of M&M's i'm eating will cure it.

Anyway, i am at the Beach Flying J and this is day 2 of the expedition.

I got to my truck yesterday morning to find that someone had given her a bath, so thank you to whoever that was. I got my load assignment and sure enough it was to Beef Products Inc in Waterloo, i quite like hat one as you drop the trailer in their yard and bobtail round to the J for a few hours, then either get a load up to Ontario or back along the Highway 2 and up thru North Portal.

Anyway the load doesnt deliver till Friday afternoon which is just as well coz it was still sat up at one of the factories. So after saying a brief hello to Ron and Jim who started a few weeks ago i gunned 3045's mighty Detroit Diesel and pointed her little silver snout out of the yard and we were off on our merry little way.

Theres a ranch on the way up that looks really happy, i have been meaning to take a pic of it for a while now, hope you like it.

Got up to the factory, dropped my empty and picked up the load, all done in about half an hour, trouble was though is was going to be too late for meat inspection, but not to worry, its all in hand.

One thing did worry me though while i was there, you see there is a road that leads down the side of the building and that is where the cattle haullers go with their cargo of Moo cows making their final one way journey to meet Mr slaughterman.

Well while i was there i saw a coach full of people go down that road and come back empty, now that got me (and my warped mind) thinking, it might have just been a staff bus..............

But what if it wasnt, have they started selling the "Alternative Red Meat" ?????????

Anyway, got the trailer and set off for the border, cleared the immigration boothe but had to renew my I 94 (Visa waiver). i drove through the x-ray and took a walk up to the immigration office, being extra careful not to go on my ass again.

I had to wait quite awhile to be sorted out but it wasnt a problem as the entertainment was provided in the form of a border guard, an american, and an Israeli man.

To cut a long story short, the Israeli man wanted to leave USA for Canada but had over stayed his welcome (only by a year or so, oops), the border guard was firing loads of questions at the Israeli man who just stared back which infuriated the guard. Then the american (his brother in law) explain that the Israeli man didnt speak english, this enfuriated the guard even more who explained to the Israeli man (in about 105 decibels) to take a seat as he was going to be there a long, long time, the Israeli man just stared. His brother in law whispered something in his ear then they both sat down.

Now excuse me for being a little thick here but if the Israeli man had been in america too long already, why would the guard want to keep him there even longer ???

With the prospect of WW3 breaking out in the little town of Sweetgrass, i bid them all farewell and sauntered off to Customs then down to my dear old truck, being even more extra careful not to go over on my ass.

Drove round to meat inspection and parked up on a door ready for next morning.

Woke up this morning, got inspected first and heared the great news that the road i intended to take was closed, great !!

It wasnt too much of a surprise though coz when i woke up this morning, 2 inches o snow had fell and there was a state wide blizzard and most roads were emergency traffic only.

I left Sweetgrass and headed for Shelby for fuel and groceries, the weather stared to clear a little so once 3045 and i had both been fed we headed east.

The weather was very changeable, one minute sunny and the next total whiteout and most of the day i was driving on black ice, i dont mean patches, i mean completely black ice.

Like i said i got to Beach ND tonight so i didnt do too bad, were still on schedule.

Till next time............................................