Delays That Bring Joy

It all began one sleepy morning when we jumped from bed in obedience to the alarm clock. Thankfully the coffee pot did the same. Little did we know that the journey we were about to begin would keep us away from home for the next couple of months. 

With the truck readied for the road, and the 3 of us buckled in, we were off to waltz across Texas. Ahead we faced about a 5 hour drive to pick up a large compressor in Bloomberg that would be delivered to Pasco, Washington. 

The early morning drive went very well. We hit the metroplex of Dallas/Ft. Worth and kept on rolling east. Eventuallly the scenery around us changed from mesquite trees to towering pine trees as we neared our stop. Jax had been sleeping on his bench in the back, and Hubs & I were belting out all the classic country songs that were on our playlist. As soon as we began to slow down and make a turn onto smaller rural roads, Jax knew we'd stop soon. That perked him up and suddenly it dawned on him that he hadn't been out to take care of business in at least a couple of hours. 

As soon as the truck came to a halt I got Jax out on one side while Hubs got out on the other side to go let the office know we'd arrived. 

In no time we'd gotten loaded and strapped down for more driving. 

Easing up onto the interstate I was mentally preparing for a drive way out west. We hadn't gotten 10 miles down the road when Hubs' phone started ringing. It was our partner calling to see if we were loaded and how much more room we had on the trailer. She'd found another load from Texas to Washington. That's always convenient, albeit we'd have to drive about 5 more hours down south near Houston before turning west. Ok. I had to switch gears in my mind.  It helps to navigate in this business, indeed in life, if you can make quick adjustments. Nothing is really untouchable when change comes knocking. It was a rate we could hardly pass up, so off we went to Fulshear. 

By the time we got close, it was already growing dark, and we had been limping along for awhile with what appeared to be more trouble from our exhaust system  (which had already kept us stuck at home longer than we expected).  So, we reserved a parking spot at a Pilot truck stop only about 6 miles from our pick up location.  I'll pause to say that reserving a spot can become a sticky situation.  By the time we got pulled into Pilot's parking lot there were no spots available.  I will advocate for a new system which will not allow that to happen if anyone asks.  The last thing weary travelers need is to lose their promised space to sleep.  But I will also take the opportunity to applaud the manager who allowed us to stay in front of the store where there is normally no parking.  

Early the next morning we picked up our 2nd Texas load.  We decided to take a route that would put us through our hometown on the way to Washington so we could let the mechanic take a look at what was happening now. After 5 hours to arrive it only took a few minutes of his time before we were off again. 

Already this trip was introducing challenges. Even so,  we met them head on and continued. We didn't stop by the house because we needed to make more progress that day. Thankfully things seemed to be in our favor because we made it to Muleshoe by night. Only 30 more miles would put us in New Mexico. But first, we treated ourselves to the best Mexican food I know of. I'd lived in Muleshoe when I was much younger, and I find it hard to pass up Leal's restaurant when I'm nearby. Hubs was so sweet he'd called in our order and they said they'd keep the doors open until we got our food. We had a good night's sleep with our tummies full. 

The next morning we ventured into a little cafe to get breakfast for the road. I was delighted to find some wonderful goodies that would be perfect for holiday gifts. We left with 5 little treasures and me happy to have thought ahead many months. 

We drove on into NM and passed through Clovis, Santa Rosa and on into Albuquerque, where we made a pit stop. They were under a lot of construction where we stopped. On top of that the police were there having to handle a situation. Needless to say, we were glad to just get on with our business on the other side of all of it. 

Back on the road we began seeing nothing much more than miles of highway up ahead and fun bill boards flanking it. 

They stretched out for miles, reminding me of South Dakota and their very humorous signs. I wrote all about those in another post on the Spaces app, where many more adventures are retold in my blog. 

Finally the land began to take change as we neared Utah. 

That was our first trip into Utah. Colorado and Utah have very famous topography and scenery which we  enjoyed for a couple of days. I’m no geologist, but the land has been sectioned into regions based on characteristic land formations. It gets rather complex, but what I see is the natural artwork that speaks to the power and timelessness of our Creator.

Plugging through Utah, we finally passed through Salt Lake City. The scenery was spectacular and I could not stop taking pictures. 

Unfortunately to our dismay, the truck was needing attention again.  Hubs pulled us into an auto parts store and purchased some items that would put a bandaid on the hole he found in the muffler.  Hoping that would do the trick, we trudged on towards our destination.  As if we weren't already at a disadvantage, Hubs had left his glasses behind at some gas station along the way.  The trip seemed to just have a dark cloud hovering above.  We tried to remain optimistic.  How could we not be when surrounded by so many breathtaking areas? 

We spent a night in a truck stop just inside the Oregon state line. I hadn't been able to see much as we traveled through the darkness, so I was expecting to witness some beautiful vistas the next morning. I was not disappointed. 

A quick stop at a rest area gave us the opportunity to see some unexpected history, as well. I had walked Jax around a bit when I spotted an old water wheel with a plaque in front of it. Back in 1866, William N.Banton moved to Oregon with his parents and established a ranch on part of the land that now encompasses the rest stop. Banton built the water wheel in 1911 to power his tool shop and worked the land until 1945.

I love looking into all of the historical facts of areas where we travel. That was a good start to the day. 

A little further into the day, we crossed into Washington. Our first stop was at a train yard in Pasco. They got us unloaded, no problem. 

Orchards began popping up around us. They were still sleeping through the cold months, but it was very interesting nonetheless. I already had hopes of returning in their fruit bearing season so we could visit them to pick our own apples & cherries. We had loved picking apples in New York. 

It seemed that with every few steps forward, we found ourselves going back again. This was not the kind of two-step we'd enjoy. After passing over a beautiful bridge, commenting on the views surrounding us, we came to a dead stop at another rest area. Hubs was getting very concerned that we wouldn't even make it any further that day, and we still had miles to go. 

Long story short, we sat there for a few hours. We actually had our insurance company trying to find us a tow to the nearest town. Thankfully, after sitting awhile with the hood up, the truck was cooling and the issue appeared to have improved. Slowly but surely we were back on the highway and making our way towards Seattle. 

We made it to Seattle at my favorite time of day. 🌌 🌃 💫 . Now in search of Cafe Nervosa, Elliot Bay Towers, The Montana, or anything else Frasier Crane would suggest. 🤣🤣🤣 Ahh, the world according to Frasier. 😉 🤩

Our plan was to drive long enough to get to a hotel in Bellingham, and then Hubs would go drop off the second load in Demming the next morning. We made it!  I can't convey just how glad we all were to get into that hotel room. I wonder, though, if we'd have been so happy about it if we'd known that we wouldn't leave for the next 2 weeks!  After Hubs dropped off that last load, he went straight to a shop to leave the truck and got an Uber back to the room. 

Now, I won't say we were left uncomfortable. The room was great, with hearty, warm breakfast each morning. The staff was friendly, and got to know us and our habits very well. Things are so much better when you can look for the silver linings on the clouds. Bellingham is in the midst of Washington's best. It is a coastal city near the Canadian border. It’s a port for ferries to Alaska. East is Mount Baker, a huge snow-capped volcano with ski runs. In the city center, the SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention contains hands-on science exhibits. The Whatcom Museum showcases art, nature and regional history across 3 sites, including the Lightcatcher building with its curving, translucent wall.

We made a side trip up near the border. I would have happily spent time in Canada, but we only had our passports, and no papers on Jax. Next time!