Just past the fork in the road
Two houses up from the bunker where they were packing corn.
Across the road from the barn
and the cows.
There’s a little boy learning from his Grampa
to enjoy work and having fun all at the same time.
Because Grampa taught him early
Grampa has all the confidence in the world in his abilities.
And that little boy knows it.
Miss Emma II is a pretty ‘99 Kenworth that had just come in from California.
I asked who Miss Emma was named after. Emma grins and said “Me.”
She told me they’d had a custom sleeper put on. I forget the measurements, but it’s extra long.
It’s set up like a little camper in there. They’ve got a one burner stove so they don’t have to eat truck stop food all the time, a shower/toilet, mini fridge, and a table that converts into a bed.
The steering wheel was well worn and then some.
Emma laughed and said her husband had left the bull dog in the truck one time and the dog did what any bull dog left alone with nothing to do might do, he chewed on the wooden steering wheel.
“It gives it character” she said. remembering the bull dog fondly.
They won’t be making it home for Easter this year. But they have some family in TN stopping by the truck stop for a quick visit before they have to get back on the road.
Life on the road is a hard way to make a living.
Happy resurrection day whether you’re at home, at a truck stop or somewhere in between doing whatever it takes to make ends meet.
~PN
I was asked Why I haven’t posted any truck photos lately. Maybe I’ve been a little preoccupied by other interests but I have not stopped taking pictures of trucks in any way.
I thought of Matt aka “Semi Crazy” when I stopped for these photos.
Semi Crazy is a cool kid who has good taste when it comes to trucks. I love this photo of him standing here doing his very best “I own this truck - even if it’s only in my mind” pose.
I see this kid in my mind standing just like that in front of every sharp looking Kenworth I see.
That pose of Semi Crazy’s makes me think of the smile on Pat’s face years ago,
when I asked him if I could take this picture of his truck.
Inside every truck driver there’s a little kid who dreamed of driving a truck one day and smiles every time he realizes he’s living that dream.
Every morning I hear the wah wah waah of the loggers and then after a while I hear the log truck shifting through the gears as he climbs the hill with his load of logs.
Every morning I say I have got to go down there to see what they’re doing, it sounds like so much fun. I’ve been saying that for close to two months now.
I have a few other things on the to-do list but never mind about laundry and bathroom cleaning, that will always be there these guys will one day soon be helping someone else manage their timber and if I don’t go now I may be left wondering what might’ve been.
I had to get a look at this log loader, de-limber, cutter all in one thing. I don’t know what it’s properly called. I’m sorry, I do not know forestry equipment terminology so anyone who does please correct me!
He uses that grapple thing like an extension of his hand.
Just grabs a few trees, like a handful
and stuff them in and out of the de-limber. It has rolly things with teeth that take the branches right off.
See how sharp, sharp as in nice and clean they look now?
To chop the tops he sets them on the de-limber thing to the exact length. Watch those arm things
they clamp down to hold the trees for cutting off the tops.
A closer look, on the right is the chainsaw like saw blade just waiting to be told to cut.
Then sawdust flies everywhere and he cuts the tops off. All in a mater of minutes.
Then up the hill comes the skidder carrying more logs.
He circles by at just the right angle
to drop off the logs into the pile.
He circles around, he’s not done up here yet
he has to clean up the chopped tops.
He carries them off to where ever the tops go.
At this point the truck is loaded and ready to go.
I talked to the log loader operator for a minute, he said Grampa used to drive the truck and dad used to load the logs.
Now he loads the logs and Dad drives the truck.
I really enjoy meeting people like that.
I love seeing families having fun working together.
I’m glad I didn’t do those dishes!
