Poor Man's Dock

Crested Butte CO
Loading two cats for NC. Danny Smith will meet me in Gunnison Co and
hook onto load with his truck for the Eastbound leg. It's foggy and
cold up here. They cut the dirt bank and stood plywood against my
trailer. Then they filled it up with dirt.

Gateway Arch

Every city thinks they have a gateway district. St. Louis has the real
deal. 24 hours earlier at the site, Barrack Obamma messmerized 100,000
people. If they knew how much stainless steel scrapped for, it would
have been gone.

St Louis home away from home

Stopped by for Stake Conference and roast pork. H David Burton, the PB
presided. Pati cooked another fab meal. Gotta saddle up and ride
toward Grand Junction with the snow cats.

Lucas Oil Stadium

I-70 WB view of the huge stadium where the Indy Colts play. I'm on
slight detour to St Louis to see the MOfam.

New York State rest area I-84 Wallkill

I stepped into this porta potty and used the urination station. In the
poor light conditions I couldn't see that the target area has a split
seam. Not only was my renal pressure relieved, my boots were washed off!

Another Nascar Track

New Hampshire Motor Speedway is just 4 miles from Prinoth. They gave
up on the Canadian load and gave me one from NH to Grand Jct. CO.

Match to correct caption.

Match photo with correct caption.

Note to self. Do not interupt Iphone when sending blog.

Leaves have peaked in St Albans

Looks like this Suburban will be buried by tomorrow.

Birthplace of chocolate chips

Barry Callebaut makes chips for the Cookie Tree and Cookie Factory in
Utah. We haul about 3 loads each month. This plant is in St Albans VT
where Ben & Jerrys have their main plant.

Canadian Beer

I almost got run over by the Molson beer man in a C Store. The beer
must get through! Stand clear. US beer ddelivery men carry a hand
truck. Johnny Cannucks carry a forklift that attaches to back of
straight truck. Serious tonnage.

Fwd: Acres of snowcats

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From: Douglas Smith <doug@ralphsmithco.com>
Date: October 16, 2008 1:51:14 PM MDT
To: Blog <ralphsmithco.blog@blogger.com>, i <i>
Subject: Acres of snowcats

So close but yet so far away. This is the Camoplast plant that assembles the snocats for Prinoth. They are across the street. Handy. It is on JA Bombardier St. (inventor of the snowmobile).

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Today's Holy Grail

I made it to the Mother Ship for the snocats we haul. I have waited two days for papers to enter Canada with a truck. I rented a car and drove up from Burlington VT to do a trial run.



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Burlington Icon, Al's Drive In

I think we ate here as a family because it's just down the road from
Thrifty. The car rental office said I had rented here before and
welcomed my repeat business. I havn't been here for about 4 years. I
got word that my Canadian load has been delayed to Monday and so I
rented a car and will go to Canada to learn roads.

Sept Utah Trucking Assoc. Harley Ride

This ride went past the memorial for the miners and rescuers lost at
the Crandall Canyon Mine. The five headstones remember the miners and
the three benches remember the rescuers. The benches denote being of
service in my interperatation. One bench has the "greater love hath no
man than he lay down his life for his friends" scripture and another
quotes King Benjamin about when in the service of your fellow beings,
your are in the service of your God. It reminds me of the Wayne
Ashworth family cemetary bench and their service. The man in the ball
cap is Kim Robinson who just recieved a medal for support of the
guard. Robinson Transport paid health insurance and $1000 every month
for 7 employee's families called up from the guard to Iraq. He stood
with a handful of employers like GE and other national giants to be
honored by President Bush. It was the highest civilian honor bestowed
by the National Guard. Robinsons hauled 100s of thousands of tons from
this mine and Kim was a school buddy of the rescuer from Redmond.

Brisk morning

Awake in the Burlington Kmart lot. It didn't freeze last night but
it's close to it. A lot of other trucks are parked here also. I don't
run the engine unless it gets really cold. My Cabela Alaskan Guide
model -40 is cozy in the cold.

Vermont's finest , OG

I found a place to park for the night by the guy with the hoarding
disorder in the Kmart lot. That's where truckers eat, where they can
park. A short walk and I'm back in a familiar restaurant in Burlington
VT. I spent most of today on the phone with various regulators and
have subbed the whole mess out to a permit company to get us the
paperwork needed for Ralph S to go International in Canada.

This car has just enough room for the driver with his hoarding
disorder. Bumper sticker says "Sarah, guts, guns, gorgeous". All
admirable qualities for a future president. I'm in Burlington Vermont
and once again I will myth bust the fact that truck drivers know the
best places to eat.

Rose's Squash

This pumpkin needs Acutane. It must be some kind of hybrid with rough
skin. Bob says if you drop seeds, things grow.