Misadventures and setbacks.

First off, good morning from Indiana! This was the sight at 6 am. 

While truckers pretty much have say so on how their regular work day goes, most like to start EARLY in the morning. James prefers starting between 4 and 5 AM. Now since we had a drop off at 11PM last night and started back up at 4, you can imagine what that was like. I have now learned that sleeping on the truck is not going to be a problem because it happened twice that I fell asleep and awoke in another state. That was all swept away when I found out where we were going today and I saw this. 

Yes, the Nestle factory! This is the only picture of that as photography is not allowed on the property in any way, shape or form. This was taken from the road. In fact, the large majority of my pictures will be taken while riding, so it'll be a great chance to sharpen my skills on getting a great shot!

Anyways, my excitement dropped pretty quickly when the check in process became annoying and drawn out. There was an inspection, and the trailer we had didn't have enough fuel for the reefer (its the slang term for the type of trailer he carries, refrigeration unit) so we had to go to the nearest station to fuel up. Because he A. drives a rig and B. his company has a contract with specific truck stops, that meant driving 25 miles to get more fuel. While we were stopped, I got to take a few pics. (and get mom a rock)

Allow me to introduce you to James' rig!

No name for her yet, but I'll let you know. 

Also, in case your curious, this is what the large majority of Indiana looks like...

Reminds me of south Georgia, where my family is from, but this view literally stretches for MILES. No trees except for scant amounts here and there. Which might explain the wind. More on that in a little bit. 

So, fueled up, we headed back to the plant only to be turned away AGAIN because of ANOTHER problem with the trailer. Two hours later and a headache and we get back to the plant, hoping to just make it past the gate this time. We get there, and there's a whole line of trucks waiting to get in the gate themselves. During our half hour wait, I got distracted by the birds. 

I noticed hundreds of birds landing in the small field in front of me. The more I watched it became apparent they were forming a circle for all of them to see one another. They shifted and perched until the circle was perfect, then flew like a wave of feathers over the fence and through the windy afternoon. It was truly enchanting and made up for all of the problems we faced earlier. What’s really funny is watching the birds hang on to their small bit of air space with the gusts flying their way. On the way out of the plant, there was one lone bird, flying it’s hardest yet not making any progress so it appeared as if it was being held midair. I’m convinced the birds have fun experiences in all this wind.

The wind itself here is powerful enough it requires explanation. The wind in the Midwest has the unbridled, dangerous quality that most Americans never get to experience, unless they are in a tornado. For most Midwesterners, it’s just a Tuesday. As I walked to the truck stop for a bathroom break, I thought “thank God my hair is firmly attached to my head or I would have none left!” Thankfully I have a large collar on my pea coat which has proven invaluable in this weather!

Oh, irony of ironies, we get set to go only to discover that this new trailer had yet another problem! James said, "Seriously, I swear it's normally not like this." We called in for assistance and had to make a side trip into Indianapolis to get it fixed. The city is the only metropolitan thing I've found in the state thus far. Here's the main skyline.

I was surprised to find that the city has a lot of smaller buildings and only a handful of skyscrapers. Cramped is a good way to describe it, with quaint neighborhoods with tiny yards. The industrial section of town showed many dilapidated buildings and lots of scrap metal places. The building next door to the repair people had a building with a tree growing out of it!

  Thankfully, the repair was minor, the mechanics nice, and things got taken care of quickly. However, because of all the setbacks, James knew it wasn't going to be possible to make the delivery in time so instead of taking the load to Memphis, we've arranged to switch with another driver and will be headed instead to Ohio! 

For tonight, we rest, and who knows what tomorrow will bring! I think we are going to start up again at 5. There's more to come, from the trucker lifestyle to what else I'm up other than watching the road. Since we can only get internet at the truck stops for the time being, I will post as often as possible. 

Speaking of truck stops, here's a couple of the odd products we saw in the one we're at tonight.

Want a pet purse?

 How about a fuzzy puppet?

 Could someone explain this one to me??

I would LOVE to hear your feedback so PLEASE comment!!!