Interesting.... happyharry.03

I notice that the scumbag is buying from the US government via ebay.

Now, me being a nice man, and with the potential case moving ahead nicely, I thought I had best inform the Wisconsin people that they are selling to a fraud. When this gets official, it will be really embarrassing to the Paypal maggots when they realise their own government has been culpable, too.

Harry, you will be pleased to know that I received a response from the taxman.

Happy Harry

Just quickly, I see you are still peeking. Relax, I haven't forgotten you and you can expect the real trouble to start again now I have everything sorted here.

I have a new angle, and this one will work. I also have enough money to pay for flights to Melbourne......

Last trip

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Picture Postcard

The crack.. Not good.

Montana just goes on and on and on...

Met up wit Mr Trickett in Butte. He paid for coffee!!!!

Pretty leaves...LOL

The little pull in on the WY/MT line.

See the other side of the interstate?

Washington State.

Home again

OK, so I didn't manage to get any pics of the unloading as I was just too busy. I finally got the last machine unloaded on Vancouver Island on Weds morning and was able to catch an earlier ferry back, which meant I reloaded on Weds afternoon in Abbotsford. A full load of cedar shingles for Wichita to deliver Monday.. Loads of time!!

Only one small problem. BC is 2 hours behind MB, so my paperwork for the border wasn't set up that day. Not a big deal, I just went to Chilliwack and fuelled up then had a night off watching movies.

Just like old times driving off the ferries in Europe, and I had pole position so was able to blast off straight away.

Thursday morning I drove down to Sumas, Washington and crossed over. I chose to use the littler roads for a while instead of cutting across to the interstate. Seemed a plan to me.

Sumas seems quite a small border crossing, but it is much quicker and easier than trying to cross at Blaine.. Anyone who has read the Dark Tower books will know the phrase "Blaine is a pain" and it is, believe me.

Eventually, I found myself on the I5 heading to Seattle, then I picked up the I90 heading east. That is an amazing road to travel. At this time of year the scenery is spectacular with the leaves changing. But it is a hard road with the mountains. I started to hear a slight bark from the motor. I guessed it to be an exhaust manifold leak. I stopped and investigated but couldn't find it. Parked for the night in a rest area in the mountains.. I carried on on Friday morning but kept listening, and went on out past the Little Bighorn Battlefield onto the 212 through Montana. That is awesome out through there. It is the heart of the Badlands really, and you half expect mad indians to come charging after you..

I stopped for the night right beside the state line between Montana and Wyoming. The 212 cuts the north eastern corner of Wyoming and takes you into South Dakota. There is a tiny pull in right by the line and I often stop there as you get left alone..

Into Rapid City (close to Mount Rushmore) where I decided I should investigate the bark properly. It wasn't a manifold leak as such.. The manifold was cracked on no.3 cylinder, which is directly next to the turbo. That was that. Game over till Monday. I would have carried on if it had been anywhere else on the manifold, but that takes the entire weight of the turbo and it just wasn't worth the risk.

Into Butler CAT bright and early on Monday, and out again, new manifold section fitted under warranty, before noon. Now I had to punch on. Wichita was about 1200 kms ahead and I was intending to get empty first thing Tuesday. Stopped in Salina, KS, because you can usually get a spot there, and got into Wichita for 8am.

My reload was from Blue Rapids, KS. Ideal, I was there by noon and out again, still empty, within the hour. The load was 4000 lbs heavier than posted and I couldn't carry it. Plan B time then.

You have to hand it to our dispatchers. In short order I had another reload through, loading that night, from Norfolk, NE... None of this crap about not being able to find anything with this firm. I got loaded late, so I went to bed. Next day, Weds, I cracked on north. I was an hour out of Watertown when my friend called me. My shotgun was with the police in St Pierre (long story not worth going in to) but there was a problem.

It turns out that this gun had been reported stolen in 1970 from Detroit, MI. It didn't show on the registry of long guns in Canada. After some calls, the officer finally found that, although it wasn't on the long gun registry, it is, in fact, registered to me. Weird, huh?

So they gave it back to me on Thursday morning. Even though it has questionable provenance, they gave it back to me.........

Thursday evening I set out again for Saskatoon. I called the receiver at about 9am to ask for directions, only to be told that the earliest they could take it was Tuesday!!! Not good, Selwyn, not good at all!

Anyway, I spoke to them really, really nicely, and explained that I live in Winnipeg and could hardly take it back there and they very nicely took it off.

So now I am home again. I have another load on board for Springfield, Illynoy, for monday morning, and the reload is already on the system for loading Monday lunchtime. That is to go to Calgary for, I think, Friday of next week. Since I have to take Puff to the hospital on weds, and her friend arrives on weds evening, I think it should work out just perfect.

September 27th

Sorry to have been away so long. Recent times have been a little fraught and strained, and I have had other things on my mind.

First, welcome back to Canada. I hope things work out better for you. You know who you are, I need not spell it out. Oddly enough, I hear it is actually colder in the UK at the moment.

In BC at the moment, scabbing internet from the Super8 in Golden. I shall be in Salmon Arm later then all systems go for tomorrow as I intend being on the ferry in the evening, but I have 3 drops to get done before then so we shall have to see.

This trip is a multidrop 1600 miler. I live loaded in Roseau, MN, on Friday and had to go through a new wrinkle with Customs as 2 of the vehicles are classed as industrial and need registering. No big deal, not like Chris had, but I had to wait for the broker to bring a fistful of paperwork for ramping up before I was cleared. Still, it gave me a chance to quiz the Officers about my B4 declaration, because we can't find the original.

Oh, of course, you wouldn't know.. When you land in Canada, you fill out a declaration of goods to follow. This saves you needing things like bill of sale, and saves you paying tax.
On my B4 is a certain 12 gauge shotgun, which I have had since I was a kid, and which I put in storage after I allowed my licence to lapse about 9 years ago. Now I want to bring it out here....

I left home at silly o'clock on Sunday morning, and was in Pincher Creek, AB that night. Got that drop done this morning. Funny how all the vehicles on the bottom deck go to places with loading docks, isn't it?

Still, it gave me a chance to drive the Crowsnest Pass which is stunning at this time of year with the leaves turning.

I got the Cranbrook drop done as well.. Another loading dock!! I will have to get the ramps out tomorrow though. Maybe I will get chance to get a pic or two..

Map of the trip..

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August 24th... just.

Sioux Falls FJ tonight... What a joke they are now. Half of them will not accept the J cards anymore, so they charge for refills despite you putting in 200 gallons of fuel. I think Pilot are going to be the best friends for all the small, independant truckstops now, as well as the Petros, as Petro have revamped their cards to be like the J cards used to be.

I had to stop here to email my Dad's lawyer. All this stuff, huh? I had to pay $5 to send an email so I figured I would sit awhile..

I am heading home again now. I delivered Edmonton on Friday (bet they loved me there with all those portaloos) and even managed to get reloaded in Spruceland. Good guys there. I was supposed to be delivering that in Sturgis, MI, but I have to be home for tomorrow night so I can take Puff up to the city for her operation on Weds morning. She is already cussing about hospital food. She will be in for 7 to 10 days so she best get used to it. Instead, they gave me a load to Dakota City, NE, and a reload out of Norfolk for Calgary. Perfect! It means I can get Alison to the hospital, be there while she is in surgery and immediately afterwards, then I can keep the bills paid by dropping Calgary on Friday, reload and home again.

Sadly, I will not be able to get to my Dad`s service. I wrote my Eulogy and his brother will read it for me. I am trusting the other family members not to stop him or cause him trouble.. They need to remember that I shall be coming over to pay my respects in the not too distant future, and I know where they all live.

So, latest trip...


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