Monday, January 26, 2009

Travel

The other day I got to thinking about a trip to OK when I was a young feller. We were on Hwy 66 in New Mexico. Winter time, cold but clear. At a roadside cafe I saw a auto hauler. As I watched him park his truck and go in the cafe, I began to think about being a trucker. He hauled new cars from the factory to the towns around the country. Got to see a lot of new places. Out on the road. A lot of time away from his family, kinda lonely.

Little did I know that many years later I would be a trucker of sorts. Not hauling new cars. Hazardous materials was my game. In trucking and vacation travel I have been in 27 states and 6 countries. I have seen some very beautiful scenery. The head waters of the Missouri river. The Colorado river where it is only ten foot wide. The Snake river in Idaho. The Columbia river between Oregon and Washington. The Rocky mountains of the West. The great western deserts. Bonneville Salt Flats. The Great Salt Lake. Death Valley. Yellowstone National Park. Moab, Utah with the amazing natural arches. East of the Rockies. The once great grasslands. The Big Sky country of Montana. Grand views of Canada. Drinking to much one night in Canada with my two daughters. A wild Grizzly bear in Yellowstone. Trucking along I-10 on a wonderful spring day close to Palm Springs, a car pulls alongside and a lovely young lady flashes and smiles. A snowy cold day in Nebraska with a ground blizzard. Forty thousand pounds of poison chemicals on board, snow pack covered road. Flash flood in Gunnison, CO. Rocks the size of basketballs and bigger flowing onto the road. So cold the diesel in the fuel tanks turns to jell. Harvest moon rise on the Snake River at Massacre Rocks. Ruts left by the pioneer wagon trains. Washington, DC. Jefferson Memorial, Washington Monument. The Capital. Grand Central Station. Statute of Liberty.

I have been fortunate to see so much of this country.
Pappy1

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

SSR


In Feb. 2007 I was able to purchase a vehicle that I fell in love with when it was first introduced. Chevrolet introduced the SSR (Super Sport Roadster) in 2003. I would go out of my way to see one at a dealer. The design was something!!! Priced out of my reach there was little chance I would ever own a SSR. Feb. '07 I was having the urge to trade vehicles. After looking around, JP said why don't you get that one you keep talking about(SSR). I told her they stopped building the SSR in 2006. They were expensive and not many around.
I bought and Auto Trader magazine. There were 4 listed for sale. I picked out a 2004 with 5500 miles. When I first saw the vehicle it knocked my socks off. Black on Black. The deal was made. Driving the SSR today still feels great. I have owned many vehicles over the years but this one is special.
April 21, 2007 I took my first road trip with the SSR. California to SLC, UT. It was my 67th birthday. Out on the open road. Three hundred horses at my beck and call. The open roads of NV were inviting me to turn them loose. I found out the speed limiter works. 125 mph. Sweet. Around home I don't get the chance
to turn her loose, but I know it's there.
T likes me to put the top down and cruise around town. We both enjoy the looks and comments about the car.
Thanks JP.
Pappy 1

Monday, January 5, 2009

A Tangled Web

I was reading the blogs today and was suprised by how a country boy from the backwoods of OK got so involved internationaly. As a shy innocent lad of 24 years I met a lovely girl in Barcelona.
After a wirlwind courtship we were married. This year we will celebrate 44 years togeather. One late night she was surfing on the www and came across a post that put another peice in the puzzle. She discovered a half sister in Sweden. Waiting at the airport for M's arrival JP and I asked how will we know her. Silly question. They look enough alike to be sister's. There was many long talks, sharing memories of "our father" R. Each from their own understanding of the man. Our girls came to meet M and were suprised at how alike JP and M are. Through Facebook M is now in touch with neices in Spain. Her son J will perform with the rock group H.E.A.T in Barcelona soon. Some members of the Spainish family will attend the show and meet J. This has all been very wonderful. For M I am sure it has answered many questions. I am happy for her and JP.

My brother D is very interested in our family tree. He has done a lot of research and compiled stories told to him by uncles on my father's side. On a visit at Christmas he shared the fact that he was the 4th couisn 6 times removed from two US presidents. Being his brother I guess I qualify too.

Being a simple country boy this is hard for me to wrap my head around. But very interesting. I wonder how Sam and Dave are doing?

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!
Pappy1