The End Of Day

The blue of the sky and the orange of the setting sun along Interstate-90, in the vicinity of Moses Lake, Washington, create a beautiful canvas for this row of poplar trees.


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2013: Until I'm One With You
2012: I Didn’t Even Have To Slip Him My Room Key
2011: Rest Comes For Robo-Ed
2010: Better Than A Leg Press Machine. Or How To Get A Good Looking Left Gam.
2009: How Can I Tread On You When I Can’t Even Turn Around?
2008: Popping Good Time
2007: Touching Down For A Quick Rest Break
2006: Follow Your Heart
2005: All About The Benjamins

Nope, Don't See Anything I Need Here

Ed visited a truck salvage yard in Terre Haute, Indiana last week and took this picture while he was searching for a few parts we needed for the truck.  He found two of the things we needed and if he spent any more time there, would have come back with several we didn't.

 I promised him we'd go back again when we have more time to spend there.

 Wink wink.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
2013: Bears Outnumber Bigfoot  
2012: Betting On My Man To Show Me A Great Time
2011: Cut And Color
2010: X Marks The Imaginary Spot
2009: A Field That Looks Perfect For Wrasslin’…If It Weren’t For The Sign
2008: Come Visit Me In Italy!
2007: Asked And Answered
2006: L.E.A.P.
2005: Ed Visits His First Warehouse Store

Squeezing Through The Backroads

I've said it before and I'll say it again - I love driving the backroads.  This week we were on some very scenic backroads in Southern Indiana.  Through canopies of trees, past fields of corn, and plenty of barns dotting the landscape.  Ed was driving, I was trying to get a few shots with the iPhone.

The roads were small, with trees hanging precariously close to the top of the trailer and no shoulder to speak of.  Meeting another big rig on a road like this is always a little hairy.  I think I closed my eyes as we passed.

We came out the other side unscathed.  Unlike my first experience driving an 18-wheeler on a country road, while still in my thirteen day trucking school course.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: Waves Of Steel

2012: Forever In Bloom
2011: Ed Visits His First Warehouse Store
2010: HBD 143
2009: Eddie Hauls Laundry The White Trash Way Friday
2008: Sun Setting Over Lake Pontchartrain
2007: Sanchez. Pedro Sanchez.
2006: Remembering Those In Heaven
2005: The Line Of Gold Thread

I See A Molasses Sorghum Cookie In My Future

Many times we'll be in areas where we pass fields of crops everywhere, and unless it's corn or cotton, I often don't  know what it is just by looking at it.  Sometimes if you can find out what's grown in the area, it makes the mystery easier to solve.  The most interesting crop I think I've ever seen were artichokes.  I ate them and loved them, but I had absolutely no idea they grew at the top of these giant stalks, like flowers.

This week we were in Brickeys, Arkansas.  These dark red flowery things lined each side of the state highway we were on.  At times they alternated with a silky bright green crop which we guessed was rice, but we really had no idea what this plant was. The bottom part of the plant has leaves like corn, but the flowering top was a little more hearty than the silk seen on a corn stalk.  And they were only about three feet high.  That really threw me.  We always turn to Google images to try to find something that looks similar.  This stuff stumped me.

I kept Googling until I found a photo that matched.  Turns out what I had taken pictures of was Grain Sorghum, also known as Milo. Who knew?  They even have a cookie recipe on that website.  I might have to try it. 

Thank you, Google.  You make me smarter every day. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: Save Fifty Cents By Staying Away From The Card Tables - Go To A Concert Instead
2012: Zero Tolerance Zone
2011: Flicker Of Hope…GONE
2010: Knee Deep In Training
2009: She Sells Seashells By The Seashore
2008: Shopping At Walmart Is The Closest Some Of Us WilL Ever Get To China
2007: Giving Indians A Bad Name
2006: Six Flags Of Horror Fly Over Texas
2005: Snake River

A Dark Cloud Hangs Over The Plantation

This is a photo of the Frogmore Cotton Plantation & Gins in Frogmore, Louisiana just before the sky opened and rain doused the cotton buds. 

This 1,800 acre plantation has been around since the late 1700s and still produces cotton today, although now it's gathered through modern means.  We've passed by many times and one day I hope to be able to stop and see the entire operation.  It's considered a "must see site" by Rand McNally and has been featured in Southern Living Magazine, among others, and was also the subject of several PBS documentaries.

The cotton gin - which is short for "cotton engine" - was invented by Eli Whitney as a way to take the seeds out of the cotton.  It helped increase production of cotton and allowed the plantations in the south to rapidly expand.  Before the cotton gin, it would take one person and entire day to separate the seeds (by hand) from one pound of cotton.  A job not many people would be happy doing.  

Although I like the idea of them giving tours to keep alive the history of places like this, I think the smiling white woman and her laughing young son, seen in the home page slideshow sitting among the cotton blooms, "picking" them with a smile, isn't really the best representation for an industry with such a dark history. 



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: I Wonder How These Longhorns Would Feel If They Knew A Steakhouse Was Named After Them?
2012: Frying Up Memories
2011: Icy Beverages, Sun, And Sand
2010: Smalltopia And Rowdy Kittens
2009: Severely Disabled
2008: Boys In Dresses
2007: I’ve Been Everywhere Sunday
2006: When I'm Done Peeing, Do I Bang On The Pipes Or Just Yell When I Need Someone To Take Me Back To My Cell?
2005: The Emerald City

Beautiful Brutalism In A Bucolic Bourg

In the land of Goshen - the one located in New York state, not the Biblical one - stands a building that smacks you in the face with its modernity.

The Village of Goshen, located within the Town of Goshen, was settled in the early 1700s and the area is known for its historic homes, rolling green pastures, quiet village streets and proximity to New York City.  It's a very desirable place to live.  And this building has been a topic of conversation in it for over 45 years.  So much so, even the New York Times has covered its existence and architectural importance, its supporters, and the campaign for its demise, in articles published in 2004, 2007, 2012 and again in 2014.

In 1967, the year it was completed, it was called a "monstrosity".  Its rugged brick and concrete exterior, stacked like today's trendy "green" shipping container homes, was the antithesis of the Village of Goshen aesthetic.  I was born the year it was built, so I can't tell you what people thought about it then - even though we know based on documentation - but since I've lived in the town it's in, and my family still resides there, I can tell you what they think about it now...they're still not happy.  My mother called it the "eewy-gooey" building.  Not exactly an architectural term, but descriptive nonetheless.

The building sits prominently (as if it could sit any other way) on the corner of Scotchtown Road and Main Street, two-tenths of a mile from the historic Harness Racing Museum and the Goshen Historic Track (the oldest active harness racing track in the United States), and across the street from Maplewood, the current Village of Goshen Town Hall, which was built in 1816.

Stark contrast is an understatement.

But I like it.  I've always liked it.  Sure, it doesn't fit in with the small-town-farm-community history of the village.  Nor does it please the people who moved from "the city" to "the country" to get away from buildings that look like this.  But it has a certain appeal.  And it certainly evokes emotion.

The building served as the Government Center for Orange County.  Inside were offices for our county officials, the county court, court records, deed and mortgage records (I'd been there many times pulling giant books to look up property information for various reasons), and the DMV office.

In the photo above you'll see an addition on the north side of the building.  I had already moved out of New York when they added that part, which housed the new county courts.  I think it ruins the look of the original structure.  I wish they'd just left it alone.

Visiting the building has always caused me a teeny bit of trepidation.  It was a very confusing structure.  But it was also a bit exciting, like an adventure. It didn't matter which way I entered, I was always in the wrong part of the building for what I needed.  Hence, I always gave myself extra time when I needed to go there for an appointment or errand.  I loved having a reason to go there. 

The interior is just as fantastic as the exterior.  Intersecting walkways, open areas showing its multi-levels, light streaming in from what seem to be oddly placed windows but were clearly well-thought-out by the architect.  The stairways all seemed to end at a cube with a window.  They often posted security personnel in high traffic areas to direct people who got lost.  There were many. 

The decor showcased minimalism before I knew what that meant.  Look at the sleek benches in the photo above.  

Below you can see the first level area that housed the Department of Motor Vehicle office.  The marks on the carpeting indicate where the benches were for the waiting area, which is shown in the next photo.  

FYI - there was nothing modern and futuristic about our motor vehicle office, the wait was still excruciating, the system archaic, and the skill of the clerks...well, it's the DMV.

The last time I was in this building was 2006, just after my father died.  I had to get the title of his car switched into my name.  The building is now closed, so unless they renovate or re-open the building, that will be my last time inside those walls.     

In the photo below you can see the ridged concrete on the wall, which was rough, as if they just scored the concrete with fork tines.  It would snag your blouse if you got too close. 

When I drove by or walked around the building, I'd look up and wonder who was lucky enough to work behind those windows.  Who worked in that office?  Oooh, that guy's got a huge window.  I wonder what that woman over there is doing?  It seemed like an exotic place to work.

The building has been plagued with issues since it was built.  It leaked.  It wasn't energy efficient.  Repairs would be costly.  The town doesn't want to put money into it, but the people who love and appreciate architecture and the significance of things from the past don't want to see it destroyed.  I'm in the latter group.  

It's not so much about loving it or not.  It's about the importance to preserve something that has historical significance.  This building is as important as the current town hall, which is almost 200 years old.  Imagine if someone decided that wasn't worth saving?  In the future, people who see the value of conservation will be happy these structures exist.  You can't just erase what a handful of people don't like.  

And if you look at the building at a certain time of day, or during a certain season, or from a certain angle, it looks different.  In morning and evening light, in the rain when the concrete is wet, when the trees and flowers around it are in full bloom, or when the land surrounding it is blanketed in snow.  

Maybe its detractors need to take another look.  Give it a good stare.  Bring a picnic to the lawn and gaze up at history.  Perhaps they'll get a tiny glimpse of something they like and change their minds.

Because beauty comes in all forms.

** None of the photos in this post were taken by me.  They are courtesy of the Internet.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: Have A Little Faith In The Romantic Comedy
2012: The Perfect Volunteer
2011: The Men Who Stare AT Goats
2010: A Peek At A Working Team
2009: Alligators Are Not A Girl’s Best Friend
2008: Forget Your Cholesterol. Get A Hearing Aid.
2007: Sizzling Good Time
2006: Amarillo May Smell Like Cow Shit, But They Have Some Pretty Tasty Steaks
2005: List Of Fives

Made In 1942

"Beautiful young people are accidents of nature,
but beautiful old people are works of art."

 ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Happy 72nd Birthday, Mommy!


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: Her Happiness Is OUR Reward
2012: A Student Of Life
2011: There Is No One Alive Who Is Youer Than You
2010: The Serious Bather
2009: There’s More To The Woman With The Mona Lisa Smile Than Meets The Eye
2008: Blond Bombshell Birthday
2007: Milestones And Yardsticks: How To Measure A Good Life
2006: The Roaring Twenties
2005: Escape

Natural Home Decor

So we were shopping at the hardware store in Shipshewana, Ed was looking for some gasket thingy and I was just killing time until he found what he needed.  I'm always amazed at how much stuff they cram on these shelves!  Hardware stores have the most interesting mix of items for sale and I always seem to find things I absolutely must have, like the cattle tags I really wanted to buy.

Then I moseyed over to the aisle where they had kitchen items and home decor - picture frames, cast iron doorstops, wall art, and then these little wooden beads and tin decorations.  As I was looking through the bins, I saw one of those little fake fur sleeping cats on the bottom shelf.  I've seen them before - they use real fur (usually rabbit fur) to cover a hard foam-like body - and they're extremely lifelike. 

I'm always amazed at how soft the fur is, it's like petting a real cat.  I stood there looking at it for a few minutes before I reached down to touch it.

Then I stopped because I thought to myself, what a weird place to display one of these things, on top of the bins with all the little wooden beads and stuff.  I was suddenly confused.  I didn't see it breathing.  It hadn't moved for at least ten minutes.  And it was in a perfect curl.  It had to be fake.

So I stretched out my hand and with one finger gently poked the back end of the cat.

He whipped his head around so fast, it scared the crap out of me.  It was a real damn cat!!

I snapped my arm back and stood there laughing at myself.  Then I called Ed to come over because I wanted to trick him, unfortunately the cat stirred when he heard Ed's voice so my little scheme didn't work.

From now on, before I decide to reach out to caress a cute furry creature, I think I'll just give it a little nudge it with my toe first.



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: Cats In Trucker Hats
2012: Marbelize It!
2011: Inner Harbor Fixture
2010: Sandía On The Wall
2009: Big Rig Parking AT #34
2008: The Benefits Of Marriage Without The Hassle Of Dieting To Get Into The Dress
2007: Gateway To The West
2006: Taking A Lesson From An Eleven Year Old
2005: Rejoicing And Be Sad

Whichever Way The Wind Blows

Some of the items available at the "Outdoor Store" - part of the Eash Sales group of stores - in Shipshewana, Indiana.  Birdhouses, Adirondack chairs, lawn ornaments, outdoor furniture.

It's one of my favorite stores to visit.

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2013: Big Shoulders And Tall Buildings

2012: After The Storm

2011: A Constellation Minus The Celestial Bodies

2010: Opulence. I Hyaz It.

2009: Flipping It At The Bird

2008: Eddie Flippin’ Friday

2007: Hope Collapses

2006: You Do The Math

2005: 14,410 Feet Of Beauty

It's Always Polite To Ask Permission First

Trucks waiting to get tweaked at ARI.

When we get our truck worked on at ARI in Shipshewana, they offer the use of a courtesy van so the drivers can go into town for a bite, go do laundry, shop, hit the post office (if you're there on the day it's open), etc.

Before we arrived, I sent an email to Jen asking if she could leave the keys for us because we'd be arriving after the office staff left for the day.

She replied with, Hahahah!  Salena! Reread what you just wrote!

Why?  I know what I just wrote.  What's with all the hahahaha??

Well, I reread what I sent and saw the error right away.  I nearly spit out my coffee.

This is what I said:

Jen,

 If it's available, I'd like to be able to use the can if possible.

If the laundromat up the street is open, I'd like to pop in and do one load.

I don't know if you keep the keys in the office, and you'll probably be gone when we get there, but maybe you can leave them with one of the guys?

Thank you!! 

Salena

Since I wrote the email on my phone, I'm totally blaming auto-correct for my accidental humor.

Because seriously, I couldn't have been this funny if I tried.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: Too Unorganized To Organize, But I'll Bet They Have Thirty Minutes To Write A Letter
2012: Islands Are Out, But What About Canals?
2011: Survival Training And Retirement Planning
2010: Just A Glimpse
2009: Eddie Mails A Package In His Dorfman Friday
2008: Shower Jam
2007: Golden Arches
2006: The Land Of Fruits, Nuts And Flakes
2005: Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road?

An Amish Gathering

We stopped in Shipshewana today to have a few things done to the truck - new ceiling fan, additional grab bar on the back door, USB outlets for our gadgets, an extra air-conditioning vent, new locks on the side boxes, a new set of steps, and a back door light.

After dinner at the Blue Gate, we drove through town and came across a large Amish meeting at the giant open-air barn in the middle of town.  We heard clapping.  What was going on?!  I so wanted to know!

But instead, I just took pictures of all the buggies parked nearby.

Also, you might notice if you enlarge the picture, a small sign that says "Free Manure".

I passed.

I don't need any more crap in the truck.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: Personalized
2012: Fire On The Island
2011: Harborside Education
2010: Yo, Vin!
2009: Sweeter Words Have Never Been Spoken
2008: More Proof I Ate At A Sushi Place
2007: North Sally Port
2006: Holy Cow!
2005: Wishing

Apes At The Hitching Post

Small plastic great apes I found at one of the best small town toy stores I've ever been in - The Hitching Post in Shipshewana, Indiana.



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: History On Water Street
2012: Do It Like The Settlers Did. With Whiskey.
2011: No Vacancy
2010: Imperial Sand
2009: How Many Twenty Year Olds Have A Seventy Pound Head?
2008: My First Time
2007: I’ve Been Everywhere Sunday
2006: Text Me
2005: Eddie Dines Out Friday

Nature's Lace

When we were kids, Queen Anne's Lace was all over our yard.    The heads of these flowers are so wide across, and the flowers are so delicate.  We would pick them to give to my mother, creating the largest bouquets we'd ever seen.

We don't have these in Arizona, and it's been years since I've really noticed them, but where we were in Massachusetts this weekend, they were everywhere.  These, and cattails.

Like a ten-year-old I had the urge to pick them all, but instead I just snapped a photo with my phone.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: The Bicycling Capital Of America - Welcoming Those On Both Two Wheels And Eighteen
2012: Crossing The Mojave
2011: Justin Time For A New Pair Of Boots
2010: Miles Of Smiles, Hours Of Laughs
2009: I’m Dreaming Of Blue Skies, Key Lime Pie And Pink Flamingos*
2008: Stop Beyond The Palm
2007: Kittery Dittery Do
2006: Crab Infested Thoughts
2005: Bi The Way

Squeaky Clean Reflection

Another town, another laundromat.  That's me in the spin cycle.

Finding a place to do laundry on the road is sometimes a challenge but I'm the master of finding laundromats with truck parking.  Although, this time we only had the tractor, so parking was a lot easier.  And we only had one load!  That's a first.  We were done in less than ninety minutes.

I always search for laundromats on my iPad using the map feature.  That way, I can see how far away they are and can also look at the satellite image to determine the parking situation.

And this week I found an app on iTunes that finds nearby laundromats.  It's called Laundromatic.  Next time laundry day rolls around, I'll give it a whirl.  You should check it out too - it's free!

Now if only I could find an app to do my laundry.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: Bicycles Liberate, Espresso Invigorates
2012: Playing For Gas Money
2011: Faceted Beauty For Less Than Three Bucks
2010: Triple FFF-18
2009: Hot Tuna Doesn’t Get Any Play In My Truck
2008: Corn Fed Summer
2007: Eddie Breaks The Rules Friday
2006: The Chicks Of Dixie
2005: Text Me

The Queen Of Pizza

Since we've been in Massachusetts all week, we've already had pizza at Regina Pizzeria several times.  It's some of the best pizza I've had.  In the nation.  

The crust is delicious, the sauce is just right, and the cheese is slightly salty and there's not too much of it.  I might have to get some to go before we leave the area.

There's a reason this pizza is named for a queen.


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2013:  Narrowly Protected
2012: My Life Purpose In A Cookie
2011: Hay There! And Over There, And Over There…
2010: See That Shiny Reflective Thing Over There? It’s Called A Mirror. Meer. Or.
2009: There Was A Burrito Bowl Calling My Name
2008: The Charmed Life
2007: Flowing History
2006: Doors Opening And Closing
2005: No Cal

A Job For A Four-Star General

Waiting to load at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.  This is a partial photo of the trucks in line in front of us, a mix of flatbeds and step-decks, at least fifteen of them when I last counted.  We were even there early, but as soon as I saw this lineup, I knew it was going to be a long day.  

Sometimes when we're at a military base getting loaded, the disorganization is so monumental, I'm shocked.  This is the military.  They're supposed to personify precision.  The have drills and shit.  They march in lockstep.  Things are supposed to run like clockwork.

Yet they very often do not.  They're the nicest people, these soldiers and personnel we work with.  Always "Yes, ma'am" and "Yes, sir".  Very polite.  There's only one place we've loaded out of where the guy in charge was an absolute jerk, and apparently he's like that all the time since the people we were loading with said he's been that way for years.  That's the kind of guy you just have to shake your head and write off as a lost cause.

But honestly, I don't know anyone in my circle of trucker friends who has ever told a "we were in and out of there in no time at all" story when it comes to loading (or unloading) at a military installation.  The disorganization experience is not unique.  And this day's loading procedure was a cluster, we were there for hours.

When I see some of the head-scratching that goes on just during the loading of the trucks, I'm actually surprised we win wars.

They must follow orders to shoot much better than they follow orders to load trucks.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: Colorful Nights, Rainy Days
2012: These Coco Girls Are Not Reading Rare Books
2011: Imagine What These Bird Droppings Look Like
2010: Is It Just The Girlie Bits That Make Us The Cry-Baby Sex?
2009: Who Would Have Thought Cheese And Tarheels Were Such A Perfect Complement?
2008: First Friday Fill-In. Say THAT Five Times Fast!
2007: Another Year Of Life In The Pink
2006: Can You Hear My Happiness?
2005: Alis Volat Propiis