Loops. One we are driving and one stuck in my head.

Guess the saying “Going in circles” is appropriate for this group of trucks we are moving from Mobile, Alabama to Tunica, Mississippi.

One day out. One day back. About 3/4 of the trip is on US Highways featuring four lanes and speeds of 65 miles an hour. That is if you don’t count the many small towns with traffic lights to slow the progress down. Then the speeds are from dead stop to 35 or 45 miles per hour until the small town is behind us.

We are going to start our third trip today. Dispatch told us there were 10 trucks to move. That was changed to 6. Later it was changed to 9. This trip will take care of the 9. We received a call telling of 2 more trucks that will be going to Tunica as well. We will have one more trip back to Mobile after this one.

I have had a children’s jump rope song stuck in my head the past four days. It got started because of the variations in the trucks. 3….6….9

I’m going to stick this ditty in your head. Maybe that way it will get out of mine. Maybe

3 – 6 – 9
The goose drank wine.
The monkey chewed tobacco
On the street car line.
The line broke,
The monkey got choked.
They all went to heaven in
A little row boat.
Clap, clap

Safely driving in the rain.

Spring is here. With it comes the beauty of flowering plants and trees. Severe weather is also a part of spring.

As you prepare to leave home on days like yesterday it is advisable to leave a little early in order to get to work on time.

Here are a few tips to keep you safe as you travel the highways with big trucks.

Check your wiper blades. Do they clean your windshield as they swipe across? Not having a clear view of the road and traffic ahead of you can make a bad day worse.

Turn on your headlights. Sometimes, and in some conditions, that is the only way truck drivers know you are there.

If a truck driver is attempting to move to another lane, during hard rains, your headlights being on will keep you safe. The road spray from the many, and massive, tires obscures our view in the mirror of what is behind us.

Being passed by a truck driver can be frightening on dry roads for some people. Some drivers fear being sucked under the hulking truck and trailer as it goes by. That feeling of being sucked in is from the air turbulence created by the giant vehicle. It is, in fact, trying to blow you AWAY from the underbelly. Your attempts to resist it by steering into it to remain on the road is what makes the momentary ordeal frightening.

During rainy weather this vortex of air is made worse for the smaller vehicles because of the water being sprayed out by the truck’s tires. You get a double whammy.

To safely deal with the passing truck on rain soaked roads is to slow down just a little. This will get the truck driver out of your way faster and his/her over spray of water off your windshield so you can see.

This is the most dangerous thing you face while driving with trucks on rainy highways. The danger lies in your view being totally obliterated by the spray from the passing truck. You can’t see the vehicle in front of you entering your lane of traffic from an on ramp – nor can you see the slowed traffic in front of you as they take the exit.

Once the threat has passed, and the truck driver is well ahead of you, it is time to relax in your journey to work.

Keep yourself safe out there on the highways. You have someone waiting for you at home.

Leslie

Photo Collage app I’m playing with on my phone.

We are moving some 2011 ProStar Internationals from Mobile, Alabama to Tunica, Mississippi. We had 10 to move but it has been reduced to 6 because the “Ready” trucks were not quite – Ready.

I’ve had the Photo Collage app for quite a while but have not used it much. There are some new features that are fun to play with. Especially for me since I’m no graphic artist.

Since we are trying to change our eating habits on the road – temptation is everywhere – I made it my personal mission to ferret out the best way to keep us on the right track.

Sometimes, the right track veers drastically off the cliff. Case in point – fresh seafood of which Joe is so fond of. Fish, of any kind, is NOT on my list of favored foods. Being the loving wife I am (no smart remarks now) I can stand the stink of fish for an hour or more once in a while.

While in Mobile, Alabama – situated near the shores of the Gulf Ocean – the “Original Oyster House” came highly recommended as the best place for good seafood. It is located on the banks of the Causeway with a glorious view of the sun setting on the evening of our visit.

To make the food shots a bit more interesting, and not overwhelm viewers with too many photos, I have been able to artfully reference the eating establishment along with the fare.

Using the following photos….

Choosing a “Grid” from Photo Collage…..

Playing with the text and style features of the app was all I needed to do to tell the gastronomic story of our stumble in the journey to better eating.

The Photo Collage app has one drawback for me. If I want to create two separate events I have to delete all of the photos used in the first event saved before I can start the second one. The ads which appear once in a while are easy to close. I like this app enough I will be purchasing this powerful tool. If only to stop the ads.

Do you have Photo Collage on your phone? What has been your experience with it?

Leslie

Random sights in Vicksburg, Mississippi

I’ve had to come out of retirement. Joe has been in and out of the hospital a couple times in March. More trouble with blood clots in his lungs. An ongoing battle he is having with his aging body.

The unexpected medical maladies have put a dent in our coffers and I am needed to get things back in order.

In an effort to not be a cry baby and whiner over this unwanted blip in life I will attempt to show my gratitude of still having Joe in my life and…..the babysitting vigil is over. I’m not the best person to be a nurse.

So for your entertainment, and mine, here are a couple things spotted in the parking lot of the Quality Inn of Vicksburg, Mississippi.

There is a lot of barge traffic on the Mississippi River, just three miles away, and all boat and ship hands need to know the ins and outs of knot tying. Get it? Ins and outs? I crack myself up sometimes.

Also in the parking lot someone has acquired a couple of pre World War II stamping machines. These machines have been modified slightly to work in today’s electrical environment.

These machines, named the Little Giant, forge metal by way of “stamping” or pounding with force on a die to shape objects used in manufacturing.

We will be on the road for a few weeks until Joe’s next medical procedure. He will have his right knee worked on. Let’s hope this surgery doesn’t land him back in the hospital with further complications again.

Leslie