DUST IN THE WIND

The last few days we have experienced a variety of weather, as well as a variety in the time of day we have driven. On Monday driving through New Mexico, there were "thunder bumper clouds" as Craig calls them in the sky.



We seemed to drive right into them and then the sky opened up and rain came crashing down. I understand how the flash flooding can occur in the desert region of our country. Then as quickly as the rain came it went.

Early Tuesday morning on our way into Phoenix, we were kept company by a bright full moon.




The weather was hot, as we expected, hitting 94 degrees at 8am in the morning. One forklift operator thought he was cute and asked us where our jackets were. It took a second for us to figure out the joke. Kinda hard to appreciate the humor when the sweat is running down your back in the sweltering heat.




We arrived at our resting spot for the night Tuesday, which was in Ehrenburg,in Arizona, 1 mile from the California border. We hunkered down inside the truck, Craig on the internet and I reading the latest People magazine. We put up the blackout curtains to keep the truck as cool as possible. After awhile I felt the truck rocking. I thought of the old line " If the truck is rockin', don't come a knockin'", but then that's a story for another type of website. I naturally assumed it was Craig changing positions and making the truck move until I turned around to look at him and saw him lying perfectly still. But wait, the truck was rocking, I was sure of it. I mentioned this to Craig and he said sometimes it gets very windy in the desert.

So I peek out through the curtain and I am shocked. It is the biggest dust storm I have ever seen. It is completely gray out. You can hardly see the trucks parked in the lot.





The wind is blowing and then the thunder and lighting start. WOW I can see the temperature slowly start going down, but not down enough for comfort. This storm lasts about an hour or so before the rain started. The rain didn't last long as it dried on the ground about as fast as it fell.

We got up early to take showers and get on the road to Los Angeles. Arriving at our stop in Irwindale and getting unloaded in record time. Off again and we found ourselves in Los Banos for the night. At the Petro where we stayed they have what is called "IdleAire".

This is a cooling/heating vent system which also includes satellite TV, internet access, pay per view movies, and phone service. Quite a neat deal and one that I hope catches on at more and more truck stops. I can say that we had a very comfortable, entertaining evening.

Tomorrow we have a quick drop in Hayward and then take the truck and trailer into the company yard in French Camp. We have plans for a lot of rest and relaxation over the weekend. Craig's parents will be coming to visit us from Selma on Saturday and something we haven't had in a long time, a real home cooked meal on Friday night by my Mom. YUM YUM !