THE BIRDWOMAN OF MODESTO

I’m going through picture withdrawal. It’s been a week since I have been off the truck, and waiting not so patiently for Craig to receive a dispatch that will send him south to pick me up. I see my camera sitting on the dresser several times a day, and long for the chance to take some pictures. Even though we basically are only regional on the west coast, with that occasional trip to Billings, MT in the middle of a snow storm thrown in, I can still look at the same landscape and see something different every time we pass by. So hopefully you’ll enjoy a little deviation from my usual subject matter with what inspired me today while waiting once again to hear where Craig will be sent.

To catch you up, Craig successfully delivered to all 5 Fred Meyer stores on Tuesday and was done well ahead of schedule, and back in the company yard in Spokane by noon. He spent a frustrating afternoon trying to track down the guys who wash the trucks and trailers, but they proved to be too elusive and that endeavor failed.


It wasn’t until first thing in the morning when he was given the task to head into Wallula, WA, to the cold storage facility across from Tyson, to pick up frozen meat and regretfully head not south, but to Seattle for a Thursday morning delivery. This particular frozen meat is headed to Japan, and as Craig and I joked with each other, surmised that it would be sold as Kobe beef at four times the cost. Ha ha

After getting fuel and the trailer washed out, driving the 140 miles to Wallula, and then scaling, Craig was headed northwest towards Seattle by 2pm. With darkness settling in, and plenty of time for the 8:30am delivery, he first tried to find a parking spot for the night in Ellensburg, WA. Both truck stops there were packed so he was forced to push on. Knowing that the only other truck stop between him and his delivery was the one in North Bend, WA, and that one rarely has any available parking, especially late in the afternoon/evening, he kept a watchful eye out for a spot as he continued on his route.

A little more than 20 more miles down the road and he saw his oasis waiting for him, a State of Washington rest area with only 3 trucks already parked there. After trying to describe the layout of where he is to deliver the frozen meat, which is right on the water near where we have delivered before, he made himself some dinner and called it a night. I’ll be waiting for his phone call hopefully telling me he is heading south to come pick me up. Can you tell from this picture that I just might be ready and waiting at the curb ???????