It's Never Enough

No matter how much time we get at home, its never enough. I think that is one thing all 5 of us agree on.

After delivering in Tacoma, WA on Thursday morning, we high tailed it over to Clarkston, which is on the ID/WA line near Lewiston, ID. Clarkston has become a favorite loading point of ours. We load peas there and they always go to either Illinois or occasionally South Carolina. Regardless, both loads go past our house, and the one also goes past my parent's in Tennessee.

We don't get up near Seattle and Tacoma much, but when we do its usually in the dark. So this time I enjoyed viewing the mountains east of Seattle. These pictures were taken as we approached and crossed Snoqualmie Pass at 3022 feet. Mount Rainier is south of here.

Once you get past the mountains, the trees clear out and the land geography changes a bit. I think many people picture lush evergreen forests and the area around Seattle when they picture Washington in their minds. Actually most of Washington state looks more like this.

Clarkston has become a favorite loading point for us because we usually load on a Thursday or Friday and most often the delivery in Illinois is scheduled for Monday morning. So we always end up getting a day or more at home in between pick up and delivery. Its also a beautiful drive along the Clearwater River which I shared with you last summer.

The original plan was to spend Saturday at home, then deliver in Monday. Freight, however, is not cooperating with our need for a week off. Its slow, and nothing is going to our area right now. So Mark, our broker, called up and asked how we felt about not delivering till Wednesday morning. It would give us 4 days at home, and then we could try again for more home time next month. We decided we'd better take what we could get. We both needed out of this truck desperately. It wasn't the week we needed, but it was better than nothing. And like my title says, its never enough. We could take 4 months off, and it still wouldn't be enough. So we just made the best of what we had.

Malcolm relaxed, visited with Brandon who was also home for a day, and did a little work on the truck.

I did laundry...lots and lots of it, started a new quilting project, did a little cleaning in the house, and cooked up a storm. I made lots of things to keep in the freezer for next time we're home. I think I have about 4 meals, or partial meals in the freezer now, and also a few snack/lunch items.

Several of my recipes came from my new Pioneer Woman cookbook. Most everyone in the blogging world knows about her, but if you don't here's her blog, and here's a link to her cookbook. Let me just say, her Marlboro Man sandwiches, which are such a big hit with her cowboy, were a big hit with mine and his cowboy buddy too. The breakfast bowls were also very much enjoyed, and I had some left for the freezer. And Malcolm enjoyed the guacamole so much, that I didn't get to try much of it. Guess I'll have to make a bigger batch next time, but I'm very glad he liked it so well.

In all I made 6 recipes from her book, and liked 5 of them. The 6th I put in the freezer without trying. We'll give it a whirl next time we're home.

The girls did what the girls do best, which is live life to the fullest! Couldn't we all take a life lesson from dogs? Everything was wonderful as far as they were concerned, except EVERYTHING in the truck got hauled into the house for a thorough washing, including them. They are never very thrilled about this particular part of coming home, but all good things come at a price, right?

Also, they can't figure out why their lady and their man keep spreading this cold, wet, white stuff on their yard. This time it was the deepest yet and they were none too happy with us about it. Malcolm used the tractor to clear out a big square for them, so they'd stop using the sidewalk as a potty area.
But they still felt the sidewalk was a better choice, despite the ice and snow on it.

Aside from those two disagreeable events and the fact that the lady and the man wouldn't sit down and hold them during their endless nap sessions, they were very happy. They did their usual things which include napping by the fire till they turn mushy with the heat...



...and going absolutely berserk downstairs in the living room.

They really know how to celebrate being home!

That was our weekend and start to this week. We delivered in Illinois this morning after driving all night, and now are waiting our turn in a long line of trucks to load in Decatur, IL. If we ever get our turn, we'll head to Texas for a drop in the morning. Then reload and have another trip to Helm, CA with feather meal...again...and again with 4 days to do a 1 1/2 day trip. But I think by then I'll need the rest. I'm beat after last night. After over three years of doing this, why have I suddenly developed an inability to sleep in a moving truck? Its really not working for me!