other dog

Last year a late frost killed all my peaches, and I only had 3 pears on the whole tree,and one of my apple trees died. I pruned them last fall,not that I had any clue how to do it,but I cut off a bunch of limbs they didn't look like they needed. This year the 2 peach trees are loaded,the pear tree's loaded, and the other apple tree's looking pretty good so far.

yeah it looked about like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree by the time I got back

Once upon a time I had to take a load of joists to White Plains,Md. This was after i'd been to South Carolina with a load,back to Salem, then to Suffolk,Va. with another load of joists, then back to Salem to get another load to deliver in Cincinnati the next morning. Had to be there at 7am,or else. Didn't matter if 15 trucks were going to the same job,or where you'd been already,if you weren't at the jobsite it was a $25 fine,taken out of your safety bonus. The dispatcher (we'll just call him ken) came up with this plan,so everybody would be on time. I made it to Cincinnati-on time-,unloaded and picked up a load of coils in Middletown going to Walker muffler in Harrisonburg,Va. Got to Harrisonburg the next afternoon,it was a Thursday,unloaded,called in and they said to come on in,they didn't have any loads at the time. So I went home,figuring I was done for the week,but ken called at 4:45 and said I needed to go to Salem and get a load and be in White Plains,Md. at 7am with it. He never asked,like Teddy and even H.H.Moore himself, "would you..." or "could you..." he just told you what you were going to do,and that's all there is to it,end of discussion. It wouldn't have been too bad to run down I-81 from Harrisonburg to Salem,but as usual I came all the way to Appomattox,went home,then had to go to Salem. I was already tired as a dog,but I went back to work. Where I work now I could here Todd telling someone "sorry,but I don't have a truck available" if they called in a load that late on Thursday,but ken would never tell anyone that,he'd put a truck on it whether you had any hours left to work with or not,which I didn't. So I go to Salem,chain the load down,which takes about every chain you've got because you have to put chains through each layer of joists or they can spread apart on you,and take off to White Plains. When I got there I couldn't find the delivery address so I found a trucking company that was open and stopped to ask if they knew where I was going.They didn't,but they finally decided that it had to be the empty lot on the corner,right on rt.301. It was about 3am by this time and when I got to the lot they were talking about,it was indeed empty.No sign,no nothing,just a big pile of dirt and a circle driveway.By then I was so tired I was just waiting for the wheels to stop turning so I could jump in the bunk and go to sleep. So I turned into the circle driveway and about the time the trailer got off the road good I felt a bump and came to an abrupt halt. "hmmm," I thought," trailer must be in a hole".Then the truck rocked a couple of times and I thought "gee... I believe this summitch is gonna turn over-". Then it turned over. Come to find out the big pile of dirt came out of the couple of feet deep ditch that was on my right. That was the hole the trailer went in. The ditch was not marked,no signs,no flags,no nothing. Now I won't go to a jobsite I don't know until daylight. I was driving the black Freightliner then and I turned it off and climbed out the escape hatch,which was also the driver side window. Couldn't sleep in there now,so I started walking to find a phone.Then I decided i'd better get my book right,so I went back and climbed back through the escape hatch and found my log book in the debris pile.I was sitting there with my log book when a cop shined a flashlight through the windshield and yelled "you all right in there?".I threw the logbook back into the debris pile and yelled back "yeah",and climbed back out of the escape hatch again. The cops filled out a report,called a wrecker,and left.I didn't get a ticket or anything,because I was already off the road. The crane showed up at the job about 8:30 or 9 o'clock and unloaded the joists,they weren't damaged,and they set the truck back up with the wrecker. They towed it down to a garage on 301,and after they took the engine fan off because it was broken,I drove it back to Appomattox. Needed some body work though. When the workers came to the jobsite that morning and saw a truck turned over one of them said "you know,this really wasn't your fault". I told him "well,even if it ain't,the truck's still just as turned over".

Thanks,I'll check it out. I'm cheered up and happy as a monkey on a banana boat now,I quit that job over 3 years ago. Only reason I didn't leave sooner was because I just didn't want to quit when i'd been there over 25 years, highly unusual for a truck driver,and I like Larry and Bonnie a lot,they're good people and good to work for,but 'ya gotta do what 'ya gotta do they say. I just couldn't seem to get on the same page with ken- I told Bonnie and Larry he hated me for some reason,but they didn't believe me. later,Tom

I've looked at their website a lot,they have lots of old Macks for sale,but otherwise I don't know anything about them. You could look at their site and maybe get some kind of idea what your uncle's truck would be worth.

yes Joe,i've actually dreamed that I still had that Nova. Unfortunately it was totaled in 1975 when I let someone else drive it. Got away from him on a wet road and he went sideways,slid across some guy's yard and hit 2 gum trees. That tree was the top part of the tree we put up,or a limb or something I trimmed off it. I wedged it between the ends of the floorboards and the metal part at the back of the trailer,decorated it,and it stayed there all the way to Chicago and back. This picture was before I left,it looked pretty beat by the time I got back,but it was still hanging on

Good stories, I'm certainly not the only one that worked with such a tool I see. I'm just glad I don't have to deal with any of that crap anymore. Rob,

yeah,his attitude was the worst part. As you can see in some of my pictures it says "H.H.Moore Trucking" on the front of the building,but like I told Bonnie and Larry (H.H.'s son and daughter,who ran the company after H.H. passed away) ken seemed to think it said "ken".He was just a dispatcher,I looked at him as a fellow employee with way less seniority than I had,but he thought he was the ruler there and what he says goes,no questions. And I never expected any special treatment or anything,get along with almost anybody,but he was just an a-hole,there's no other way to put it. He's no longer there either.

oh,sorry.Probably can't do parades in the Bronx.I took a load of rice from Arkansas to the Bronx once. Two stops-I was terrified,but it wasn't near as bad as I thought it would be.

I got a scanner from Wal-Mart,I just take a picture out of a photo album,scan it,send it to documents or desktop,then upload it here. Click browse to find the picture,right click on the picture, left click select,then left click on upload,and there it is.

ok,more pictures it is

All righty then,due to an overwhelming public demand-arrright then,Bollweevil said "if you insist..."-here's more pictures. They're not gonna be in order because I scanned them in a very haphazard manner,but they're all the trucks I drove for H.H.Moore from the '74 transtar to the 9900I,no.s 15 and 55 I drove and drive for F.L.Moore and Sons,the mud bogger in action,my old Nova ( before and after ),my KZ1000 Kawasaki (hey,that's my gold Skylark in the background,forgot about that car-was a good one),something at a forestry show in Richmond,Va. and a Christmas tree I put on the back of a trailer that survived a trip to Chicago and back,and coming into Rainelle,W.V. on rt.60 in the snow.

I'm feeling really honest today,telling everything,but being honest,like one of my greatest friends Bill (a.k.a. the diesel gypsy) told me to always do. I drove for H.H.Moore Jr. trucking Co. in Appomattox,Va. for over 25 years.I got along with everybody who ever worked there,except some driver called "6-pack",some little short guy that worked in the shop (but I wouldn't describe him as a mechanic-I don't know if Barry will let me describe him as what he actually was,and probably still is),and the last dispatcher they had before I quit. This dispatcher,we'll just call him ken,was a real piece of s..uh,work I mean. He once called me at home and asked me where I was at. But he also told me on a Thursday to go to Sanford,N.C. and call him first thing Friday morning.We hauled a lot of brick out of Sanford,so I assumed he had a load down there and I needed to call to get the pick-up information.So I left home Thursday night,instead of spending the night at home with my wife,and called in early Friday morning.He said " well,uh,..I ain't got anything right now-call back in 15 minutes". WHAT?!! He never had a load in the first place,he just ASSumed he would get one. If I knew then what I know now,i'd have left then,brought the truck to the shop,beat him to a bloody pulp,and quit.But after calling back in 15 minutes 4 or 5 times I ended up deadheading over to somewhere on the otherside of Statesville,N.C. and loading green lumber at a sawmill going to Rhode Island. Then one time I unloaded some guardrail in Clarksville,Va. Called in empty (we had Quaalcom at the time) and got all the way back up rt.15 and 47 to Pamplin,Va. when he sent me a message to go to Emporia,Va. and get a load of decking going to Salem.And how far was I from Emporia when I was in Clarksville? And I was all the way back to Pamplin when he sent the message! Oh,then one time myself and two other drivers loaded some long loads in Lynchburg going to Blacksburg,home of the Hokies. We loaded early that morning,and as usual with oversize loads were late that evening getting unloaded in Blacksburg.We called in when we were unloaded,and ken told the other 2 drivers to be back in Lynchburg the next morning to do it again,and he told me to take my pole trailer to Lynchburg and drop it,bobtail to Appomattox and get a flatbed,go to Salem and get a load of joists and be in Baltimore at 7am the next morning.All the way from Blacksburg to Appomattox then back to Salem,then to Baltimore?!! How far was I from Salem when I was in Blacksburg? How come one of the other trucks couldn't drop their trailer in Lynchburg and go back to Salem and get my trailer,then I could've went straight to Baltimore?!! And I had more seniority than either of the other two drivers...I just don't get it. I could go on and on-but what made me quit after 25 1/2 years was the time I stopped by the house one afternoon to tell my wife I had to go to the shop and fuel up and pick up a tree tarp and i'd be right back.She was already sick at this time,actually dying of cancer. She said "I'll go with you". I said "ok",and helped her get into the truck. When I got to the shop ken was standing in one of the shop doors with a couple of drivers.We weren't supposed to have passengers of course,but I lived 10 miles from the shop and when she said "I'll go with you" I wasn't about to tell her she couldn't. That Friday we got a notice with our check that said "...no matter how long you've been here you can't have any passengers,blah-blah blah...". Becky said "that must be because I was in the truck with you the other day". I told her "no,that's just one of those things they put out periodically". Later Mutt,one of the drivers who was standing out there with ken, said "yeah,that s.o.b. saw Becky in the truck and ran straight up in the office to tell". And she wasn't trying to hide in the first place .It was just that chicken $%&* way of his of doing things. I told Mutt right then "I don't know where i'm going-but i'm going somewhere". And the rest as they say is history. My only regret now is that the first day ken walked in,I should have been walking out.And tapped him right in his snout on the way.

None-you should keep it and drive it yourself ,even if it's only in the fourth of July and Christmas parades,in honor of your uncle.

I heard that Paul Davis passed away this week...most people probably never heard of him,his biggest hit record was "I Go Crazy" but he had several more. I remembered him because he had a song out around 1975 called "Ride 'em Cowboy".Can't really explain it,but but it always made me cry when I heard it. I mean,there I was,19 years old,riding around in my souped up '72 Rally Nova with an AM radio and when Paul Davis came on and sang "Ride 'em Cowboy" i'd cry like a baby. So obviously i'd change the station if anybody was with me,otherwise i'd listen and cry. I was sitting in the back yard earlier and got to thinking,after i'd planted some corn and beans.I went to youtube and listened to "Ride 'em Cowboy" for the first time in years...yeah,I couldn't help crying,but I didn't let Jobyna see me. Now i'm telling everybody how I cried...go figure. I once told a very dear friend of mine,whom I love like a son,right after his younger brother was killed in an accident that time heals all wounds,but nothing will ever be the same again. And that is still true-he didn't believe me of course,but I lost my best friend ever,David Elder (A.K.A. Travelin' Kid) and then as you know my wife died of multiple myloma,a form of cancer. I had never loved anyone like her,and never will again,but i'm OK-Jobyna is funny,and weird at times,( most of the time actually) and I love her too,but it's different. I know I carry on more nonsense here than anyone,but i've started now,so i'll continue . Someone once told me that when the Lord takes something away,he always gives you something back. So that gets me to the point that- I believe that's true. Ive met more people,and made new friends-even right here on BMT.Nocluejoe for example-he's got new twins,got laid off from his job,but if I was in trouble and needed him for something I feel like he'd find a way to get here.Big Jim,Paul,Bollweevil,and others are the same way. Right Paul? So... I don't know why this serious mood came over me,but i'll get over it. Anybody want me to scan more old pictures?

Thanks,it was raining last night but sunny this morning,so I planted the corn,pole beans,and a row of snaps. Now it's raining again.

That's a sharp looking unit you've got there!

you should unblock the comments so everybody can read them (my controls-blog settings)

that's a beautiful dog.tell Jeff to put a 20 lb. bag of kibbers (that's a Jobyna-ism) and bits on the weekly supply list.Probably cheaper than sausage bistits too.

if it was the first it looks like it should have been the FIRST672 instead of END672...just thinking

WOW! I think it will too...I had no idea chroming was that expensive, but i've never had anything chromed before.

Went back up the road to Orville,Oh. Thursday. Reloaded at Brookfield,Oh. to Roanoke and unloaded there tonight. Now i'm home. Here's a couple of pictures of one of the Freightliners I used to drive-one at home,the other is at Pharo's truckstop in Shippensburg,Pa. with a load of joists. I also ran across an old article about Jeff's beginning in the trucking business. He started out with a B-model I see. He's come a long way since then. Talked to Joe today about scrap metal,and what it's bringing. I have bought and driven cars for what they're getting for scrap prices now. That probably means old parts will be even harder to find because everybody will be digging their old stuff out of the woods and selling it for junk. I saw an old tractor on a trailer behind a ton truck headed to Shredded Products one day this week. I'm pretty sure the tractor was going to be scrapped too because the truck was piled up with junk and there was more junk around the tractor. The tractor was very old,but new enough to have rubber tires,completely rusty,but it appeared to have all the sheet metal and it didn't look beat up or dented at all. I don't know what kind of tractor it was but it was a tricycle type with the steering shaft going all the way down alongside the hood to the steering box right over the front wheels. Some of the old tractor restorers would probably have loved to have it just for the sheet metal if nothing else. ...shoulda' planted that corn last weekend...

I've got a scanner that works with windows 98,don't know what else. It wouldn't work with vista because you can't get a driver for it,so I got a new printer,scanner,copier. You can have it if you want it,it works great,but it would probably cost as much to ship it as a new scanner costs at the Wal-Mart store. Scanners are nice,you can scan all your old pictures and store 'em on your pc,put them on a photo disc,or whatever. I scanned that "Cannonball" picture out of a hardcover book. Also,if you have rare family pictures,say for instance the only knowm photo of great-great grandpa Elliot,or maybe cousin Judy in a 2 piece you can scan them and give everybody a copy.

no you haven't

I didn't like the looks of the mid roofs at first,but after I got that one I liked it.Drove a Freightliner classic before that,and the mid roof was just tall enough to stand up in,with lots of space to put stuff. This one had a 435 cat,but Larry had it turned up to a 475 for me,10 speed rockwell,3.90 rears. Some of those girders weighed 90,000+ lbs.