We had mouthy ducks before we left. It seems they now sit outside the kitchen quacking until they get food or attention. Or both.

Sass will sleep anywhere. Even on my gun.

Babies with spots! S/he was SO cute! My mother feeds them WAY too much, and she now has spoiled deer! If mom does not feed them quick enough, they will come looking for her.

This momma, after my mother taking too long in the garage to get her feed was standing just outside the garage looking in at my mother, as if to tell her she was taking too long!

We enjoyed walking around the property at my parents. It was once my grandparents, so I have spent my whole life around this farm and it’s so nice to come home.

This was the old milk barn, many, many moons ago. Mom and dad have replaced broken windows on the old shed, and now use it to store their garden equipment.

So they can grow beauty like this.

I was able to spy on my dad, (I love my telephoto lens).

And then he saw us laying on the side of the shed in the sun, with camera in hand. Which is why he is making the face he is below… I think he said something about put that *!@*!!! camera away!

And I had the pleasure of watching both hubs and my dad teach my niece (now renamed “The muskrat”) how to skip rocks into a lake.

All in all it was a perfect weekend, spent with the people we love, taking it easy! Hope yours was just as perfect!

I had brought produce back to Minnesota from California. It was a normal load that I know these people get all the time. I was earlier than I had said by a half hour, and over an hour early from what the produce buyer and I had agreed upon for my delivery time, which was 9 p.m. so I wasn’t chomping on the bit to get out of there, but I was pleased there was only one truck in the dock when I pulled in.

I backed into a dock when I got there and walked in with my paperwork. The guys immediately asked why I couldn’t have shown up at 11 when their shift was over, to which I told them I was told to be there at 9. I told them I’d take a nap, and they told me they would get me out of there in just a bit. Fine.

20 minutes later the other truck pulled out and it was just Rosie and I there. I didn’t bother laying down because I figured I’d be out of there in a short while and would be able to go out back, put my pajamas on and go to bed. Since it had been a quick trip, I was tired and this way I didn’t have to be bothered having anyone pound on the side of my truck and wake me up to give me my bills, but nothing happened. Two hours later, still nothing. At 10:00 I went in to see what kind of a time line I could get on these guys and hopefully get them moving. They were standing around bullshitting, but I was told 15 minutes and they would have my load off. Nothing happened until after 11 but finally at 11:30 my load was off. I went in to get my bills so I could go to bed.

When I walked out to the dock a few guys were standing around, and some were working. The guy I had first talked to told me that my load was done, so I asked who I should talk to so I could get my bills. Since the shift had changed, I had not worked with these guys before and was pointed in the direction of a younger 20 something punk kid on a forklift. I tried to get eye contact with him, and he would just look the other direction. I tried talking to him and he would zip right past me, not stopping, ignoring me. I tried this 4 times before I finally followed him into the cooler, all the other guys were laughing at this point, like this was some fun joke, and cornered him. They knew he was purposely doing this to me and so did I.

When I got him to actually face me and talk to me I got sworn at. I asked him if I could get my bills and was told no. I asked how long before I could get them and he told me an hour or two…

Now, those that are drivers know that most likely, if your product is out on the dock, tagged, and they are already taking product off of your pallets and placing them on other pallets to be shipped, your product is counted. To those that don’t drive truck, there is a process for unloading a shipment. Usually the pallets are pulled off the trailer, the product (Since I haul produce it is checked for freshness, mold, bruising, etc) and counted against your bill of lading and also against their product/order sheets. As they do this, they “tag” the bottom of each pallet with a sticker so that they know it is the correct product, count, etc. or that they have made the proper notes as to what is short/missing so that your bills reflect that, and finally that the product has been accepted. You are usually required to wait for those bills to be signed off on. Those bills are also how I get paid. But, all in all it is pretty simple.

Since I had already been there 4 hours, I was overly tired, and there was no other trucks being unloaded, I was not happy with the option of another hour or two wait for my bills.

I told him I had been there since 7:30 and he told me he didn’t give a fuck, I told him I had left WY this morning and that I wanted to go to bed, and he went on to tell me he didn’t give a fuck where I came from, he didn’t give a fuck where I was going and that I would get out of there when he let me fucken go. I had never saw this guy before… I asked why my product was all tagged already if he hadn’t counted it, and told him I was tired again, and wanted to go out back and lay down, which he told me tough shit. In other words my time, my energy, my work that I had done getting their product there on time, was not worth shit. More or less I was a trucker, and I was just a piece of shit in his eyes.

If the guy would have said, “hey we are swamped it’s taking me a while” I would have never had a problem and went back out to my truck. If he would have even acted like a professional in any way, I would have went back out to my truck, no questions asked…

But, at this point I was pissed. He swore at me again, and I told him to keep the fucken bills because I was leaving. He told me he didn’t give a fuck, so I turned and headed out of the cooler. His chicken shit parting words were “dumb cunt”…

All I can say, is that I’m very proud of myself for keeping as cool as I did, as usually I’m a hot head and if I hadn’t been as tired as I was, after the last comment, I’m thinking I would have been in jail right about now, rather than writing this. I went out to my truck in tears, called and woke the produce buyer (at 11:45 p.m.) told him what was going on, and that I was leaving without my bills. I drove another 3 hours to the house, crying half the way I’m sure.

So, my question is this: Why do people think they can treat other people with such lack of respect?

I love this place. For a few reasons really, but mostly because so far it has the cheapest fuel in New Mexico that I have found. Above and beyond that though, they have good staff, a very clean facility, small chrome shop, a tire shop, a nice restaurant by the looks of it (I haven’t taken the time to dine in), and on top of my list, clean showers!

The shower rooms feature a spa like atmosphere.

Lastly, the other reason I like this place is because it still has some old time trucking values. For instance I filled Rosie up and I received a meal ticket for a free steak dinner… That doesn’t happen very often anymore. Matter of fact, there are many truck stops that have cut out a free coffee or soda fountain drink with a fill up all together. And there is a very cool mural painted in the main truck stop area with trucks on it that I thought was pretty cool!

The only downside to this place (that I could find) was that you have to drive on gravel to get to the service shop unless you go through the fuel islands and through the employee parking area. I’m thinking they are going to add more concrete for parking on the east side to get to this area in the future, but it’s not done yet.

And lastly, you have to give up your keys or drivers license for your shower towels… The room that they keep your belongings in is wide open, so if someone wanted to grab your keys and rip you off or be waiting in your truck for you, there would be an easy way to do it… I will in the future bring my own towel so I don’t have to worry about it!

xoxo

This year, I think we have more weeds than flowers. Luckily though my Cosmos and sunflowers are doing great!

The ducks are still changing.

For sure we have one drake mallard. The rest are changing too, I’m just not sure into what as of yet!

The hens are doing well…. Ugly Betty disappeared again for over two weeks. I had resigned myself to the idea she was no longer with us. But, as old Ugly Betty does, she showed up last Sunday morning starved. The above is not Ugly Betty. She is locked in the barn with leg shackles on. We have even thought of strapping a cell phone to her back so that the next time she disappears we can call her and see when she plans to come home and not make us worry!

So yesterday I went to the doctor at the suggestion of my parents and wonderful hubs. I was ready for the worst. As I was walking in I kept thinking what am I going to do if I can’t drive Rosie any more? What if I can’t cook like I love to for hubs? What if all I can do is sit and watch and not do? I may as well be dead! Okay, it wasn’t that bad, but it did cross my mind. I know I don’t have one foot in the grave, yet. But I can be a bit melodramatic at times!

Luckily the visit went well. And quick, which helped. The nurse took my BP and I was right where I should be, as per my normal history. The doc came in and asked what I do for a living, (my normal doc was out of town) looked at my problem hand, squeezed my wrist, making me wince and adding to my pain, then told me I had carpal tunnel syndrome.

The doc got up and left the room for a second, leaving me sitting there stunned. He walked back in and all I could ask was how the heck? as he fastened my wrist into a snug brace. I thought people that did repetitive things like working on factory lines got that stuff… He then asked what hand do you drive with? And then the light bulb came on. Ooh, holding a steering wheel for hours…. That will do it to you too…

So, I’m braced up. Giving my hand a week to re-coop. He asked for me to take two weeks off, I compromised with one.

My left hand is locked down. Braced up. I hate it. But, I know this is minor if I take care of it. So, I will be putting up pictures in the meantime, but I have a ton of content in my head. I just need a typist.

I’ll be back soon!

xoxo

The sign “Truck stops fuel trucks. We fuel drivers!” on the corner of their lot had caught my eye a time or two and I just couldn’t pass it up this time!

Trucker friendly. You don’t see this too often, so when I do, I take advantage! Rockin’ Y’s Roadhouse has very good Mexican/American food. The prices are good and the staff very nice!

The place is packed every time I go by, usually with both trucks and four wheelers alike! Check them out if your in the area! They are just east of the Love’s & Flying J  in Tucumcari New Mexico.

Make Grilled Tuscan Lemon Chicken! This is my absolute favorite meal I’ve made in I don’t know how long. Although, most of my meals I make are a favorite in one way or another, this chicken turned out so moist and juicy, I’m thinking I will never make another kind of grilled chicken again! This recipe is from a book from the Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten) who just happens to be my idol!

The dish does need a little prep work, but the results are well worth the time in the kitchen!

Side note: I would have never known that lemon was SO good with chicken, I thought it was reserved for fish. Do not forget this part of the recipe, you WILL regret it! Hubs was a little worried about trying the lemon over his chicken, as he usually does not stray too far from the norm, but after I forced him to try it, he LOVED it which says a lot to me!

• 1 (3 1/2-pound) chicken, flattened
• Kosher salt
• 1/3 cup good olive oil
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lemon, halved

Sprinkle chicken with 1 teaspoon salt on each side. Combine the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, and 2 teaspoons pepper. Place the chicken in a glass dish just large enough to hold it flat. Pour the lemon marinade over the chicken, turning it in the dish. Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Turn the chicken 2 or 3 times while marinating.

When ready to grill, prepare a hot charcoal fire on 1 side of a grill (or turn a gas grill on low heat). Spread 1/4 of the coals across the other side of the grill. Place the chicken on the cooler side, skin side up, and weigh it down with the dish you used for marinating. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the underside is golden brown. Turn the chicken skin side down, weight again with the dish, and cook for another 12 to 15 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Place the lemon halves on the cool side of the grill, cut side down for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Remove the chicken to a plate or cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Cut in quarters, sprinkle with salt, and serve with the grilled lemon halves.

So, I had better get busy! I have corn to freeze, peaches to can, and a meal to put together! On tonight’s menu is a lemony meal of grilled Tuscan Lemon Chicken, mashed potatoes, and asparagus. Oh, and Lemon Mousse for dessert!