I remember when…

            ARS Trucking, oh the many memories we made! Just today we started talking about the different trips we went on and places we seen. Forever ingrained into our memories. Sometimes it’s just faint and it goes like this, “hey Dad member that place, I think by Chicago, and it’s by the airport?” Dad gets a quizzical expression on his face, uh? Other times the image is vivid, especially it seems on the longer trips when we’d be gone for about 2 weeks. One time it was Oklahoma, Texas, and Colorado. And I thought Colorado was cold? In the middle of summer it’s quite the opposite. You drive along the highway and see the majestic mountains rising high above the rest of the earth. The Lord indeed has beautiful handwork!                                                             

Another time was down the southern way, through Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and other states along the way. That was the first time I had ever been subjected to the Southern way of life. Dad always said the people down there talk like they have a mouthful of marbles. Well you head down the interstate and you start to feel the muggy heat, and then pull into a truck stop. Go inside and the lady at the checkout sure does have a southern drawl. I was fascinated. I’m sure I was staring at everything in sight because up here in South Dakota we don’t see many black folks.  The other highlight of that trip was that I got to see my Aunt Eve and her family. It had been years since I had seen Joe and Eve or any of the children. And all those kids sure had that southern drawl; I could tell that they had grown up there. After the short weekend we spent there we headed back on our way and for weeks after that I always would say “ya’ll”. Dad sure teased me about that, not to mention the rest of the family when I came back home. That very same trip we delivered a load of pipe to a place in Covington Kentucky. I fell in love, the quaint little Kentucky town was just as I had dreamed of. If I ever moved to a little town in the back woods of Kentucky it would be here. Back the Ozark Mountains the roads twist and turn, and there’s something new around every corner.  Someday perhaps I will come back and revisit the places I found most enjoyable.                                                                                                                             

Here are some more memories about the Texas trip. Somewhere near Amarillo there is a small truck stop. We had to stop and eat lunch so we stopped there. I remember Dad buying me some fried chicken to eat and me telling him, “The skin is the best part!” Well as we sat in side at the gray deli tables a girl pulled up in her car. I think she was probably in her upper teens; well she got out of her car and headed inside. Suddenly there was a big commotion and people were banging on the glass and telling her to look at her car. A 6 foot long Bull Snake was climbing up into her car! I tell you she almost jumped a foot, not exaggerating either! I probably would have done the same though. The people working at the store got the broom out and tried to get it out, but it had climbed up into the engine. Dad looks at me and says, “Let’s get out of here before that thing decides to climb in the truck!” Needless to say we left in a hurry, and on the road there was another dead snake, and it wasn’t small either. So I guess it’s pretty common for snakes that large. That’s one reason I probably wouldn’t be able to live in Texas!                                                

No matter where we were or what we were doing or how broke we were. There was always some spare change for coffee. Every place we stopped was a coffee stop, I am pretty sure Dad couldn’t live without his coffee.  Somehow I never took a liking to coffee and still can’t drink it, but Tell and Tucker sure like it just fine.                                                                                                 

A lot of times we would haul steel building from Watertown. These went all over the country, Michigan, Iowa, virtually anywhere.  I would always loosen and tighten the straps on the flatbed. One time at this house, I can’t recall where it was, I just jumped out of the truck and started taking off the straps. The lady that lived there was amazed. That was the same house where before we left she gave us theses little bottles of lemonade. Man, it tasted delicious! People would always give us something to drink when we dropped off the load. I liked that, not only did I get pop, but it was so refreshing on those hot summer days.

            Those were the last summers any of us kids rode in the truck. The summer of 2008 Dad stopped trucking for ARS and now drives for Norfolk Iron & Metal. I miss the old days driving across the United States, seeing things most other kids don’t just get to see. I’m thankful for all the experiences I had, even if I only remember a glimpse of what happened. Someday when I am old and gray I can tell my children and grandchildren about trucking with my dad.  The memories of ARS Trucking will always be in my heart.

 -written December '09

With love & God's Peace in this blessed Christmas season! --Brooke Louise.

So i wish i could say i had something inspirational to write.. but  i dont.. Im really horrible about this blog thing. I used to post like every other day and now maybe once a month. Well i hope to get on soon & add pictures. Later-brooke