Living the dream.......

The  reckoning

Born in Missouri in the 50's during the "Baby Boom" years I often thought I was raised a poor boy even though I wasn't actually ( What child didn't?) My father loved to drive and travel. Most every summer we packed up the car and headed primarily  out west to explore the wild west and mountains. Now my fathers idea of a vacation was what was seen on each side of the highway as you whizzed down the road. ( also kept us and mother from wanting souvenirs and memorabilia) stopping only to refuel the car. Having relation in Colorado we spent many vacations around Denver. Once traveled up into Canada on a fishing trip and came back thru Yellowstone. Often our jaunts were like  "round about". and not seeing the same country on the way homeward.

My Grandfather grew up in Montana's upper Northwest country in the small community of Troy. He was a very avid and descriptive story teller with the ability of telling his stories in such a way that you could imagine yourself a part of it and having been there. I "teethed" my whole childhood listening to his life in the Northwest, which included living in Washington and Oregon along the coast.

Grandpa was born in the early years of 1900 living in the wilds of Montana around Irish,Swedes,Fins & Norwegian logging lumberjacks as well as Mountain men and miners from the original "wild west" days. Grandfather worked the saw mills as well as a wood craftsman during era. Telling stories of these early settlers of the west such as encounters with Grizzly bears,mountain lions and everyday life in Montana.Fishing escapades with his brothers to fiddling in Libby,Kalispell in Montana, and Bonner Springs Idaho  at dances on Saturday nights.(Grand father was an extreme talented and gifted man with his hands and mind) I could "go on and on" but think you catch the drift as to how my interest in the west and the "wilds" of Montana came to be.

So I grew up ......

Thru a life of Traveling and a hunger for, it's no wonder I settled into Trucking for a living. I drifted away from it now and then but always seemed to come back. In the beginning years I tended to stay more local but eventually the hunger for the highway and adventure took over. As a OTR driver (Over the Road) I branched out and have traveled the highways chasing the dotted white line from coast to coast and Canada. I have trucked in 49 of the 50 states pulling dry vans and refrigerated goods.New York to LA  and everywhere in between.

It is definitely hard to remove the diesel from your veins and stay in one  given area I am telling you first hand. I travel when I can an loath for the adventure. Having spent the most of my life in the st. Joseph area . I lived a stint of my life In Butte Montana and Keiser Oregon south of Portland. Past two summers pilgrimage back to my love for Montana and visited areas I have grown to love the most.

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