January 20012

January brought us to Omaha, Nebraska for the day. We arrived late in the afternoon and called our friend Linda to see if she would be able to meet us for dinner. She and Greg, that special guy in her life, were able to meet us for a long, long meal. Before we knew it over three hours had passed. It is always nice to visit with friends and not notice the time. What an enjoyable time to be had by each and everyone.

So, until next time, be safe and remember not to be in a hurry.

Here we are in the middle of winter, in Pennsylvania and there was not a bit of snow on the ground. We happened to stop at a truck stop in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and the clerk there told us that there had only been two snow storms so far this winter. Where ever we went it seemed more like spring than winter. As we passed farms, crops were peeking up from the soil ready for spring. It seemed as if we went from Fall to Spring and Winter was lost somewhere.

Although, there were days that Winter seemed to be on the horizon. The clouds were ominous, at times, but to no avail, no snow. There was just cold winds that brought down the temperatures.

January brought the return of my son, Joshua, from Afghanistan. Many people, in the company that my husband works for, Crete Carriers, went the extra mile to make sure that my husband and I were home on time to welcome, Joshua home. From the dispatchers to the terminal managers, everyone worked diligently. To see Joshua standing there with his fellow soldiers, was a relief. They accomplished there mission, with honors and not one life was lost. A year seemed to take forever to pass and yet, at the same time it went by very quickly. All the prayers, said daily, were answered with his safe return to his family and friends. I hope that he never has to go again, along with every other member of the military.

The 22nd of January, we finally found winter in New Mexico. We went to sleep the night before with dry ground and not a hint of snow. When we woke the next morning, the ground was covered with snow. The snow on the roadways aren't an issue. It is the ice that forms underneath and freezes on the road. This is the hidden danger to those who are traveling on the roadways. With all the trucks on the road traveling slow, cars become impatient and try to pass the trucks without thought or care about others or what could happen if there was a "slip'n slide incident.

The middle of January found us in Chicago, Illinois. The weather was great with just a little snow on the ground, and the road crews were out in force.

Being in a large city, there is always a problem with traffic. If it isn't a car tailgating it is a truck. These drivers, of the big rigs, should know better than to tailgate. They know what the end result could be, if the vehicle ahead suddenly stopped. Over 80 thousand pounds is hard to stop on a "dime", so to speak. This is why there are so many accidents, because there isn't enough distance between vehicles to stop safely.

The end of January found us in back in New Mexico. The colors of the desert mountains are amazing after a rain storm. The desert always seems to be more vibrant. I always enjoy the play of colors in the sky when the sun shines through the clouds and down upon the mountains.

We have reached the end of January. I will continue on with next month, February in my next posting. Until then, be safe and remember to keep the distance.