April 24th to the present... New Load, Easter Sunday, Shutdown at the border...

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 A= Butte, Montana    B=  Coutts, Alberta (border crossing)   C=  Edmonton, Alberta

On April 24th, Easter Sunday, Tomo left in the morning from Butte, Montana heading up to Edmonton, Alberta.  He was carrying a load for Staples Office supplies.  What ever the reason, the Border Patrol was in strict business form this Easter Sunday.  It was hard to cross at the Coutts border.  Many of the trucks were being severely checked and Tomo was one of the many that got shut down.  Tomo's truck had a loose bolt and there was slack in the steering mechanism along with a flat on one of the inside tire of the trailer plus another tire had a bubble on a patched portion of a tire.  His company and recorded received a fine for this.  With it being Easter Sunday, mechanics were not readily available so he was shut down until Monday around noon.  At about noon, his truck was fixed and he headed for Edmonton, Alberta.  The load that he was carrying had been scheduled for that Monday morning drop, but of course that was impossible.  


On the 25th, Monday he drove up to the Edmonton area, and parked at the Sherwood Truck Stop for the night.  On Tuesday, Tomo waited around all morning for his drive manager to tell him the next plan.  At about 3 pm another driver was to meet up with him but that turned into 6 pm.  Finally he met up with Jimmy, another driver and swap trailers.  Tomo took Jimmy's the empty trailer down to the border, to swap with another driver.  This time, Tomo then carried a load of empty plastic bottles back up to Edmonton, Alberta.  Now he has a load of waste paper from Edmonton, Alberta that he drove down to the yard.  That load was headed for Longview, Washington.

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A= Anaconda, Montana 

B= Assiniboia, Saskatchewan 

C= Radville, Saskatchewan

Now from Anaconda, Montana Tomo is headed to Assiniboia, Saskatchewan and then on to Radville, Saskatchewan to deliver twine. 

Just outside Butte, Montana it is STILL SNOWING out here....

OUTSIDE OF BUTTE, MONTANA

OH, WHERE IS SPRING?????

From Hot Tubs to Peat Moss to Rolls of Aluminum Sheets!

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A= Thorsby, Alberta    B= Seba Beach, Alberta     C= Great Falls, Montana   D= Anaconda, Montana

Well, on Monday Tomo made it to Thorsby, Alberta with the hot tubs and then headed to Seba Beach, Alberta for a load of Peat Moss.  Enjoying the weather and the driving now that the winter has passed.  Tomo made it as far as Great Falls, Montana and took a rest of the night.  The next day headed back to Anaconda the home yard for some maintenance and repairs.  The steering column was readjusted, had an oil changes, had the brakes adjusted , replaced some of the the tires with some new tires.  (Not all 18!)  

While the truck was in the shop, Tomo headed to town and picked up a few groceries, a new fridge for his truck and put in his order for his new iphone with Verizon.  

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A= Anaconda, Montana    B= Great Falls, Montana    C= Edmonton, Alberta  

When he returned to the yard, his truck was ready to go and so he headed back up to Great Falls with his trailer loaded with rolls of aluminum sheets which are bound for Edmonton. 

On the Road with Hot Tubs to Canada!!

I-90 in Montana bound for British Columbia

I-90 in Montana bound for British Columbia

I-90 in Montana bound for British Columbia

Last we wrote, Tomo was at the border waiting for his next load.  Well, the route came in and Tomo headed to Spokane Valley, Washington to pick up a load of hot tubs.  These hot tubs were to be delivered up to Thorsby, Alberta.  Along the way the road, the weather was quite changeable.   

Snow roads in North Bend, Washington

Passing through Vantage, Washington
along the Columbia River

Spokane Valley, Washington on I-90

Loading up the HOT TUBS for Thorsby, Alberta

Loading up the HOT TUBS for Thorsby, Alberta

Crossing the lake at Sandpoint, Idaho 

Crossing the lake at Sandpoint, Idaho

South East British Columbia

South East British Columbia

South East British Columbia

Drop zone for the HOT TUBS in Thorsby, Alberta

Back of the trucks load of the hot tubs in Thorsby, Alberta

Unloading the Hot Tubs in Thorsby, Alberta

Recent photos of lunch with friends and birthday presents!!

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Tomo’s recent adventures:

On April 9, Tomo went down to Bonner’s Ferry, Idaho and traded loads with another driver.  He picked up a load of groceries bound for the Edmonton, Alberta area.  This load was a three part delivery to three different locations.  

On April 10^th, Tomo drove as far as Calgary.  He spent the night in Calgary and had a lovely Sunday with friends there.  One of the friends came and picked him up for Sunday morning meeting, and lunch at Cora’s Restaurant.  Tomo enjoyed a great Raspberry smoothie and a fruit, granola and yoghurt dish. 

On Monday afternoon, April 11^th Tomo went on to Edmonton.  The groceries were to be delivered on Tuesday morning.  The first drop was at 4 am, the second was at 6 am and the third drop was at 11 am.  That afternoon around 1-2 pm, Tomo headed to Seba Beach, Alberta to pick up a load of peat moss.  When he got to the locations, there were 10 other trucks in front of him waiting to be loaded.  Finally at 4 pm, Tomo was loaded and headed south to a truck stop at Nisku, Alberta for the night.  

On April 13^th, Tomo left Nisku, Alberta and drove straight to the yard arriving at 11 pm or so. He parked for the night and then switched loads with another driver and Tomo headed to Burnaby, British Columbia.  Along the way Tomo met a snow storm of very white, wet stuff from the sky.

About an hour away from the base, Tomo found that he didn’t I get a cake with frosting but He did get a nice slushy frosting on the road for the last 45 miles of my trip coming in to Butte.  It was the 1st time in his life to get snow on his birthday!!!  Not the best birthday.

On April 14^th, Thursday, Tomo switched loads at the yard and took a load of office furniture to Burnaby, BC . 

On Friday the 15^th, Tomo dropped his load at 12:30 pm.  He headed back to the border and crossed the border in recorded time.  It didn’t take him longer thatn 5 minutes.  Probably the first and last time for such a situation. 

Tomo drove to Blaine and waited for his boss to tell him where the next load would be.  It turned out he waited for 3 hours.  During his wait, he was able to meet up s with a friend from driving school.  This man has a regular fun with his company from Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington to Vancouver International Airport in BC.  So while Tomo was waiting at Blaine, his buddy was coming through so they were able to chat for a few minutes. 

Currently, Tomo is in Cheney, Washington with friends tonight and will be making a pick up in Spokane Valley, Washington on Saturday morning and heading back up to Canada to Thorsby, Alberta. 

Tomo's birthday present snow storm!!

Birthday Breakfast Scambled Eggs and French Toast

On the road near Bonner's Ferry

On the road near Bonner's Ferry

On the road near Bonner's Ferry

On the road near Bonner's Ferry

Yoghurt & Fruit & Granola at Cora's 

Raspberry Smoothie with a friend at Cora's

Moving farm/harvesting supplies

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Tomo's been busy bringing farming/harvesting supplies up from the border to various location.  He left Shelby and drove up to Calgary, Alberta and dropped a load, then headed up to Wetaskiwin, Alberta and unloaded there, now he is in Wainwright, Alberta unloading and next he will be up in St. Paul, Alberta to finish dropping the last of the farm/harvesting supplies.   

2nd stop in Wainwright, Alberta

Another stop in Wainwright, Alberta

Hwy 2 in Alberta heading down to Bonners Ferry, Idaho

Hwy 3 in Alberta heading down to Bonners Ferry, Idaho

Hwy 3 in Alberta heading down to Bonners Ferry, Idaho

Another trip across the border....

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Outside of Nanton, Alberta on the way to

Approaching Milk River, Alberta.
Don't see these beasts on the road too often.
On the way to

Coming up to Conrad, Montana.
There is a pinpoint snow storm up a head.
On the way to Shelby, Montana with a peat moss. 

Tomo left Edmonton, Alberta with a load of peat moss and took it down to Shelby, Montana.  At Shelby, Tomo switched loads with another driver and is now headed back up to Edmonton, Alberta to make deliveries to three different locations in that area.  

YAHOO!!!!! Tomo is back in His own Truck!!

Total miles = 1,120

A= Tooele, Utah  

B= Ogden, Utah  

C= Anaconda, Montana  

D= Calgary, Alberta  

E= Edmonton, Alberta 

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Well Tomo is finally back in his own truck.  He is now in Canada again with some groceries to be delivered in Edmonton, Alberta.  Tomo was in Tooele, Utah and was moving empty trailers around to spots to get filled and then he headed back up to the yard in Anaconda, Montana with a load of groceries. 

One empty trailer that Tomo picked up and got it
loaded for another driver to move up north.  This was a
load of insulation panels and bound for Canada.  

On the way up he had a night in Idaho Falls and was able to meet up with Brandon N. for a few minutes.  

Just north of Ogden, Utah there was an accident
that clogged traffic for some time.  

At Anaconda, the company yard, he was able to switch back to his truck and then head north.  There was a spring snow storm coming over the border and what usually takes him 3 hours or so, took him 5 hours plus.  Tomo arrived in Calgary and was able to meet up with the friends for fellowship on Sunday morning and a lunch.  Then he head on up to Edmonton, Alberta and was able again meet up with Cody R. from Washington.  Tomo missed seeing Verdun K. as he had already gone west to fly back to Japan.  Tomo had a wonderful day with lovely Canadian hospitality and fellowship in both Calgary and Edmonton.  On Monday morning at 4 am he was waiting while the groceries were unloaded and then he would move over to a truck stop for a few hours of sleep, while waiting for his next assignment.  

It is special to meet all the different ones of varying ages around the different areas.  Thank you to all who look out for our son.