Goodby Big Red~

 On May 26th Big Red's computer started shutting down while Butch was hauling a Hazmat load.  He drove to a Loves before the engine shut down completely. CFI had it towed to the Kenworth dealership in Dallas.  Butch spent a day & a night waiting in the driver's lounge for word on the repair.  The mechanics cleared the on-board computer, took it for a drive & could find nothing wrong.  

Butch was dispatched to the terminal in Seagoville on the 27th.  There he picked up a trailer going to Waco.  He dropped half of the load, then returned to Seagoville.  When he dropped the trailer there, he found grease everywhere. The driveshaft seal was leaking.  (The driveshaft had to be removed for the tractor to be towed.  It had been reinstalled at the dealer in Dallas.)

The CFI mechanic did not have a seal in stock, it would have to be ordered.  The seal was not, but should have been replaced by the dealership.  There was no estimate as to how long it would take for a part to arrive.  When I spoke to Butch on Friday - we decided he might as well fly home.  With the upcoming hoilday weekend, he wouldn't be able to return to the road for at least a couple days.

In the meantime, he'd received another job offer.  A dedicated run, smaller company & better pay.  

8:11 p.m. on Friday - we arrive at the Seagoville Terminal & find Big Red~

I picked Butch up at Eppley midnight Saturday morning.  It seemed like a long six-weeks since he had been home.

Butch called his dispatcher Monday, who asked Butch to drive Big Red to Joplin when the repair was complete.  After waiting this past week for the part to come in, it hadn't.  (Probably why Kenworth had not replaced it.)  Late Thursday, CFI agreed to have Butch leave the truck at the terminal in Seagoville.  We would have to make the drive down to empty his things out of Big Red.

6/3/22 - Dallas traffic 7:04 p.m.

It was a 665-mile drive, we left Friday morning with Butch's truck & Nika.  A beautiful day to be out on the road.  We made great time, even with Butch making more stops than usual with his wife & dog along :-)  After light cloud cover all day, by the time we crossed the TX state line, the clouds were ominously dark.  In Dallas, the rain hit & followed us the rest of the way to the CFI terminal.

By the time we pulled in, it was almost dark - Butch went to start Big Red & put him under cover, to make our unloading drier & easier.  The battery was dead...  With semi's parked on both sides, we had just enough room to open the doors...  No fun at all...  We were both soaked to the skin by the time our truck was loaded.

Butch has driven Big Red 42,000 miles in the four-months he's been OTR.  His home away from home...  We were sad to say goodby to the big red machine!

6/4/22 - 10 a.m. North through Dallas~

I'd made reservations at the Townplace Suites in Mesquite.  Pet rooms scare me, but this hotel assured me the room & carpets would be clean.  They were & it was a relief to get some rest.  

We woke to a beautiful, if warm & humid day in TX.  Heading back north on a Saturday, the traffic was much lighter  & in no time we were out of the metro.  I was happy when we crossed the Oklahoma state line.  I've never been a fan of Texas & it hasn't gotten any better over the years...

Entrance to the WinStar Casino~

We had seen this casino from the road on the way south & had to stop to check it out.  It's huge & still has high rise hotels under construction.  A vacation destination for sure!

Beautiful landscaping~

The buildings were amazing, but so was the landsaping!  Most of the bushes & flowers were in bloom.  Such a colorful sight against buildings styled to replicate different places around the globe.

We're in Oklahoma?  :-)

We drove around the area, I had to take a few pictures.  

Connie & Nika~

Butch had to check out the construction & came back satisified that he was correct.  The project was done with EIFS.  Far from complete, this casino puts any other I've seen to shame.  

Back on the road, we had another destination in mind for a late breakfast.  On the way down we'd seen a sign for fried pies?  We had no idea what they were, but they sounded good!  About 50-miles north into Oklahoma we found Arbuckle Mountain Fried Pies!  We ordered both a egg & sausage pie & another pecan to save for Sunday morning.

Nika's "Ewok" look :-)

We decided eating on the road just wasn't working - about the time I saw a huge horse farm!  We took the next exit & parked along the side of the road going to the Dunn Ranch.  The pastures were full of solid looking young stock.  I had several favorites picked out by the time we left. :-)

The Flint Hills, Tallgrass Prairie

The rest of the drive was beautiful.  The Kansas Flint Hills Tallgrass Prairie was stunning.  It was easy to imagine yourself back in time, moving cattle through what was pristine country.  The last miles always seem the longest, but it was another in a string of amazing evenings.  High clouds blocked the sun in the west & the sky was a blue/gray.  

We pulled in at home by 9 p.m.  Butch has had nine days at home.  The most we've had together since the first of the year.  He leaves Monday afternoon for Salt Lake City.  A new employer & a new truck!