It got very cold on the way home this morning. Down in Wisconsin yesterday it was a balmy -9c with cars slipping and sliding off the road, running into things all over the place. The roads were so bad I gave up and parked up early. I left early this morning so I could get to Pembina in time for my interview. The temperatures were -36c bbbrrrr that's cold, you can see the vapour trails in my mirrors from my stacks (exhausts). It is so cold it is painful to exposed skin even in the shortest periods. Steinbach currently has a wind chill warning in effect, and I quote "Wind chill to -48c. Severe frostbite can occur in less than 10 minutes".Interview with Customs and Border Protection went well and I should receive my card in 2/3 weeks.
Home now till Friday when I am leaving again to do exactly the same run but got a "Burns Supper" to attend on Thursday first, mmm haggis, neeps and tatties. Even have a piper and a Scotsman doing the address to the haggis.
Ode Tae A Haggis
Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the puddin-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o' a grace
As lang's my arm.
The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o' need,
While thro' your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.
His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An' cut you up wi' ready sleight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin, rich!
Then, horn for horn, they stretch an' strive:
Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve,
Are bent lyke drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
"Bethankit!" 'hums.
Is there that owre his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi' perfect sconner,
Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu' view
On sic a dinner?
Poor devil! see him ower his trash,
As feckless as a wither'd rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro' bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!
But mark the Rustic, haggis fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He'll mak it whissle;
An' legs an' arms, an' heads will sned,
Like taps o' thrissle.
Ye Pow'rs wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o' fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer,
Gie her a haggis!
Rabbie Burns
6 comments:
Hi Dave,
Your looking like an "Ice Road Trucker" with all that steam coming out of those stacks. Have you got a seperate generator type system for your aux heating or is it a bog standard night heater? Does it keep the inside warm in that temp? Can you idle your rig or does it shut itself down after 10mins?
Andy it is just the standard night heater. In those temperatures it isn't efficient enough to heat a cab of that size so my night heater becomes a C15 Cat that is under the hood.
At those temps it really can become a matter of life and death.
By the way most of those cut out devices will not kill the engine if the brakes are applied otherwise it could happen while just sitting in traffic, just idle it up to high idle and pull on your spike brake or put a brick on the pedal ;-)
I should hope so too Dave. I've read a lot about these trucks not being able to idle, Gist does the same with their waggons. You have to apply the trailer brake and let the handbrake off for the engine to stay on. Like you say, in those temps it could be a matter of life or death!!
Keep your long johns handy though mate..;-)
Yep its a tad chilly out Dave,,,it was with wind chill minus 52 in the Peg at 8am today...The skin will begin to freeze in 3-5mins at those temps,,,
Thanks for that bit of info 'bout the brakes, as we may be taking a truck to San Fran which has no tripak and won't idle, so I will try tying down the trailer brake.
Mick, in the kenworth you had to wait until the warning light started flashing just before the engine cut out then apply the spike and release, then it would idle all night. Good luck mate but if that fails call a freightshaker dealer, they will tell you ;-)
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