Our Trip Home
Day 18 – Friday
Tomah, WI, to Howe, IN
We woke up to rain – and heavy rain was the order of the morning as we headed northeast toward Racine, WI.
Sometimes the wind and rain made the road barely visable. Because we stopped before the worst part of the snow storm in South Dakota earlier in the month, this was the most difficult part of our travels – so far.
At one point we heard on the CB that there was a policeman on the left side of the road picking up debris. His is the front vehicle.
Shortly after this picture, we noticed a tractor trailer on the side of the road, with some of the debris impaled on the front of the truck.
Because we were changing routes a few times as we traveled around Milwaukee, I was the keeper of the map, and Cerwin’s assistant in looking for exit signs – which were often difficult to see.
I’m not sure what happened to this lady’s car – but she had slammed against the middle barrier and was headed the wrong direction.
Just minutes before arriving at Petro Travel Center near Racine, the sky began to clear. (The trip that should have taken three-and-a-half hours, took almost four.)
Volunteer Chaplain Tim, and Ellen and Doug Kraus (TFC Director of Location Development) were waiting for us. The counter above is the area they are currently using for ministry in the truck stop.
Doug, a truck stop manager (I forget his name), and Tim. If I was ministering at a truck stop, I would like this manager overseeing something. He is a vibrant Christian, and lots of fun.
This is where the next TFC chapel will be placed – right where the orange truck is parked.
Cerwin, Doug, and Tim discuss the electric hookup.
Discussing where doors, windows, and lighted crosses will be placed.
After lunch, we went to the church where the donated trailer is parked.
Finally – I get to see Holstein cows – my favorite bovines.
I grew up on a dairy farm, and have lived next to it for most of our married life. This herd was next to the entrance of the church.
There it is! The next chapel for TFC.
This will be one of the largest we have in our fleet – 53′ x 102″. Cerwin and Doug think the Ontario, California, chapel is the same size. The one we took to Chilliwack was 48′ x 102″. That is usually the size Cerwin looks for in donated trailers.
Cerwin preparing to back under the trailer.
Doug and Tim attaching TFC mudflaps.
Cerwin checking out the interior.
Doug and Tim attaching a sign to the back of the trailer.
What a great idea! I love creative people.
Prayer before we left.
(I prayed too – this was a reenactment. “Keep the pose. Look serious.”)
The cows kept an eye on us as we pulled out of the parking lot.
The rain was over, but we continued to see its remnants in low-lying areas.
There were miles and miles of road construction to the west and south sides of Chicago.
We began seeing lots of triple rigs again. There were some in the west, but there we seemed to see more long doubles.
We’ve seen some strange loads – and this is one of them. Some of the longest and most unusual loads (which I was never able to photograph) were when a truck was carrying one blade (propeller) of the huge windmills that create electricity.
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Our bodies are so confused with this time thing!
(I am entering this on Saturday morning.)
I had difficulty falling asleep last night – and it wasn’t because of the drone of truck engines, or the noisy refer parked just a few yards from my feet. We went to bed at a reasonable time – 9:30 p.m. – but yesterday at this time, it was 8:30, the day before that it was 7:30, and a few days before that it was 6:30 p.m.
This morning the alarm went off at 5:00 a.m., but my body wasn’t sure if it was 4:00, 3:00, or maybe even 2:00 a.m. And I am a morning person! “Okay, I said to my body, get out of bed, drink a cup of coffee, and adjust to Eastern Standard Time again!”
