Juniper Transit Authority

From Juel:

HAY, anybody know how many people you can put in the front of Old Blue?

From Crystal:

Rides back home to the farm were often uncomfortable.  Getting there, there was plenty of room for all to ride in the cab or on the bed, but once the trucks were full we all had to fit somewhere.  At the end of one crop of hay we sent home a truck that was not quite full and Doug and I, just kids, were thrilled when Dad said that we could ride on the top.  Before taking off Dad reminded us again that before we crossed under the highway we needed to get in the hole.  I remember thinking, ‘well, we’re not stupid.’ 

Douglas and I sat at the front of the truck enjoying the breeze and talking and laughing.  We were completely distracted.  All the sudden Doug yelled something and laid on his back.  I looked forward to see a cement wall coming fast toward my face, mere feet away.  I laid back just in time and watched as the cement roof of the underpass sped past a few inches above the end of my nose.  We were just kids, I remember giggling with Douglas as we rode underneath and again as we recounted the story to my father, who must have been sick to the stomach.

I recently reminded my father of this story and mentioned that my memories were probably distorted and that the underpass was probably not as close to my face as I remember it being.  He told me that the reason we stack our trucks as high as we do is because we cannot fit one more row of bales on.  I don’t think that wall could have been more than 6 inches above us. 

(Editor's note: And they think farming is unsafe for children... pssshh) :)

From Jami:

While old blue is a fine choice in transportation.  The 10-wheeler offers more comfortable, more luxurious, more passenger area.  As a kid I loved to ride on the overshot with my little fingers curled around the front of the worn planks.  Clearly, there is more space when not loaded with 7 (right?) layers of hay, however I can assure you, this fine piece of antique farm machinery could haul just as many bodies from the field as it did to the field.  Seating configurations were creative to say the least.  

I recall one day in particular we were riding back from the flat, there must have been 10-12 passengers in this 3 passenger vehicle.  Dad drove, I was in the middle, and I believe Doug and Brad were in the cab with us.  I'm not exactly sure who all was with us that day (Joe, Sam, Aaron, Steve, Jim, John, seems like maybe Tim that day...anyway), but it seems like we had a passenger on each running board (possibly two), and 4-5 boys on the hood of the truck   What's more impressive is that Dad handled all 3 pedals himself-which was not always the case in a crowded truck...lol.  I think I was in charge of the stick shift... teamwork folks, teamwork.  

Leave a comment for all to enjoy... what are your most memorable "transportation" moments???

Also, if anyone has a pic of old blue, send 'er my way... I'd love to have a visual!

The Girl Made of Steel

Hey everyone!  Thanks so much for the positive feedback.  I am really excited about this blog and can't wait to hear from you all!  

Jerica sent me this story today.  I was amazed at how tough she was that day, but reading and thinking about it now as an ER nurse gives the story a whole new angle for me.  One of the ER docs I work with talks about the "overall sign" meaning if you see a guy come in with muddy boots, dirty overalls (thus... overall sign), and calloused hands-you gotta take him seriously-this is not a guy who comes in for frivolous stuff.  Not only do you have to take him seriously, you have to dig deep, this is a guy who will down play everything!  It kills me the stuff that comes to the ER by ambulance every day, I always think "REALLY?  My parents wouldn't have even taken me to the doctors office!"  So it makes me laugh that Jerica-run over by a ginormous truck-has to wait in the pick-up for the rest of us to finish picking up the hay! Definately a positive "overall sign".  

Enjoy!

From Jerica:

During the summer of '98, we were down in the hay fields going around to pick up the last of hay bales. Joe and I were riding on the running board of the old Ford truck half full of hay with a few people on top and Catie was driving. For some reason, I thought it would be fun to keep leaning back while holding onto the door/side mirror of the truck. I had done it a few times and each time Catie had told me to quite leaning back and get in the cab with her. We were turning at the end of a field to go put the hay loader onto the side of the truck. Right when we turned I leaned back and lost my grip. I remember falling off laughing and as I was laughing I saw both sets of dually tires coming right for me. I thought I should role to my left and try to avoid it but I couldn't move so all four tires came on top of me from my right hip to my left shoulder. The truck had stopped and people were yelling trying to figure out what had happened. I looked up and saw people peering over the top of the truck. Joe had told me not to move but I just got up and started crying for my dad. Joe had said he thought I was dead and it was a traumatizing experience for him. I'm pretty sure it was that way for a lot of us that day. My dad grabbed me and brought me to the pickup where I had to stay there until they were all done. Brad and Doug were at the pickup too and started yelling at me. I was crying but no tears were coming. I couldn't believe what had just happened. 

When we got back to the dairy, my dad put me in the Suburban and went to tell my mom to take me into the hospital. I wanted Catie to come with us (of all people, the one who ran me over). When we got to the hospital, we went in for x-rays and it killed me to lay on my right side for the x-ray. Turned out, it was just a fracture on my pelvis. No other injuries. I stayed in the hospital for about a week and I was told to stay on the crutches for at least two weeks. When I got home, I lasted a few days on the crutches and decided I could walk without them. By that next Sunday I was crutch free but limping. As far as I know, today I am functioning normal :)