It is Christmas day and I am back home with my lovely wife. Time to catch up on where I've been.

Brewton, Alabama delivered in the middle of the plant.

Picked up latex from here in Monaca, Pa

Tankwash in Coraopolis, Pa.

Then back south and then back to the near northeast to get home for the holidays.

Looking south at New Mexico.

Near Chama, New Mexico.  I had to stop for the day and found a nice spot on the Colorada- New Mexico border.  Looking north at Colorada.

Near Green River, Utah.According to the feds, 9 minutes before apparent sunrise (whatever that is). The moon was so bright all night once I got out of the clouds.  The night before I had seen the eclipse but did not realize it.  For the last few days whenever I was west of the Cascades or along the Columbia, visibility was restricted due to fog west of the cascades and ice fog along the rivers. 

The prior morning (3 am), when I climbed up out of the fog coming east by Pendleton (the same place I had gone down days before),  the moon was so bright that it caste shadows  and I could have safely turned off the headlights and still be able to see the road.  Anyway A little while later, it started to get darker and darker. Now remember I am driving so I did not stop to look closely, but I remember coming around a bend and seeing the moon 2/3rds cover with only the bottom slice showing. I also remember thinking "Boy, that is a funny little cloud that is blocking the moon, what are the odds of one little cloud being in that spot??"  It was not until a saw a Swanna's Facebook entry later that day that I figured out that there is no such thing as funny little clouds.

Near Ogden, Utah

Just inside Idaho from Oregon.  According to the sign this spot was a major annual Native American meeting place for trading and good times -- because the spawning salmon would show up yearly here at exactly the same day  and were easy to catch in the river that is in the background.  I guess people could 'set their clocks' on it.

The Stuart Range - a range of mountains east of the Cascades but west of the rockies - Washington state near Yakima.

Artist's rendition of the above picture.

2/3rds of this super soap  ingredient was delivered in Portland, the balance went to Kent.  Then back to Houston with the empty tanker for cleaning and back up to the east coast area with Lube Oil additive.

Same spot as below but looking down river (west)

Near Gresham, Oregon looking a sign on the Columbia River.

Near Pendleton, Oregon looking west, I-84 goes through a series of switchbacks as it descends onto the plain below.  The photo does not capture the steepness.  Must have been fun  for the pioneers, this section is part of the Oregon trail.

Sunset near Mountain Home, Idaho.

Devil's Slide near Henefer, Utah, just after leave Wyoming and get onto I-84.  [http://geology.utah.gov/surveynotes/geosights/devilsslide.htm]

Near Grand Island, Nebraska -- more snow on the side of the road, but the road is clear. I have no idea how the place got its name.  I thought one needed at lake, a sea, or an ocean to have an island, much less a Grand (as in big, enormous) island.???

                                  

    
Sunset near Belton, Missouri, but on the Iowa side of the Missouri river.  The Plain is scoured out by the summer floods.  I did not figure until later how all the driftwood got to be along the side of the road.  The river has to be somewhere in the distance in front of the ridge that the sun is setting behind.

Satellite view of Plant.  Off to the great Northwest at last.

Sunrise yesterday from West Memphis side of the river.  (at the entrance to the plant)  All other views (looking west, south ) are not as pleasant unless you are into chemical plants.

It is now Sunday morning and I am finally getting ready to set out west. The Product was not ready on Friday. Loading was delayed until Saturday morning. It still was not ready, but we got loaded by 5 pm est. It is not a good idea to set out on a Saturday night, so... I waited until Sunday morning.  Still got plenty of time to get to Portland, Or.

  Here is the trip map so far. + Oregon