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I had spent all week working in the pit repairing one machine after another and was looking forward to a couple of days off, but that was not to be. Dad had his R model and one of the B61’s hooked up to flatbeds, and when I sat down to supper, he informed me that we had to be at the Toronto Auction Yard at 0800 the next morning to load some heavy equipment that was going to Calgary. It seems that some oilfield company had picked up a couple of dozers and wanted them ASAP. He had made a deal to haul them, but he also had somehow got us a good paying load coming back, but we had to hurry. Early to bed, and by 0800, I was in the yard. Dad showed up about an hour later. I was just finishing loading my unit, so I tied it down and then had the privilege of “helping” Dad tie down his load and making everything secure. The trip out was uneventful, but I noticed that Dad always seemed to disappear going down the road and would be waiting for me at the next fuel or rest stop. While he got to have a leisurely meal or break, I was always being pushed to hurry up. We unloaded in Calgary, and then I found out that we were reloading at Versatile in Winnipeg with two tractors for a dealer in Stayner, Ontario.
We pulled out of Calgary, and that old 61 of mine was hard-pressed, but I managed to keep Dad in sight all the way to the Peg. Of course, Dad got to load first, but while he was tying down this time, I was busy loading my own unit, so he got to tie his down all by himself. Then he came over and told me to make sure I did a good job and pulled out. I finished tying down everything and picked up my bills, and was on my way. Now travelling on my own, I could stop where I wanted and rest when I was tired. A funny thing happened when I went through Thunder Bay as I noticed Dad’s truck at the Husky, but I didn’t bother stopping there and kept on trucking. I caught a few hours of sleep down the road and then took a good rest at North Bay and from there trucked it on through to Stayner and unloaded my unit with no problems and no damage claims. They asked about their other tractor, and I told them it would be along later.
Stayner to our yard was only about an hour, and I pulled in, shut down, did all my paperwork and since no one said anything about more work, I hopped into my old pickup and got out of sight quickly and spent a three day weekend at my Uncles cottage up at Wasaga Beach. Daytime fishing and laying around the beach and chasing some fine young ladies at night. What more could you ask for? Dad was more than a little peeved when I finally rolled into home as It seems he unloaded about a day after I did and expected me to be behind him and was setting up another trip for me to ensure that I was kept busy so I would not go astray and spread my wild oats.
It ended up that it was a good-paying trip, and despite Dad, I managed to get a couple of days off and while I won’t admit to any spreading wild oats, let’s just say I had a great time. The trucking was fun, and its memories are great, but the little blond lady I met at the dance hall was also pretty memorable.
