See this interesting rock formation? It’s Natural Bridge, the amazing structure that’s part of Rt. 11 in Virginia, the former truck route for drivers making a run from Southern regions to the North who needed to pass through this particular region of Virginia (and we who’ve driven know how LONG Virginia is.)
Rt. 11 is a country road, winding through gorgeous territory highlighted by the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background. Farmlands and fields dot the landscape where horses and cows graze peacefully. This is the famous Shenandoah Valley.
In Grandpa and the Truck, Book 1, Story 2, it’s dusk, and the sky is flecked with fuscia strands, alternating with deep blues and purple. It’ll be jet-black night soon.
Here, in this pastoral setting,”Ralph and the Bloodhounds” takes place, as Grandpa (in his younger trucker days) limps along, in the big rig, almost out of fuel.
He wasn’t alone—his trucking partner, Ralph, slept in his seat nearby. He’d driven earlier in the day.
Suddenly, Grandpa got lucky. He found a gas station out there on that lonely stretch of road. Only problem? It was after hours and no lights were on. But Grandpa noted a house on a path up the hill behind the station and he knew it was probably the owner’s. With that, he roused Ralph, saying “Ralph, get up…I need you to go up that hill behind the station and get the owner. We need diesel…we’re almost out.”
Being an easy-going fella, Ralph rubbed his eyes to shake off the sleepiness, unfastened his seatbelt, opened his door, and jumped down from the big cab saying, “OK, I’ll be back in a few.” He then headed into the Virginia night.
That was when the real fun started (but not for Ralph.)
You can read about it all in “Ralph and the Bloodhounds,” Story 2 in Book 1 (each Grandpa and the Truck book is comprised of two stories.)
All the stories provide important life lessons, as well as facts on history, science, and nature, while they teach geography about our country from the perspective of long- haul truckers. And by the way, young readers will learn of the fascinating lifestyle and lingo of these true mavericks of the road, too.
So, climb on board the big rig and join Grandpa as he revisits the locations of real events that happened to him in his younger trucking days…a career that stretched on for 30 years.
Now, if you haven’t already done so, note interesting new stuff added to the site. Check out the shirts and cap, too, in the truckstop store. Why the Wo-Man cap? To highlight “Girl Truckers,” story 1 of the next book in the series (due out in few weeks.) Anything for men? You betcha…t-shirts for them and of course, for our prime audience–little ones.
I remember all too well that famous night when Ralph and I were on the famed Rt. 11 searching for fuel. He remembers it as the night I stayed in the comfort and safety of the truck and sent him out into the woods.But we laugh at it, still…