10/01/14

Busy day, started at seven this morning as I had most of my load on the previous night.  I had to wait for one of the other drivers to come in as they were bringing in the product I needed to complete my first drops.  First drop was the Malton store went well, that accounted  for about eight tonnes of my ten.  The next two drops were racing stable drops and as usual the stable staff weren't in evidence as soon as I turned up.  Neither drop was large and they didn't take long, only about a dozen bags each and the carry wasn't too far.  The third drop was a farm drop down a one way track about two miles outside Norton.  The drop was forty bags of lumped rock salt, this is used as a supplement for cattle in lick form.  The trouble with the produce is that the lumps are large and the weight of each bag can vary wildly from twenty kilos to just over fifty kilos and the salt rots the bags very quickly, all this makes the product horrible to handle.  Thankfully there was a loader on the farm so the whole lot was lifted off as one :-)  Oh what a happy driver!  Back to base for next load leaving my last drop on the wagon as I was passing the road end on the way out of Malton.  Loaded again quickly as there wasn't much to pick, but while I was in the yard I took a collection ticket from one of the other drivers as I would finish my deliveries within a mile of the collection.  First drop for the second load was a farm drop, twenty sheep hurdles and nineteen bucket holders.  The farmer had just started lambing and the hurdles are used to make temporary pens to hold the ewes and new lambs.  next drop was our Carlton store, didn't refuse the offered coffee while I was there, ready for it.  Bought a sausage roll for my lunch, nothing near as good as the bread, cheese and olive oil of the day before.  Last drop was a private house at Gilberdyke, only ten bags and the customer was available to help so the drop was quick.  Turned round and travelled  about a mile to my collection, ten tonnes of wild bird food.  I find it amazing how much wild bird food we sell, it is the type of feed that people put on their garden bird tables.  We must collect at least two loads every month.  Back to base by twenty to five and collected my papers for Monday sorted them in delivery order all but for two drops which I don't know and will look up on the map on Monday before loading.  I didn't manage to get unloaded but it is locked in the compound and will be safe until Monday.  Nothing of note to report for the day, the two runs were easy enough and the roads were clear for a Friday, though I did make an effort to avoid passing any schools at both entry time and leaving time.  Apart from the safety aspect the queues or parents in cars outside schools at the beginning and end of the scholastic day are horrific and I often go well out of my way to avoid them.  That's about it for the week.  See you on Monday.  I will try to take more photo's to add to the words.