As long haul truckers we have the chance to haul all kinds of things. Everything you can buy, touch or see can be shipped by truck. We have hauled everything from beer, coffee, clothes, toilet paper, torpedo wire (really), and hairspray.
Today in Eastern Pennsylvania we picked up the color red. Literally. Just look at the picture of the bottom of my shoe! This place takes various metals, melts them down with some kind of acid chemical, extracts the iron oxide from it, dries it and manufactures it so it becomes a red pigment to be used in a multitude of things, from paint to make-up. I know all this stuff because my husband, Himself, asked the guy who loaded us. There were about a half miles worth of buildings, pipes and industrial looking things. And all of it was covered with this fabulous red dust. It was a beautiful color and it was on everything. I only got out of the truck once to go to the bathroom and I wasn't even in the main building and when I got back in I noticed that I was tracking vibrant red all over the carpet.
Today in Eastern Pennsylvania we picked up the color red. Literally. Just look at the picture of the bottom of my shoe! This place takes various metals, melts them down with some kind of acid chemical, extracts the iron oxide from it, dries it and manufactures it so it becomes a red pigment to be used in a multitude of things, from paint to make-up. I know all this stuff because my husband, Himself, asked the guy who loaded us. There were about a half miles worth of buildings, pipes and industrial looking things. And all of it was covered with this fabulous red dust. It was a beautiful color and it was on everything. I only got out of the truck once to go to the bathroom and I wasn't even in the main building and when I got back in I noticed that I was tracking vibrant red all over the carpet.
Now we are driving through the Poconos and headed west. Apparently garlic is grown in this region, we passed a billboard for a Garlic Festival in early September. Southern Virginia has a Melon Festival in July, Wisconsin has Cranberry Festival, Illinois has a Corn Festival and Montana has a Testicle Festival. There is no end to the things that can be celebrated! Trust me, I've seen the billboard.
I really enjoyed reading your blog. Would never have imagined there's a factory that does nothing that manufactures red. Who knew? I'm really impressed with your writing. Never knew you were so talented and I mean that. You're a real craftswoman of words and that's a talent I admire. Keep up the book reviews, really enjoy hearing your opinion.
ReplyDeleteRED is cool... I will not be attending the Testicle festival this year...
ReplyDeleteToo late! I've already nominated you to be the sacrificial NUT!
ReplyDelete