I have stopped for the night. I am in Grants Pass, Oregon. Today was a day from the very bowels of Hades. Despite a restful night, a bit of tarrying before hitting the road, and a clear start, this morning was one of the most terrifying driving experiences I’ve had in my life.
Now, anyone can ask my wife. I LIKE to drive. Rain. Sleet. Snow. Doesn’t matter (much to my wife’s chagrine). But, today, I was scared. Combine stupid drivers, ice and snow, and mountains and you have a recipe for a heart attack and a dirty pair of shorts for me. I was in northwestern Neveda headed for Sacramento, California. I had to climb, pass through, and descend from Donner Pass. (Yes, I was so terrified I didn’t even think of making comments about “Donner, party of 12.”) Snow plows were blocking lanes every so often forcing traffic from one side of the road to the other. Semis were hogging lanes and forcing us “4-wheelers” out of their way by moving over into our lane whether we slowed to allow it or not. Despite signs instructing truckers to drive in certain lanes at certain speeds, the semis pretty much did what they wanted, to heck with the rest of us.
I had salt, mud, and water all being thrown up on my windshield and freezing. My driver side wiper blade got clods of dirt on it and would not sit flat on the window surface, meaning that as it went back and forth it just smeared the dirt rather than move it out of my line of sight. And then we were driving directly into the sun.
Trust me, northern California looked VERY nice once I got there. It is beautiful, anyway, but it was even more beautiful to me due to the lack of snow, warm temperatures, and minimal semis.
On the humorous side of things, I did pass the town of Weed. One has to laugh… only on the west coast can one drive down the highway and see a sign saying “Weed 25 miles.” Then, when I got to Weed, there was North Weed, Central Weed, and South Weed. (Is that like the difference between Columbian Gold and other types?)
Of course, I was happier in the afternoon, making my jokes about city names and enjoying the weather. And then I saw the “Bear Crossing” sign. That is when I reached over, locked the door, and increased the setting on my cruise control.
In other news, I did see a shooting star a couple of nights ago. I forgot to note it. I have had quite the trip and I am sure that there are things that I’ve forgotten to mention. I had a decent meal tonight, though it looked better than it tasted.
Finally, today was the first time in over 25 years of driving that I’ve had someone pump gas for me. In Oregon, you don’t pump your own gas… they pump it for you.
I’m tired. I’m going to watch a movie and go to bed.
Thank you, God, for keeping me safe today. I miss my family.
