Cynthia found a new job for eight months in Astoria, OR. I offered to help her finish up her house in Stevens Point, WI, and drive 2000 miles across the country.
Stevens Point was cold, cold, COLD, although none of the deep subzero stuff. I arrived 1/31 and Cynthia immediately diagnosed my elbow issue (bursitis of the olecranon bursa) and got me a brace. Over the next few days. we took care of several interesting repairs and finishing touches on the house (I'm quite impressed at the things she tackled and the quality of her work), loaded up the U-haul trailer, and prepared to depart. I felt some urgency to get over the Rockies while the weather remained fair.
On 2/4 we finally headed out. Just after sunset, we decided to turn back to a gas station we passed to fill up before dark. Before turning, I looked in the side mirror to make sure no one was passing... and saw a large white pickup truck coming on VERY fast, mostly obscured behind us, and showing no sign of braking. I uttered a "Holy S***!" and he slammed into us.
I recall my Coke bottle showering me with soda as it flew out of the cupholder, then we came to a stop. Cynthia and I looked at each other in utter shock, checked the dogs, and stepped out into the snow. We all seemed unhurt and the other driver, cocooned in his airbags, seemed unhurt. Our car seemed mostly OK, but the hitch was badly bent and the back window shattered. The trailer tongue was folded and the rear smashed. The pickup truck front end had crumpled. Cynthia checked the other driver for injuries and talked to 911. The sheriff department came and did a full report, trucks came and took the pickup and trailer, and (finally, after what seemed like hours) we drove the half-hour back to the house.
It took us two days to be mentally ready to drive again. We rented a Penske truck, Uhaul brought the trailer to the driveway so we could unload it,
and we cleared enough space in the garage to park the car
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and put plastic in the window to keep out pests. All the plastic bins in the trailer had shattered and quite a few things were ruined, but we were mostly OK.
In mid-afternoon 2/7, we set out.
We drove past the accident site and got out to look.... and then drove on. We drove past cranberry farms, manufactured bog/pond/fields covered in ice for the winter. We drove into South Dakota and the weather warmed as we left the tongue of polar air extending through the midwest and plains. We drove through Wyoming and saw the pronghorns on their winter range, along with occasional bald eagles eating road kill. We drove through Montana with wind shaking the truck, climbing to the passes, hoping to get there before the rain turned to snow per forecast... and ended up with about five minutes of flurries. We continued through the panhandle of Idaho with more flurries and mountains.... and down into the dry and fertile Yakima Valley of Washington. I loved seeing the tall trellises for hops vines, the heavily pruned apples and pears, and the wide vinyards. And we finally dropped down into the green and mossy Cascades, past Portland and down to Astoria and the nice place Cynthia is renting.
As we drove, she searched for a replacement car and found one... in Astoria! On the day we arrived we went down and bought it. I spent a day or so helping get her a better mattress and getting things working for her, then we drove the truck back to Penske and dropped me at the airport to fly back to Sonoma for another week.
Cynthia and the dogs are really enjoying the beautiful views and the much warmer climate: there may be frost, but a cold day is 25degF rather than below zero!
Now I'm back in Artemis, tearing my hair over various issues. But I WILL get it all working and go sailing soon! Cynthia has been telling me of her explorations, how beautiful it is there, and how much Chloe enjoys racing around and sniffing things.
Right now? Clouds block my view of the lunar eclipse.... but a pot of butter chicken simmers on my stove for a very tasty breakfast and a sunny day is in the offing! May happiness and gratitude find us all, my friends!
