weathering the road

Saturday was my sabbath from driving.

I spent most of the day with my brother and sister-in-law on their ranch.  Talking.  Watching movies.  Doing the odd chore.

But that was enough rest.  On Sunday I was ready for another trip.  This time it would be the 272 miles to Olympia to see my friends Ken and Patti.

You remember Patti.  I wrote about her battle with liver cancer in pulling for patti   In February, she underwent a successful surgery to remove the tumors from her liver -- and is now halfway through her chemotherapy treatment.  In her words, ”She is two-thirds of the way there.”

Because I have no idea how long I will be north on this trip, seeing Patti was top on my list.

One constant on our trip from Mexico was sunshine.  That was not what greeted me on the quick five-hour trip to Olympia.

To get from Bend to the Willamette Valley, a driver needs to cross the Cascades.  In April, that can mean heavy snow, ice, rain, or -- clear roads.  What I got was a bit of snow and a few miles of ice.  As you can see in the photograph at the top of this post. 

That was a fair trade to see snow-frosted Douglas firs.  Almost as good as Christmas.

The snow was a snap for what met me on the other side of the Cascades.  April rains are as common in the Willamette Valley as insipid commercials on television.

And that is what I got.  Several miles of monsoon-like rain.  Where cars simply disappeared in front of me into a watery void. Along with an onslaught of hail that left drifts along the road.

As odd as it sounds, it was nice to see a variety of weather.  After all, sunshine every day can be monotonous.

So, here are my thoughts.  I will enjoy a day or two in Olympia -- and I will then be on my way to Salem to settle some financial matters to buy the new Escape.

But, for now, I am simply going to enjoy time with Ken and Patti.
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