Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Chapter 3 The Hellatious Day
What a crappy day!!! A few minutes of sun and pretty farms as we left Breezewood, Pa but then temperatures between 19 and 22 degrees and wet roads, snow so thick it was like fog and spray from innumerable trucks that made visibility impossible! It was obvious from the snow accumulations between Breezewood and Pittsburg that we'd made a wish move to leave the road early yesterday. Took the same picture of the bridge over the Monongahela River I'd taken last year and then on into West Virginia for a minute and across the Ohio River into Ohio. We had stayed in Cambridge, Ohio on our second night last year and it is 3 and 1/4 hours and 209 miles farther East than Breezewood, so we are about half a day behind our trip in 2009. As we moved through Ohio it became obvious that the day before had brought an incredibly windy, wet snow storm into the area from the NorthEast. The trees and any other vertically oriented structure were plastered for their entire height with snow, making stands of all different kind of trees appear like clumps of white birch. Neither Pennsylvania nor Ohio stint on road salt--at these temperatures the wet roads should have been sheer ice but instead they were splashy, puddle ridden --as though a torrential rain had just passed through. Having few opportunities to take any long range pictures I amused myself with strange place names like Lover and Eighty Four. Listened to the 40's station on XM Sirius radio and sang along with Bing Crosby and his son, Gary, Billie Holliday, the Andrews Sisters etal. I'm sure Bill was thrilled but I HATE these trucks and snow and ice and I'm a wreck. I wouldn't be out here but he doesn't want to miss Vt Falls so off we go into scary winter travel. I could always throw up instead!!!! I did relent after awhile and tune into NPR where we listened to the author of a new book about Ken Starr's investigation of Billy-Boy. I really like that Gross lady who does the interviews but I'm afraid I just could not tolerate a discussion of Autism with Diane Reeves so we agreed to radio silence for a bit. As we entered Indiana a CONVOY of highway salt trucks/plows came onto the Interstate setting off further alarm bells in my already high alert system. After all, a tractor trailer had already decided to come into the passing lane as a car who'd decided we weren't passing fast enough cut onto our right and then out in front of us just as the truck was pulling in front of us---I just closed my eyes and waited....happily Bill was able to just let off the gas, the car pulled to the left and the truck went back into the right lane. We pulled in behind him and have no idea where the idiot went. A few miles later I looked over at an entrance ramp only to see a flat bed canvas covered off the road: the cab askew and the trailer flat on its side.... And then as we exited in Richmond, Indiana where I'd called ahead for a reservation the windshield began to ice up when we sprayed it to see. Yes, indeed, time once more to call it a day. This time at 4 PM--as we made our way to the motel I felt like the road and the holy roller church opposite the driveway looked incredibly familiar. Barb and I stayed here on our way back from Montana in Nov of 2007!!! Remember the Canadian geese on the lawn and the strange way to get back on the Interstate--almost dangerous!!!Unloaded and wasted no time to go out to eat at Frickers where they were having 35 cent wings night---oh, yes--sooooo good with Guinness. Last year we were in Oklahoma for Mardi Gras and the bartender had beads for all and the vibe was very festive---not at Frickers---no indication at all--too many WASPY types and not enough French Catholics!!! LOLBack to the motel where, once more, it seemed I could not connect to the Internet. Both times --here and in Breezewood--it was a network problem, not my computer. But in both cases, very frustrating. It did give me a chance to think about the push by Pa and Ohio to make coal the fuel of choice--as once it was, before the pollution ( remember those great inversions? Or the heavenly black smear on one's washclothe at the end of a day walking in NYC? ) made everyone demand scrubbers and other choices that were less harmful to the environment. Now there are these clever billboards---ELECTRI ( all bright and illuminated) city ( small, dark and grey) and the message--you can't have it without coal....-----Coal the green fuel......Coal an old friend with a new look! And then a TV ad about a guy in Wyoming who works for a power company out there and talks about the large deposits of coal in the Powder River Valley.....Well, everything old is new again and with new technology it probably is an answer to oil dependancy --and will satisfy those afraid of nuclear power and those who have a zillion reasons why they don't want pinwheels on THEIR ridges! Thank goodness this attitude didn't prevail when all those power lines and phone lines were strung so unattractively --or we'd still be using candles and smoke signals! Oops, the foregoing was just an editorial note--subject to feedback,naturally! LOL It also allowed me to watch the men's short program in figure skating though I missed Prochenko--but I'll catch him Thursday for sure. All in all a stressful day that ended well though with apprehension since the weather forcast is confusing though never very encouraging. Goodnight all!
Chapter 2 Old Man Winter Has His Way
Having looked out the window of our room in Binghamton last night, at around 7PM, and seeing our car as the only one in the whole parking lot, felt a little eerie at first! But it was, after all, Valentine's evening and, by 9, there were several more--three of which were from Ontario. By 10, it had snowed and the cars were covered. Refusing to think about it, I retired at 10:30 (Bill, having long since--at 8:30!!! But I did get a lovely card--and I didn't get him one. Sigh) Slept fairly well, woke at 6ish but fell back to sleep until 7:30. Marched with the Sargeant for ten minutes; ate my Grape-Nuts Trail Mix in the room, coffee in the breakfast room and then down the road we went. Storm watch but we had sunshine and little traffic most of the way. Near Frackville, Pa there was about a four mile long ridge to our West and a beautiful wind farm almost along the whole thing---white pinwheels against a beautiful blue sky. Unfortunately, with the trees and our low slung car I was unable to get a really nice shot of them. Soon we came to Scranton and Wilkes -Barre, both of which are so terribly congested and built up. Many of the names brought back memories of the coal/steel industries that were once the backbone of this local economy--Steamtown, steel furnaces ( right after I was born in Washington DC--certainly before I was a year old--my Dad worked in Pittsburg on the electrical controls of the big Bessemer furnaces. He told me all about it but being young I only half listened and would now have to take a tour to hear only part of what he was able to share.) , coal mine tours, Anthracite, Minersville. I LOVE Ravine! A friend once told me that living in Chelsea, Vt led to great depression in its residents because it was in that valley that never got any light. Wonder what the state of mind is of the residents of Ravine, Pa???? I also love the tunnels built to go through the mountains, such as Blue Mountain. Incredibly smart people--no bravado here--why terrify by going up over the heights or along a precipitous ledge--go through them! YES!!! Must have been those miners. Although this was at least my third time taking this route westward, I forgot that one has to leave I81 and travel local rte 11 and through the town of Middlesex to access I 76. So, though I'm a great Navigator--ahem---we had to BACKTRACK--a few miles ! BUT, to my credit, I did recognize the intersection at the off ramp as we flew by~~~ Must have been a St Albans deal. Rumor has it that there was no North exit on I89 because the town poohbahs wanted folks to pass through town so they'd spend money there--probably why two Interstates connect through a small town! Very unusual. So back we went as the sun disappeared and fingers of a frontal cloud edged toward the East. As we snaked along I 76 through the seemingly unending ridges that bound us on either side and on through the Tuscarora Tunnel, the snow began. We stopped at the Sideling Rest Area for gas as the snow quickly thickened. Although we were well short of our stopping point at this exact time last year, it seemed sensible to call for a reservation and make it a day. Travis, in Albequeque, said it was clear and 50 degrees there ( hence there is some hope we'll see warmth sometime ). He made our reservation in Breezewood, Pa --11 miles down the road. So, as visibility diminished and roads became slick we arrived at 2 PM -- a really early stop. After moving into our room, tried to connect to the Internet but no success. Went to the office and connected but it lost back in the room. Called several pizza places but nobody delivers in Breezewood! At 3:30 ventured out to Bob Evans--rib-sticking plain food at a reasonable price: bean soup ( watery, but tasty) , garlic toast , some of which I brought back for later, and Pot Roast stroganoff. Nothing on TV, no Internet so read Sunday's and Monday's papers. Bill asleep by 8:30. Note to self--Bill farts--don't forget the scented travel candle next time!!!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Mr. Cheeks
Cheeky fellow,Red!
Eating All the Birdseed Up!
Cardinals and Grosbeaks,
Loudly Complain.
Gold and Purple Finches,Too,
Add Their Voices.
Only Chickadees, Brave
And Blue Jays, Huge
Are Willing to Risk
A Snack,
What Little You Have Left Them.
Beware, My Little Glutton,
For the Cats Are on Their Side.
But I Shall Protect You!
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