Last Friday, in one sitting, I drove from Orange County, California to Seattle, Washington, my old stomping grounds. I left at 6:00 am Friday and arrived at 2:00 am Saturday. This is a list of some of the things I saw:
-Pavement. Lots of pavement.
-The Horizon.
-The sunrise gradually warm the hazy skies over Los Angeles.
-A sprinkler spraying water over a dry field, but the water turned to mist in the heat and drifted away before it could hit the soil. When I drove past, it looked as though the sprinkler was tired of being a sprinkler, and wanted instead to be a rainbow machine.
-Miles of cows on a cattle farm. Typically I don’t measure livestock in units of distance, but here it was appropriate. I’m not sure what the proper unit to measure stench is, but let’s just say it was not mild.
-A cow carcass on the side of the road.
-A tractor with eight foot tall wheels and a footprint wider than the lane it was ‘in,’ rolling through town like it was a compact car.
-The jet stream overhead as it pulled a ribbon of wispy clouds across the sky.
-Signs everywhere telling politicians to “STOP THE DUST BOWL.”
-Christian themed rap was on the radio… and it was good. I was shocked.
-A line of southbound cars backed up so long that while driving 75 mph I was able to listen to “Kashmir” by Led Zepplin in its entirety before the line thinned out. I wanted to roll down my window and shout to those blissfully unaware of the traffipocalypse, “Turn back now! You can still be saved!”
-A motorcycle made by John Deer parked on the sidewalk at a truck stop. It looked old, and was probably rare, but all I could think of was the CEO of John Deer thinking, “How can we cut grass faster?”
-A young man poppin’ bottles by the dumpster in broad day light — literally. His job was to forcefully dispose of empty wine bottles from the night before.
-A bumber sticker for “KONY 2012”
-A sign for “BRAKE TEST AREA” before a long steep downhill… isn’t the whole hill a brake test anyways? I already did the hard part of getting over the hill–why do you have to take a practice test when you only need to pass the final exam?
-Entire orchards and fields dried up and abandoned with only dust devils patrolling the rows of gnarled trees.
-The sunset.
-Half of a deer. It came and went so fast in my headlights that avoiding it was simply a matter of reflex, yet the sight, although brief, is something I can’t unsee.
-Two guys on the radio talking about their new book, “Treat Me Like a Customer,” which is about managing relationships with the same devotion you would give to your work. I took notes. Better to learn now than as an afterthought.
-Tumbleweeds that have long since stopped tumbling.
-Several nameless roads waiting for a name. “Road 22.” “Road 8.” “Road 12.” I think they’re just placeholders waiting for someone to do something amazing so they can rename the roads, but right now they’re still waiting.
-A phone conversation that ended with the exchange, “Sorry, it’s hard to hear you.” “Sounds good :) Bye!”
-Tire skid marks that trailed off the road and ended at the foot of a large tree where a white cross and flowers were set.
-The familiar signs, streets, and scenery, all slightly different than I’d left them.
-Traffic lights.
-Home.
allmostrelevant 
“How can we cut grass faster?” haha yep, the big questions of our time.
I love the detail in this! You’ve inspired me to take more notice of my surroundings, even on small journeys.
yay! that makes me happy :D
Have done that same drive as well. Feels a strangely like starting in the present and moving into the past for me. Loved the detail!
yeah, definitely a lot of transition on that drive
. . . that should have read without ANY dragon encounters.
I hate it when my proof reader goes to sleep!
Wow. Next time ride a bike. Takes longer but you not only get to see but you get the smells and the slight atmospheric changes on your body as you pedal through the environment.
I loved your descriptions of your sightings but driving is something I have always hated.
I guess I just hate being closed in a box with glass all around.
But I’m glad you made your journey safely without and dragon encounters.
I too loved the “rainbow machine”. Fun reading and well done.
if i had the luxury of biking like that then i might consider it, but i’m going to stick to my car for any drive over 30 miles.
hmm… i guess i should have included one of my dragon encounters if that’s interesting. i thought it was just a minor detail ;)
Just spreading some blogger love. I appreciate your follow on my blog and will check in here to comment when I can.
Really nice. Makes me want to hit the road!
haha be careful what you wish for. my head was buzzing for an hour after i got out of the car
Love your descriptions: the sprinkler, the cows, the stench…all of it. Delicious to read.
So many interesting observations!
:)
A very fun read. The way you project insight into common things is very entertaining.
that’s a big compliment. thank you:)
DId you not see Shasta, Hood, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier, ? Those are my landmarks :)
it was night by the time i passed those, but i’m sure they were still there. i saw a silhouette of shasta
and a whole lot of people on the other side of the road looking back at you thinking “that lucky stiff, I wish I was heading back North.” Especially the ones who promised their kids Disneyland this year…
Reblogged this on if all else fails…use a hammer and commented:
I cannot seem to formulate a comment that adequately describes how this made me feel. Just read it and decide for yourself.
Great post! The phone conversation near the end made me smile. :)
Ya know I love reading ur stuff I can always count on a giggle… thanks
I really wish ubcould UNSEE half a deer but I think bambi was just getting out the pond and he was a lil shy…he hadnt dressed properly for ur meeting.
well, that’s certainly another way you can see half of a deer
…oh deer
Narrative poetry; great metaphor; entertaining. Well done.
thank you :)
Beautifully atmospheric.
Funny and moving at same time. What a gift to enable others to see what you see and feel what you feel. Loved this!
thank you :) i’m glad you liked it!
Concise description for a very long drive ;)
Haven’t finished reading yet but I loved this too much not to comment immediately:
“When I drove past, it looked as though the sprinkler was tired of being a sprinkler, and wanted instead to be a rainbow machine.”
haha thanks. I hope you enjoyed the rest of it and it wasn’t all downhill from there ;)
:) nope, it quite lived up!