Last night when I went to bed, I knew I had to get out of the house – but, I don’t want to kick off my Sunday~Funday adventures until next week … after I buy my garden plants at the Adna Floral Show, Thursday morning.
I am working with a budget. And even though I do pencil in several ‘out of house days’; I also need to get garden transplants that I do not have success starting myself (hence the Adna trip 😉).
Last year I went over-budget at Adna; and knowing myself like I do, I probably will go over budget again this year, too. So, I am pinching the pennies a little more this month until I get my garden stuff. After Thursday, I’ll know what I have to work with $$-wise for Daytrips to end this month.
Last night I knew I’d be hitting the road to somewhere this morning: but I didn’t know where – and I did not dip into my ‘Ambitions Jar’ for a suggestion.
That is for my Sunday~Funday adventures.
Anyway.
I decided to do a road trip I like to do: and tweak it a little to change the scenery 😊
There was no particular reason to do this loop drive, except that I like country drives – and I’d see a lot of country along the route.
I was up at 8 AM … out of the house by 9:30 AM; I figured to be back a little after 1’noon, if I did straight driving/with no stops (except necessary pit stops). But I grabbed my hiking shoes, in case I needed to stop and walk some kinks out. My leg is still chancy. If I stopped to walk – or gawk at the scenery – or if my leg started pitching a fit, and I needed to pull over, and stretch out in the back end for a while: I’d get home closer to Suppertime.
All I knew for sure, was that I needed to get in the car and drive.
Today was not a good day to be stuck in-house, with my thoughts going down rabbit hole memory jogs: I had to get away, or they’d bury me alive.
Already, that early in the morning, birds were singing beautifully; and the sky was a lovely robin’s egg blue, without a cloud in the sky.
I did not want to get lost in the missingness; I refused to cry all day.
I grabbed the car keys, buckled up, and chanced the long drive 😉
I pointed the nose of the Highlander towards Naselle, mentally planning the entire loop route that would bring me back to park in my carport later on.
As I was passing through Graysriver (a sleepy country burg before Naselle), I saw twinkling lights on at Duffy’s – HAPPY DAY! – I pulled in and felt lucky to be on the road this day 😊
It may
still be too nippy for sleeveless tops and short pants, but I can still get a satisfactory
amount of vitamin D through my eyes – the exposed eye, other than exposed skin, is the only other
major source of acquiring a healthy dose of necessary vitamin D.
The pullover at Duffy’s set my timeline back about 45 minutes.
But I figured it was worth it.
Getting home around 1’noon was not set in cement: I can afford to be flexible now that I am the only one, I have to consider.
No husband.
No kids.
No grandkids.
Just me: solo lobo.
It’s a sad reality that allows me a sad/complex exciting freedom.
Turning right at Raymond’s circular roundabout towards Pe Ell, the Spring weather was warm enough to warrant an ice cream cone – so I stopped at Galey’s Grocery (a small Mom & Pop Store that is reminiscent of the 1950’s), and bought one.
Another few miutes added to a long drive: but worth it.
The lady behind the counter was chatty; I didn’t mind. There is no one to chat with at home, and I miss chatter.
She asked me if I was enjoying the day.
I said I was – and told her I got that way at least once a month when the weather is nice, like today.
She asked me where I was going … I told her I had come from Longview and was taking the Pe Ell route home through Boistfort and Vader.
She said the day was perfect for a drive like that: and I said it was.
We smiled at each other.
We knew we’d see each other again in a few weeks.
The drive through Pe Ell to Dryad was quiet and scenic.
I hadn’t been that way since I was passenger while Bob drove and held my hand atop the console, 3 years ago.
I could think about those days without needing to pull over and cry.
It’s a short little backroad cross-drive; there’s no chance of getting lost … it’s a straight forward road.
Driving along, around 2 PM, I spotted a sign pointing towards Rainbow Falls State Park.
I decided to stop there and take a short walk to see the Falls.
It turned out to be breathtaking; in more ways than one …
Oh Lord!
My poor 64-year-old body was put through an exciting workout that definitely had been put through forest induced paces; LOL
My short walk morphed into a 45 minute meander.
If Bob had been riding the clouds and saw my graceful maneuvers as I {gracefully} kept myself, and his phone, from tumbling over the edge of the cliff into the fast-flowing waters, I bet he was laughing with me: it was funny after it was all over.
I could almost hear him ask, with a chuckle, “Are you okay, gracie?”
That was our private joke.
I really do get sidetracked and highjacked by clumsiness.
Meanwhile, down here on earth; enjoying the peaceful country drive, and busting out in laughter every time I thought about my breathtaking slide, I kept my eyes peeled for the Boistfort exit sign.
Just before the exit, I caught sight of a brightly painted steel bridge.
The bright blue of the bridge rivaled the robin’s egg blue of the sky overhead.
Reaching Vader, I decided to stop at Castle Rock and grab some salad greens for this week’s supper side dishes; shaving off 20 pounds is still in progress 😉
I had a nice day out of the house.
The drive was country, all the way.
I carried some mud home with me 😊
I had an exciting day.
I laughed instead of crying.
My leg behaved – I needed Ibuprofen for the ump-worthy-slide, not because my leg was pitching a fit 😉
And I really was glad to be home, and parked in the carport around 4 PM; I am coming to terms with being a country girl in a citified environment.
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