Wedding Song - God Knew That I Needed You

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

WHAT A MONDAY!

This Monday started out weird … and was just flat out frustratingly strange, by the time afternoon was morphing into evening.

Driving out Rose Valley today.
Had a very strong impression to drive out Rose Valley. It's weird.

I had no desire to go for a drive today.

I was planning on staying home and dinking around in my garden area.

And I wanted to do some domestic cleaning around the house. I want to keep the place ‘domestically maintained’; so that if and when a new home becomes available, all I’ll have to do is sign on the dotted line … pack up and beat feet for new digs.

But the impression was so strong, that after clearing away the breakfast dishes … I threw up my hands and said, “Okay! I’ll go!” I quickly washed my hair - letting it air-dry, and pulled on shorts and a pullover top.

I hadn’t driven up Rose Valley in a while.

I wasn’t sure if it had changed like so many other rural areas, have.

It was refreshing to see, that though Kalama has been under socialist leadership for some time … there are still some people who are not so easy to keyhole.

Rose Valley is obviously Trump Country.

A road sign said that the road ended 16 miles ahead.

When I came to the end of the 2-lane highway, and saw the 1-lane goat trail leading up-Up-Upward … I wasn’t sure if the 16 miles ended at the end of the 2-lane, or continued on with the skinny ribbon of a road staring me in the face.

Curious to learn why I had been so urgently prompted to drive this way, I inched forward – praying I would not meet a log truck along the route.

I actually did not want to meet any other vehicle, either: there was no where to pull over – the ribbon of a road hugged the cliffside on one side, and the lip of the road on the other side, dropped sharply to the river below.

But, I was curious to know why I had been led this way.

The want to know, intrigued me.

Left off on Rose Valley Road, and entered a paved logging road - and MET A 4x TRUCK. A tight spot!

It was a tight fit 99% of the drive forward.

There was one spot along the upward route, where the road briefly broadened out – then quickly shrunk in on itself, again.

And I met more cars: where were they coming from?!

The higher the Highlander climbed on that skinny ribbon of a road, I could see scattered private summer homes of the wealthy; some year’round homesteaders, and several private campgrounds with travel Trailor hookups and porta-potty sites.

I actually started to pity the poor log truck drivers who had to deal with the summer vacation travelers on that road when log trucks were wanting to get to ... and from ... the landings, quickly to make payroll.

Plus, log trucks are not like regular trucks: log trucks are BIG – and they pack a heavy weight added to their own hefty weight; they take a loooong time to stop if their brakes get hot, or a pilgrim’s vehicle is handicapped in some way and finds itself in trouble on the road – I would not want to be dealing with a log truck barreling down on me, on that roadway during peak logging season.

Thankfully, that scenario was not in play today.

Got good news about the roadway.
6 cars passed me coming downhill, on that little 1-car-width ribbon of a road as I was driving upward.
And ... ANOTHER skinny ribbon of a roadway.
I honestly do not know what the urgency was to get me up this road; only God knows - and He didn't give a hint.

Foreigner – ‘Urgent’ song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHnNIoNUZig

Bob you better be proud of me! Aside from the high ribbon road, it was an enjoyable drive.

I was not looking forward to backtracking.

But it was necessary to get back off the hillside (I don’t think it was tall enough to qualify as a mountain – but it was steep).

An indication of how skinny the roadway was - barely wide enough for the Highlander’s passenger side to keep from scraping along the bluff.
And Kalama River in the distance below; directly below the driver's window ...
Ay yai yai …
Trump Country high into the hills of Kalama River Road, too.
The want for honey this high up, on that hell road, would have to be as insistent as the impression that got me here this morning.

I drove the high hillside for about 45 minutes (roundtrip) before touching down on the main highway again; and saw a log truck … it pulled out of a side road, a bit in front of me.

Nearing the main Rose Valley highway, my stomach was letting me know it needed something put in it to calm the turbulent stomach juices. I decided to drive into Kalama to Lucky Dragon: I would eat a small portion, and bring the rest home to break down into 3 more meals to pop into the freezer 😊

Exiting the paved goat trail and entering the main roadway, I saw a log truck pulling onto the road from a graveled spur, a little bit in front of me. The first log truck I’d seen all day 😉

Loggers were logging the lowlands today - thank Elohim for His mercies.
I turned off Fish Pond Road, towards the Lucky Dragon in Kalama.
Egg Flour Soup & Appetizer Plate - I broke that down into 3 meals for the freezer at home.
The Luncheon Special - also broken down at home. Prawn, Subgum Chow Mein, and Mar Far Chicken.

Homemade Subgum Chow Mein: http://mystainedapron.com/subgum-chow-mein/

Homemade Mar Far Chicken: https://www.recipelink.com/msgbrd/board_14/2016/JUN/38830.html

After lunch in Kalama, I found I was driving to the top of Kalama hill off main street, and driving home that high road.

Until this afternoon, I hadn’t attempted that height on my drives home from Kalama.

Bob did all the high elevation driving.

I was the nervous passenger on those cliff-hugging drives; rarely looking out the passenger window when we were on high elevation roads – regular sized roads, or skinny ribbon roads.

God does not have a spirit of fear … but Yeshua created us with a healthy sense of fear relevant to certain situations – and He remembers our frame: that we are humans, and gives us a Spirit of peace when we rely on His faithfulness in all situations.

It is normal to feel a small measure of fear, when it’s warranted: it’s not okay to be fearfully paranoid.

I believe Elohei has a sense of humor. I believe our lives are a direct reflection of His totality.

But today, it just seemed like Elohim kept prodding me onto high climbing roadways.

If there was a lesson to learn today, time will tell. But for the moment, I'm stumped about the urgent urging.

I was continually put in high elevation situations this afternoon – and strangely enough, I didn’t suffer any vertigo. Heights normally make me dizzy when I take my eyes off the main focus … like the climbing roadway in front of me. But when I looked down at the river waaaay far below me, there wasn’t any pin-pricking nervousness, or dizzying vertigo moments.

And, because I had crossed over the river coming from the heights of Kalama, onto the Kalama River Road; I decided to drive to the end of that, too.

It was there.

I was there.

Why not?

So … that’s what I did.

Road work out Kalama River Road.

The Kalama River Road climbed steeply, too; but it was a normal 2-lane highway. When the blacktop ended, there was a 1-lane gravel logging road … and I ignored it 😉

I turned around in a gated driveway, and got a good laugh out of the sign hanging on the chained gate.

A Veteran's Memorial waaaaaay UP high on the Kalama River Road - just before the Weyerhaeuser gate.
I turned around here, instead of chancing no turnaround by the gate up ahead ...
And busted out laughing when I read the No Trespassing Sign: I know, I've a twisted sense of humor.
After reading the sign, I wasn't sure if this was a memorial ... or a statement by a loner. Still not sure.

I came home via Old Highway 99, which drops into Kelso … by the mini-strip airport, there.

Kelso Airport: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwest_Washington_Regional_Airport

As I was driving Talley Way, a little descending passenger plane, flew right over the roof of the Highlander with its landing wheels lowered to make a landing – I saw the shadow of it before the plane’s body filled the entire driver’s side window as it dropped to landing mode.

A little too close for my liking.

Bob and I had driven that road many times over the 44 years we were married … and I have driven it many times since becoming a solo lobo: there has never been a plane flying that low, or that close to our vehicles.

It did make me nervous until I saw it touch down on the landing field.

When I got to Longview, I thought I’d better top the gas tank off; I was at the halfway mark.

Pulling into the pump station, I went through the pumping routine, and felt like I was in the Twilight Zone when the pump kept going tilt. I finally had to go to the Station Master’s shack to ask him what was wrong with the pump. I explained what was happening, and he came a took a look and then fiddled around with something in the shack and told me to ‘go ahead and pump'.

So, I put the nozzle in the tank opening and started washing the bug guts off the windshield. The pump was beeping by the time I got done with the squeegee, so I removed the nozzle-hung it up-and waited for the receipt.

No go.

Back to the Pump manger’s Shack I went, and asked for a receipt.

He got a puzzled expression on his face, and said, “Which pump, and how much?”

I pointed, and said, “The window says $30.58 cents.”

Again, he looked puzzled – then handed me a receipt.

I pocketed it, and drove to my SIL’s house to tell her something I remembered that might be of help to one of Bob’s brother’s.

As I was leaving my SIL’s house, I happened to glance at the car’s dashboard, and saw that my reading still said I was half a tank empty.

W.T.H?

I was a fourth low when I left the carport.

I used a fourth of a tank running over the high hills.

I pumped gas a few minutes ago.

Or had I?

The pump had been acting strange: maybe it never pumped gas at all …

Back to Fred Meyer’s I went; in a huff.

When I got there, I told the guy – a different one than the last one was now on duty: I explained how the pump had been acting up. I explained how the other guy had looked at it, and was confused when I asked for a receipt. I said I was pissed that I had paid for $30 worth of gas that hadn’t even been fed into my car’s tank!

He looked at his cash register with a confused expression.

He told me to try again.

I did.

The pump refused to take my cards: my FB Bonus card, or my Debit card. It was refusing transaction, and telling me to talk to the cashier.

Back to the Pump Shack I went; trying to be calm.

I told the guy the pump was not behaving, a.g.a.i.n.

He came out and looked at it.

He watched me go through the ritual.

He “huh”ed.

FM better give me a refund.

He fiddled with things.

He said, “You can pay me $60 dollars, and I will give you a refund if you don’t use that much.”

I said I wasn’t comfortable with that since the pump was malfunctioning; all I wanted was to get a refund for the gas I never received earlier, so I could use another pump and go home.

He told me to wait: and went back to the Shack.

I waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Finally, I got in the car and headed over to Safeway to get gas there.

But, first I stopped by the Bank to have the $30.52 FM charge removed from my Card – I was not going to pay for gas I did not receive.

The bank teller said I’d have to wait 24 hours before it could be removed.

I closed my eyes and tried to rub a growing migraine away.

I said I’d be back in 24 hours … and drove to the Safeway Pumping Station.

I went through the Pump Station ritual there: NO GO.

WTH

Into that Station Shack I marched.

I was told my card was being denied because “there aren’t sufficient funds”.

I said, “That can’t be – there’s plenty to cover any transaction, in my account.”

She said, “All I can tell you is what I am reading on my screen.”

Back to the Bank I went.

The teller said my account funds had been “seized by Fred Meyer because there is a dispute about a gas transaction.”

I was furious!

I asked, “Can they do that? I’m the one that has been wronged, here: I was billed for gas I never received! How can they freeze my account?”

The teller said, “It’s a normal thing they do anytime there is a card transaction; they always put ‘a touch’ on an extra $100 as a cover fee.”

I was getting angrier.

I mean, they have no right to touch money that isn’t theirs!

They have no right to treat me like a criminal when the fault is clearly theirs.

I decided right there, on the spot, that I would never do any business with Fred Meyers again.

I will never shop Fred Meyers again - for anything.
FM has NO RIGHT to touch money that isn't theirs. I am furious.
Very pissed right now.

Bob would not tolerate this backhanded behavior; and neither will I.

I made another transfer, and was finally able to top the tank.

I can’t believe the mess that resulted at the FM Gas Station terminal, that ruined my good mood, put my credibility into question, and worked me up so much that my body was moving into asthma mode (stress can induce asthma symptoms).

Through no fault of my own.

I had better get back every single penny of that false $30.52 charge, by 5 PM tomorrow; or they are going to wish they had never tangled with me: I do not take shafting … or being put on the spot … very well.

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