My thoughts were divided among 3 things this morning – and they all converged into one thing, on Jackson Highway, this morning.
I was debating on whether to drive to the Hummocks Trail, and get one last walk in again, before the snow started flying around the middle of October; in the very next breath, my thoughts were redirected to taking a trip to Chehalis – I opted for the trip to Chehalis, with a follow-up trip to the Hummocks Trail on Friday: that follow-up trip was ditched on the road.
In the betwixt time, I washed my hair and got dressed.
My SIL’s name was dropped into my thoughts, too, as I was getting dressed (but I couldn’t figure out why): I found out why, on the road.
Before I drove over Delameter to Jackson Highway, I stopped and bought a Pumpkin Spice Latte.
It’s Fall – and I’m enjoying it this year 😊
Passing through Castle Rock, I stopped and scheduled a Hair Cut for October 5th … and smelled woodsmoke drifting on the air.
Again, I felt the excitement of the anticipation of Fall.
Fall was always my favorite time of year – until it became the time of the year that Bob’s spirit sought freedom from earthly fetters.
But this year, I’m feeling that excitement again; not as strongly as before … but a good tug 😉
My eyes, and senses, are finding happy pleasure in the seasonal changes and aromas: that’s an improvement.
Driving into downtown Toledo (a shotgun ‘main street’), I saw a Detour Sign … so, I followed the arrow, and turned off the main road; driving around the Lake road to get back onto Jackson Highway. One of those damned round-abouts are probably being put in: they are going in everywhere. I hate them; they serve no real purpose. And they are ugly, too.
Leaving Toledo behind, and continuing along Jackson Highway, enjoying the colorful leaves of the vine maple (the only hint of color in Evergreen WA during fall), I rounded a bend in the road … and saw that Mt. St. Helens had been dusted with snow like Mt. Rainier.
The snowfall is recent – I had visited both mountains this week; and they were both naked, with gray/dry flanks.
Sorry about the excited stuttering in the vid: I am a snow-baby (born the tail-end of December), and I always get excited with the first seasonal snowfall. Bob used to laugh at my girlish excitement: and if he saw the first snowflake before I did … he’d call to me, “Look outside Val; it’s snowing”: then he’d wait for the squeal before he came up behind me, wrapped his arms around my middle, and watched the snowflakes with me. If I ran outside to get dusted with fat, fluffy snowflakes; he’d bring me my coat and a cup of coffee.
I sure miss my man.
Gazing at that fresh snow on Mt. St. Helens, I thoughts that it was a good thing I opted to drive to Chehalis; I do not want to get stuck in a sudden snowstorm in the mountains, that can dump several feet of heavy snowfall in an hour’s time, on the landscape – I guess I’ll have to wait until Spring 2022 now, to walk the Hummocks Trail (https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/hummocks), again 😉
Aside from the glittering, smoldering volcanic giants (WA State has five active volcanoes sitting within its boundaries https://www.seattle.gov/emergency-management/hazards/volcano-hazards-including-lahars); there were other things to see, too. Most sights were in places where it was impossible to get pictures of them – but I got lucky with these two things – and the mountains.
I caught glimpses of both mountains at various spots along the road that favored them – and allowed me to get fairly decent shots of them 😊
At one point, I pulled over to the side of the road and called my BIL to ask about the recent snowfall, and tease him about the recent snowfall. He said he hadn’t been aware – he’s been in the hospital getting two stints put in his heart. I hadn’t been aware: no one had passed that news onto me. If Bob were still here, I would have known – but Bob is not here, and no one thought to let me know.
When he told me where he was, and why he was there, I told him I’d turn around and drive back to Longview to visit him. He said, “No; no one is allowed to visit because of covid restrictions.” So, we chatted a little bit more and then I said, “I’m going to say goodbye now because I know you’re not supposed to be talking this much after heart issues.” And I was thinking about … and seeing with my mind’s eye … Bob in ICU, with his heart issues, 3 years/19 days/1 hour ago.
My heart squeezed thinking of the seriousness of the situation: a situation I would have been ignorant of, if I hadn’t called him.
I was concerned for Kerry.
I love Kerry like a brother: he has been a good brother to me.
Kerry is 3 years younger than I am; he had the stints put in on his birthday. He was feeling tired, and went for a quick checkup to find out why: he was planning in going hunting. Instead, he was hospitalized and prepped for surgery.
I’m glad he went in for that checkup.
I’m glad I called him.
Then, I called Merry to let her know I was thinking of the family. We talked of other things, too, for a little while.
Since there was no reason to turn back homeward, I continued on with my Chehalis plans – and playing peek-a-boo with the mountains.
When I reached the Cowlitz Indian Tribal Center & the Cowlitz Mission, both snow-topped mountains were showing very well; so, on the spur-of-the-moment, I decided to veer off onto a road Bob and I had never driven, to follow the glittering mountain peaks; and see if I could get a shot of them both of the mountains at the same time – and I did!
Later, when I got back home, I researched the road; and was happy to see that the new road (new to me, anyway 😉) will come out in Salkum – by the Library, there. So, when I drive to Randall again, I’ll drive this new backroad to explore it more fully 😊
Coming into Chehalis, there was a little dead skunk (this year’s kit) in the middle of the road … and immediately that old song, ‘Dead Skunk In The Middle Of The Road’ popped into my mind.
‘Dead Skunk In The Middle Of The Road’ song: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu5hzc2Mei4)
There was no noxious/breath stealing odor, but there was road work going on … road crews were tearing the road up to build a stinking round-about!
And I got lost on the reroute.
I’m not a resident of Chehalis – the roads are unfamiliar to me. The street names are a mismatched jumble. GPS said to look for U Street and turn right … I saw W … there was no U.
So, I saw a person standing outside their house watching it being painted; and I pulled over, rolled my window down, and asked where U Street was. She pointed behind me and said, “2 blocks that way – at the stop sign.” I thanked her, rolled my window up, and drove 2 blocks in the direction she pointed.
YEW Steet: not the alphabet U that should normally follow in line, with the street with the alphabetical W.
Leaving Chehalis, the radio talking head said that today is the “anniversary of Earth, Wind, and Fire’s song, “September”.
I like that song.
It’s {fits} an Indian Summer 😉
Earth, Wind, & Fire “September” song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs069dndIYk
