I still have a sore throat from that chihuahua dog that was a Bingo a week ago (I am seriously allergic to dogs); so last night I took a small swallow of Nyquil … and woke up at 10:30 this morning.
After dressing, making the bed, and washing my hair; I thought I’d drive to Vader for lunch. I like the Little Crane Café, and this morning seemed like a good time to revisit: gotta satisfy my gypsy bone as best I can 😉
It would be a short hop: about half an hour … but I’d be out of the house, and out of Longview for a bit.
I figured I’d have my big meal in Vader – and eat a salad later tonight.
I’ve shed 4 pounds this week eating calorie counting meals, and walking on my treadmill twice a day 😊
Passing through Lexington, I saw that the construction there is moving along at a quick pace.
Lexington is up-and-coming.
Quickly.
A lot of new building has begun dotting the land since we had lived there from 2013 –2017.
In 4 short years, Lexington is practically unrecognizable.
When I arrived in Vader, I noticed detour signs.
As I neared the café … I noticed that the road was seriously blocked: and detour signs were several blocks from the rail line.
Well – shoot!
I really did not want to turn back to Longview … I wanted to eat lunch in Vader ☹
So, I thought I’d give the Winlock access a try: maybe I could get to the Little Crane Café through the back door (so to speak) 😉
I backtracked to S Military Road.
It should have been a simple thing.
I have driven these roads many times.
But there were detour signs and road blocks, placed haphazardly, everywhere.
I followed the orange arrows.
I kept wondering where the heck the signs were leading – I was on roads that were not familiar to me.
Miles and miles later, when I stopped at a stop sign at a four-way junction, a memory came to mind and I recognized the locality … Bob had driven this route on our Yelm meat run 4 years ago (we bought from a butcher, there): I had not been on this forgotten road route since Bob drove it, in the Fall of 2017. I realized I was on the way to Centralia!
Centralia is nowhere near Winlock.
Centralia is seriously out of the way from where I needed to be.
WHY were the detour arrows leading people waaaaay out of the way?
So, making sure there was no traffic coming at me from any direction – I made a U-turn, and backtracked … looking for familiar landmarks.
On a hunch, I turned onto a road going in the general direction of Winlock – and had an (((aha!))) moment, when I saw a brown wooden road sign pointing to Winlock’s Winolequa Park. I was happy to see that sign, for two reasons: it was familiar, and I needed to make a quick pit stop at the Park’s Restroom 😉
I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Park had undergone a serious overhaul … but I also was wondering, “Where are small towns getting all this serious $$$$$ for major overhauls?” These are dead-end, back-county towns – with little to no job opportunities: where are the funds coming from????
The Park did not look anything like this cleaned-up version, when I was last here with Bob in 2018.
I’m more than a little afraid to let my thoughts wander down the path that is being highlighted – and played out in DC’s communist/socialist House chambers; and big cities across America.
I didn’t want to contemplate too deeply, the poisonous tentacles that are forcing their way into every aspect of American life.
I did not want to give place to anger today.
I wanted to pee … and be on my way.
I made tracks for Vader.
I was hungry; all I’d put into my stomach since last night, was a mug of coffee … 1½ hours ago.
Thankfully, the backroad into Vader from Winlock was not in shutdown mode: I was able to access the café 😉
A half hour hop had morphed into a 1½-hour ordeal.
My stomach was growling to be fed; it was not happy with the delay.
I saw my table as soon as I entered – a small table: perfect for a solo lobo.
Relaxed, and fat and sassy; I paid my lunch tab, and headed home – backtracking through Winlock.
I was thankful for the memory that kicked in and prodded me to turn back and find my way to my destination. I am thankful those memories helped me stay calm in a distracting situation. I am thankful that those memories are a part of me.
Nearing Castle Rock, the car dash pinged … and glancing at it, I saw a notification that needed addressed – I use windshield washer fluid a lot. I decided to nip over to Dick Hannah’s in Kelso and see if I could get it refilled before the maintenance shop closed.
So, I cut over to N Pacific Highway, and merged with S Kelso Drive: this route is a nice country drive 😊
The shop crew was accommodating, and a gallon of washer fluid was replaced. I was thankful.
I topped the gas tank off in town … and drove the backroad, Pacific Way Highway, home.
And was not happy to see that that abandoned trailer had been torched.
Apparently, vandalism has been notched up, to a more violent action.
WHY is the city not removing this eyesore?
WHY has this abandoned trailer, and car, been allowed to remain in this spot for a least a month; probably longer?
Any other car or trailer in any other locality, would have been promptly impounded and hauled away by a tow truck on the city’s payroll.
The “city officials” here are worthless.
Is it any
wonder than I escape Longview as often – and as long – as I can?
