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 didn’t even wash my hair, or lubricate my sleepy-voice throat with coffee … I just beat feet.
My leg still hurts; but I'm chancing it.
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.
Heron Pointe to Naselle; 1 hour.
I won't allow handicaps to hold me back from enjoying life.
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 😊
Duffy's is not always open; thankfully, it was today.
Chuckling and enjoying my day, so far.
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.
Lunch at Duffy's; Oyster-burger w- Potato salad & O'Douls; Apple Pie to go 😉
Naselle to Pe Ell; 1 hr-13 mins.
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.
Galey's Grocery Store
The drive through Pe Ell to Dryad was quiet and scenic.
Pe Ell to Ceres. 19 mins
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 …
Short hike along the upper grounds of the Falls.
Pretty little violet-colored flowers; along the trail.
Trilliums were everywhere. My favorite Spring flower.
The water is so clear; you can see the bottom of the water bed.
The forest floor claimed some of my skin.
The upper part of the Falls.
The joining of the Falls on the lower end.
Recounting my 'Ump Worthy' slide.
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.
Pretty painted bridge on the May Bridge Road ... I can’t find any information at all, on this bridge.
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.
