Friday, May 06, 2011

Revisiting Arizona

I was dreading this leg of the journey. The only sane way to get to California from Albuquerque, New Mexico is by taking Interstate 40 all the way across Arizona. My aversion to interstate highway travel involves large trucks. It was a pleasant surprise to find that, while there were indeed many, many semitrailer trucks on the road, in this part of the country they are spread out a bit. We really enjoyed driving through this familiar country. Arizona is a beautiful state.

We used to go to AZ for five or six weeks in the winter. In fact, last winter was the first time in 18 years that Paul did not go. His mother had a retirement place in one of the courts down here, and ever since his kidney transplant, he would spend at least a month with her to escape our winters, and I would stay home and work. About five years ago I said "phooey" to that and started going along. Paul's mom died this year at age 100. I fully believe that her 30 years of escape from the Minnesota weathers prolonged her life. Anyway, she sold her moble home several years ago, so we miss both Arizona, and our time with her.

Yesterday, in New Mexico, a truck was coming toward us, and just before it passed, two big cardboard boxes flew off the top of the truck. I don't know if there was anything in them or not, but the truck was so tall the boxes flew harmlessly over the top of our car into the ditch beside us. Today I was traveling on cruise contol at the speed limit (75 mph) and had just shifted lanes to go around the semi in front of us when I saw the truck's brakes flash. I hit my brake to disengage my cruise, and to see what the semi driver was slowing for, and two big truck tires rolled from the right side of the road in front of his truck and then in front of our car, and went harmlessly into the ditch on the median. I have no idea where they came from, and while he saw them coming, I did not. God's angels watchin' over us for sure.

When we got to Needles, CA it was 104 degrees. We checked in to the motel and once I had Paul settled with everything he needed (he never needs much) I hit the pool. I've already been back for a second swim. There is nothing that brings back more happy memories for me than swimming on a hot summer night.

We are in California! We will go see Matt and Jenni and our three grandchildren in Topanga Canyon tomorrow. I'll bet those kids have grown since Christmas. They usually do.

Katherine

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