I know. I know. Writing these posts after we have returned months before may be hard to grasp for the few who read them. Especially the ones we see on a regular basis. But, I do these for our memories, a snapshot of of our journeys in digital form.
It is often the little things that we forget. The fact that all along our latest adventure and up until today, there have been two spiders living with us in the side mirrors of the Escape. Tom has named them Charlie and Charlotte. We've never seen them. We have only got into into the car every morning and find their webs crisscrossing the mirrors. We've wiped them away a number of times only for them to come back the next day. Those two spiders have stayed with us through the torrential downpours, the loose gravel, the blistering heat, the ferries and the capitals.
Years from today, those spiders will only be a faded memory. By writing about them here, I get to look back and remember. I also get to look back and see where we have been, together. Two Dudes and Two Dogs.
Our last day on the road was long. Still 12 hours left, but I was determined to get home. We packed our car for the last time on this journey. The dogs so knew the routine. No whining today. There was a short dog walk before we headed out. And then the road.
We stopped along the way at an Oregon beach. It was void of people and down a small ledge. Perfect for a dog run and some ball. Once the car doors were open, both dogs ran down to the sand. Then back to us. Then back down. Closer to the water then back to us. Ball! Ball! Ball!
Our two dogs love the water. They'd stay all day if they had there druthers. We still had half the length of California to get through. It was time to say goodbye to the shore and begin to head inland towards the heat of Summer.
As we headed inland, down the 101, the heat rose quickly. 98. 100. 104. 108! It was hot and our Escape just couldn't keep up. The a/c was failing. Tom was driving and I was trying my best to figure out why. Reading the manual for tips. Searching the web for ideas. Nothing.
We were both pretty concerned for the dogs. With the temps at the level it was, we had some fast food for lunch. We parked under a tree for some some shaded relief. We stopped only for a short bit and then off on the road again. This time, though, with ice in our soda cups. The dogs were panting and I was feeding the dogs some ice, trying to keep them cool.
This lasted for hours. It wasn't until we neared the Bay Area that there was a touch of relief. The CA coast was a respite that I wish lasted, but as we headed away from the bay, the temperature headed back up again. We would not see relief again until the sun began to set. On the day and our trip.
We arrived home around 10 PM to a clean home. Fresh linens on the bed due to Tom's thoroughness. A few showers later, we felt at home. Three weeks on the road was enough. The unpacking and the laundry will wait til morning.
The dogs knew where home was. From history, I knew that it would be a habit to break with them whenever they heard the word car. It doesn't always mean a road trip. Tonight, though, they jumped for joy when they got to the house.
We figured we would leave them some time to rest. For us, a drink. Or two. Done!
No comments:
Post a Comment