Promised the Wife I would stay on the blacktop today. She has some stuff going on with her Dad, and has spent most of the last week helping her Mom with that. Got a full tank of gas minus a couple of gallons or so, so I was good.
Good road trip today, even though it was all on asphalt. I stuck to roads that at least at some point had a hard surface at some point in the past. Promised the wife after all.
Started out with the radio station playing "Kill the Rooster". That got me all fired up. Got my Mocha at Dutch Bro's on the way out of town. The radio played "The Immigrant Song". That got me even more fired up, and I hit the back roads heading west. I popped in Uriah Heep and turned the tunes up way to loud. Saw a pair of Bald Eagles hunting a wetlands. Then I saw a pair of snowy egrets doing the same thing up the road a ways. It was blowing and raining, the Jeep was purring down the back roads and life was good! Got up into the Coast Range and the rain was coming down and the wind was blowing. I'd been thinking of my Dad, my Grandfathers and my northern European cultural heritage. The rain poured, the wind blew and the Jeep purred. I'm afraid I flogged it out a little climbing through the hills. Thought about cultural diversity and my forefathers. Thought about our current PC culture. Popped in Pink Floyd "A Momentary lapse of Reason" and turned the radio up a little more. The Jeep purred along.
Stopped for a bio break and examined a recent kill along side the road. (I swear, at one point in time that road had some sort of a hard surface on it.) Something had picked off a fairly good sized Elk and consumed it in the last several days. Checked out the local area and saw Cougar and Bear tracks. Fresh, recent type bear tracks. The Cougar tracks were a little older.
Started dropping down out of the Coast Range towards civilization, popped in some German Industrial Rock. (Ramstein) Wandered through some of my old stomping grounds from when I was growing up. Lots of roads with names like Aasgaard Rd., Halvden Lane & etc. Didn't help my ruminations any.
Got to the coast and headed for the ocean. It was blowing about 35 - 40 mph at that time and raining in sheets. Parked on the jetty out where the seas were breaking and putting salt spray over the rocks. Sat there for a few minutes and felt the wind and rain buffet the Jeep. Had to get out and FEEL that weather for myself, not just let the tj take the brunt of it for me. Jumped out and the wind almost blew me over. Walked in front of the Jeep. Felt the wind try to blow me around. Felt the sting of the blown rain on my face. Tasted salt on my lips. I felt ALIVE! Threw my coat into the back of the Jeep and walked back to where I was. I needed to feel the rock under my feet and the weather buffet ME around. I raised my arms and roared out a victory roar. Life IS good. Scared the crap out of a young couple down the way a little ways, I'm afraid. Californians have no sense of humor these days. (Prius with California plates) They left. In a hurry. Wish I knew a Viking victory song to sing.
Got back into the Jeep and headed North. Poked into some more of my old stomping grounds from days gone past. The spirits of my forefathers were content and quite and I was happy. Came home with a smile on my face.
Good road trip. (does all of this make me a bad person or crazy? Hmmm...)