In a fortnight, less two, we made a round tripper of 4,940 miles, consumed 185.5 gallons of gasoline (average price: $2.991/gal) to visit California where we united with family for the wedding of our nephew (son of sister Wendy), Brian Arotca and Amy Kaestner. Travel time spanned last week of May through first week of June. We were joined in California by Inga who flew in from Portland.
But, oh the places in between the Garland and the Pacific! Each day was filled with adventure, either an opportunity to visit family or get an eyeful as we experienced expansive landscapes and communed with outcropping rocks with whom we made friends along the way out west.
DAILY DETAILS TO FOLLOW
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch: We left our two Dessert Tortoises who inhabit our backyard in the care of 7-year old Jayden, who lives behind us. His job was to watch the two feisty males, and if he found one flipped over as a result of territorial combat, to flip them back to plastron-side down. As Dessert Tortoises, native to the Mojave, they were comfortable with the 4-year long drought conditions that were prevalent in Texas. However, it had been a wet winter and the Spring was no different as we packed sedan for an epic road trip.
We left a sodden Texas in our rear view mirror. But as we traveled, the inevitable question encountered on the road, "Where ya from?" When we said "Texas", the response was nearly universal; "Is your house OK?"
Not being connected (somewhat intentionally) to a national news source, we could only gather that news stories of flooding were flooding the media space. Our house was fine through all of this, but I had Jayden'd dad check my rain gauge every evening,, and on May 29th, the gauge had caught 5.75". This caused flooding of a low-water crossing between our house and Inga's high school, and the national news showed a policeman who had to be airlifted to the safety of the Sachse High FFA barnyard, after he had parked his patrol car to block any fool from trying to cross the flooded bridge, and was then himself caught in flash flood.
A large tree branch was ripped off one of the ash trees in the from yard by one of the continuous thunder storms to pound Garland, landing across our front porch. Jayden's dad, being a good guy, ended up cutting up the biomass debris and hauling to the curb for the city to pick up.
If wishes were fishes - we wish we could have shared some of our rain water with our destination, California. But, instead we will be sharing photos of the enjoyable journey.
But, oh the places in between the Garland and the Pacific! Each day was filled with adventure, either an opportunity to visit family or get an eyeful as we experienced expansive landscapes and communed with outcropping rocks with whom we made friends along the way out west.
DAILY DETAILS TO FOLLOW
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch: We left our two Dessert Tortoises who inhabit our backyard in the care of 7-year old Jayden, who lives behind us. His job was to watch the two feisty males, and if he found one flipped over as a result of territorial combat, to flip them back to plastron-side down. As Dessert Tortoises, native to the Mojave, they were comfortable with the 4-year long drought conditions that were prevalent in Texas. However, it had been a wet winter and the Spring was no different as we packed sedan for an epic road trip.
We left a sodden Texas in our rear view mirror. But as we traveled, the inevitable question encountered on the road, "Where ya from?" When we said "Texas", the response was nearly universal; "Is your house OK?"
Not being connected (somewhat intentionally) to a national news source, we could only gather that news stories of flooding were flooding the media space. Our house was fine through all of this, but I had Jayden'd dad check my rain gauge every evening,, and on May 29th, the gauge had caught 5.75". This caused flooding of a low-water crossing between our house and Inga's high school, and the national news showed a policeman who had to be airlifted to the safety of the Sachse High FFA barnyard, after he had parked his patrol car to block any fool from trying to cross the flooded bridge, and was then himself caught in flash flood.
A large tree branch was ripped off one of the ash trees in the from yard by one of the continuous thunder storms to pound Garland, landing across our front porch. Jayden's dad, being a good guy, ended up cutting up the biomass debris and hauling to the curb for the city to pick up.
If wishes were fishes - we wish we could have shared some of our rain water with our destination, California. But, instead we will be sharing photos of the enjoyable journey.
No comments:
Post a Comment