There Must Be Rain

I tend to veer off the touristy path and prefer the offseason. I guess I was prewired for social distance. Part of that was 10 years working in an airport. Talk about the hub of entitlement.

Last year Thermopolis Wyoming was pretty fun. On the way back I slid through the “old Faithful” drag and it still entertains but one has to wonder at people who will sit for 30 minutes to see a thing and can’t pay attention more than 30 seconds after it starts.

The white supremacists don’t have quite the hold on North Idaho they once did. The Travoltas, Ben Stein (he’s really nice), and a plethora of Lord of the Rings cast members have taken over the area between Coeur d”Alene and Sandpoint. I prefer closer to the Canadian border (yep, close to Ruby Ridge) but it’s all about the Canada Pacific trains for me. Love me a long train.

I grew up in a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood in Oregon. That may have been why the first car I bought was orange, then a green one, then a purple one, and also I’ve just bought my 5th gunmetal grey ghost machine. I confess I don’t much care anymore as long as it gets me there. My dear friend, one time Air Force roommate, looked at the last one I dragged home and said “But you bought another van, don’t you want an SUV?”

*sigh*

Having once found myself stranded amid the unfortunate who got crowed out of accommodations during a bikers rally in Sturgis (not where I meant to be) I do prefer a place for my legs to stretch and to plug in a cooler full of snacks if I must. Been through a couple of hurricanes too. I’m all about grab and go.

Politics and pandemics. Weird to live in a time when one is glad that certain loved ones are “beyond” and I don’t have to listen to them as they slurp up the flavor-aid (it was flavor-aid but only a kid who grew up in a certain demographic would know there’s a difference) and it sure is weary stuff. Dragged off to lectures by William F Buckley at a tender age I was burned out on politics long before I was old enough to vote. Life in Portland, Rajneesh, Curtis Sliwa, people lining up outside the “Anime” theater to pay cash only for Voo Doo Donuts…who could possibly know what really goes on in that town!

I worked at the Pullman airport for a while and became particularly fond of spending time with the Grizzley bears. Before Pandemic Pandora came to visit I was thinking about heading back to University for a go at a Masters but that is pending. I’m at an age where my connections have all escaped or died so in-person stuff would be the most meaningful.

My beach urges are strong this fall. The best “Hippy Beach” a days drive west past the WHOOPS nuclear-almost and the tribute to Kurt Cobain. Sometimes I stop long enough to say “Hi” to a dear friend buried next to Jimi Hendrix and then just keep going until the sun sets over sand strewn with household goods from Fukushima. There must be rain!