The car is new and has all-wheel drive. Most excellent. Driving in a vehicle that isn't mine and is unfamiliar, in a snow storm produces anxiety for me. I had driven off the Base/Trade port and was about to turn on to the highway when I realized that none of the inside lights had turned off. I pulled into the gas station and open and closed all the doors. I looked in the glove box for a user manual and didn't find one. So I turned around and went back to the office and asked the officers if they could help me. The first guy said, "I drive a Ford and that is is Dodge, so I can't help."
Beautiful. I stood there and waited for somebody else to say something. Silence. Finally, he motioned for one of the other officers in the back to come outside and take a look. I opened the door, turned on the car, and the officer did something that I couldn't see. I shut the door and all the lights went off. He smiled. "What did you do?" He motioned to a dial by the light switch that had been put to high when it should have been on low. I was slightly embarrassed, but so glad that I got that taken care of before I began my drive.
And what a drive it was. Due to the snow, the highway speed limit had been reduced to 45 miles per hour. Every 30 miles or so there would be a car off the side of the road, facing the wrong way, or teetering on the guard rails, or perpendicular to the road, in a snow pile. It was enough to keep the cars going slowly and not pushing the speed. There were several times when I wished I could pull over and take a picture of something by the side of the road, but I didn't want to pull over...ever. Many of the break down lanes were snow covered. There were many sets of snowplows out, clearing the road and you didn't want to be over to the side. There were two sets of road conditions. One had the right side pretty clear and the passing decent. The snow in the middle made for a delicate lane shifting.
And then a decent right lane and a not good left lane.
I think the drive, in normal conditions, takes around 3 and a half hours. Mine took 5 hours, and really 6, if you count the time that I began at our house. I'm grateful that I wasn't ever scared on the road. There were a few times when the oncoming traffic didn't seem to interested in yielding to the line of cars already on the highway. I didn't want to slam on my brakes and going into the passing lane wasn't always an option. A couple of times I did find myself yelling out loud, "Don't pull in. Don't pull in! DON'TPULLIN!"
I'm wondering if there will be school tomorrow. Kids have missed the last two Mondays due to snow. We have a lot. And this system is supposed to give us another 10"- 18" or so. Not sure where we area going to put it all. Our driveway is pretty narrow right now. We can't see our right light post. I think everybody is tired of shoveling.
In other news, on Facebook, my MHC friend, Christine Ray challenged me to a 3 x 5 artist challenge -- post 3 photos of your work for 5 days. I don't self identify as an artist, but I can get creative. For the first day, I posted 3 needlepoint ornaments.
Today I added three black and white pictures from when I had access to the school's darkroom. I had developed the film and printed the pictures myself. The building photos were taken at the Junipero Serra Museum/Mission in San Diego. I love that building. The statue photo I took in Santa Fe, NM when Heather and I were there together. It has always reminded me of three ladies, and specifically, Heather, Mom, and I. I loved working in the darkroom and seeing the images appear as I moved the paper from one chemical bath to another.
When I was driving today, I hit on a great classical music station. I'm around Montpelier, listening to the Boston Symphony Orchestra play Scheherazade, and looking at the mountains and the different shades of gray. I imagined quilting that view. It had great lines -- sloping mountain sides in progression, the road drawing your attention and giving movement to the landscape, and layers of trees. I would need fabric that is silver, charcoal, pewter, gray, slate, ash, lead, white, the darkest, blackest green. How many different shades of gray are there? Those were a few fun miles, almost magical in the quiet of the snow...my mind engaged in thinking about fabric, and wishing I could photograph the view for reflection later on.
Anyway, I just got a text from the VT Agency director letting everybody know that he doesn't anticipate any problems with folks getting to work tomorrow. The heavy snow band is south of here. I am fine with trying to find the Agency in better weather. This is a stretch assignment for me, as I will be supervising and acting in the manager capacity also. I'm excited and nervous, both. I'm here for two work weeks and going back home to enjoy the long weekend. Had I known about the mandatory DC workshop, I would not have volunteered for this opportunity. Three work weeks away is tough. But I didn't know and here I am.
I wonder what souvenir I can bring home from this excursion?
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