From the frying pan

June 20, 2017

Yes indeedy, we made the leap from the frying pan into the fire.  The Southwest is smack dab in the middle of a whing-dinger of a heat wave, and Prescott right along with the rest of ‘em.  Although the temps at home were topping out over 100 degrees, we were continuing to dine morning and evening daily on the back porch, reveling at the perfection of it all.  My sole concession to the upward climb of the thermometer was to finally turn on the air conditioner.

So then, why are we leaving the most perfect place in the country to traverse the California desert and land in Barstow with a forecast of 114 degrees!  Insanity, one presumes, could be the only answer. 

In reality, the lure of the road, offering places as yet unseen, and visits with friends and family not often seen are the culprits.  When travel plans were in the offing, all was clement, weather-wise, and an initial destination, Bodie, was slumbering beneath a deep covering of snow.  Who knew that June 20 would find us zipping along Interstate 40 with me asking at regular intervals, “How hot is it now?”.  Last reading was 111, definitely egg frying capabilities there.

To you, this may look like a whole lot of nuthin' out there, but to me, it brings to mind all the vastness there is to explore in this great land of ours.

Thank heaven for vehicle air conditioning, far from the days when I resided in the Phoenix hellhole - those good ol’ days with no a/c when the mere fact of backing the car out of the driveway turned a person into a sweat hog.  That’s just the way it was.

At any rate, Barstow is the halfway point, or near to it, to our first “real” stop at Bodie.  And . . . since we will be there anyway as a stopover, I have scoped out some possible excursions to fill a day or two and that can be accomplished despite the blazingness, at least that is my plan, and we all know about making plans.

As my dear mother was wont to say, “We shall see”.

My trusty chauffeur . . .