Having a birthday after the actual party is a rather anticlimactic event. I celebrated with the friends last Saturday, and with the family on Sunday. However, I did receive a really nice e-card from EJ; he's so thoughtful. Funny. at first I didn't realize who it was from ... I didn't recognize the email since we generally correspond over linkup, and it was rather disconcerting to receive a message from Mr_Wrong!
So, having missed the Outhouse Intellectuals potluck the night before, there was nothing to keep me in LA today. I packed up the car and started the long trek north to Yosemite to meet the B. sisters for a little camping and hiking. Short stop at the homestead to pick up the cooler and give a kiss to my dad. It's about 150 miles up the 5, and another 140 miles on the 41 to reach the Wawona campground. Mountains turned into rolling golden dappled plains as far as the eye could see. As I continued north, dusty green trees appeared at intervals, looking for all the world like sparse dusty cotton balls stuck on short sticks. Splotches appeared on my windshield as inattentive bugs were mashed against my speeding (about 80mph) car.
Stopped at a gas station to fill up and look for the customary weird sunglasses and random music that seem to be my personal roadtrip tradition. I think this tradition has its origins from the New Year's trip to SF that I took with Joey and Thomas back in 1997. Almost bought an AC/DC tape, but then thought, I'll never use the tape again, and SEE probably downloaded the stuff onto my computer anyway. Also, I just couldn't bring myself to buy any of the Ray-Ban-esque sunglasses ... tradition just wasn't going to survive on this trip.
The landscape continued to change as I moved north-east. Pine trees appeared, tall and slender, arrowing up towards the heavens. Fresh green shrubbery and wild flowers made an appearance as the sun played among the trees, the rays sliding surreptitiously through the tangled branches. Paid my $20 entrance fee to enter the park, and I was in. Mike Davis' _Ecology of Fear_ came to mind as I passed mountain sides with grey skeletal trunks attesting to past fires, even as the brush greenly grew along the ground.
Passed through the tunnel, and got my first glorious view of Half Dome and Bridal Veil (possibly?) Falls.
Made my way to the village ... the restrooms more specifically. After a brief respite, I noticed a flaming mosquito bite on my left cheek and right hand. Any guilt or remorse I'd felt about the previous mashing of bugs withered in a fury of the need to scratch. Some day I want to ask God ... "Why mosquitoes?" Honestly, I'm not adverse to sharing a little blood, but it just seems patently unjust that the buggers want to leave one with disease and itchy bumps as a calling card!
Before leaving the valley, took a quick jaunt to view the Yosemite Upper and Lower Falls. Due to the heavy rainfall earlier this year, the falls were full, powerful and exuberant ... like a free spirit bursting forth from captivity. The white plumes seemed to shout, "We will not be contained!" as they threw themselves over the precipice. A beautiful start to a glorious weekend.
1 comment:
Whoa... that was poetic. Made me feel like I was right there looking at it all.
BTW, Benadryl makes a spray that works wonders on bug bites. (Yeah, how come Noah didn't swat those two mosquitoes??)
Post a Comment