November 9, 2011

It's 6:30 PM, pitch dark just west of Columbus, OH. We're about 24 hrs in on our Fall migration to California. Today started pitch black too, in Fishkill, NY. In between it got light in western NY, the sun came up through blankets of fogginess east of Scranton, the sky was clear and the fall colors lovely - mostly warm brown, but still with oranges and yellows - until Youngstown, OH; it got real gloomy and then rained on the way to Columbus but the sun came back out just before we got there, then it got dark while we had dinner, and now it's, eh, I think it's clear? but hard to tell now that it's dark.

Let me back up a few days.
The plan this year is to leave with the RV for California earlier than last year, to avoid the really cold weather. We also want to come back later, but to avoid homesickness we'll be home (JetBlue points!) for Christmas and New Year. That said, the planning was vague, especially with the Oct. 30 snowstorm. Which delayed the winterizing of yard and pond until Saturday. It took a few days to get the pond pumps in, drag the broken branches and treetops off the grass, rake the leaves, and mow one more time. Of course I needed to admire the sunbathing frogs and feed the goldfishies some Cheerios one more time. Sunday we celebrated Lisa's birthday - can't leave without that! Then I revised the RV packing list, ordered oil, and packed up almost everything. Henk was home from work by 2 P.M. yesterday, replaced afternoon work hours with evening phonecalls so he could grab his clothes and tools and take care of the technical part of leaving with the RV. Without hurrying we were ready to go around 6 P.M. Filled up on diesel in Windham, and we were on our way by 6:15 P.M. I drove until Hartford so Henk could do his phone calls, and we made it as far as the SuperWalMart in that lovely town with the charming name just east of Newburgh: Fishkill. Where Henk slept until 4:30. I woke him up when I got out of bed, I didn't sleep much, I was so stiff and sore from the raking, mowing, dragging, and carrying...

The route so far: Tuesday, Londonderry NH, rte 93 to MA, rte 495, 290, 90 into CT, then 84 to Fishkill NY. Wednesday, Fishkill NY, rte 84 into PA and to Scranton, then 81, 80 through PA to OH; eh, a bit of rte 76 after Youngstown, then 71 down to Columbus. 270 around Columbus to rte 70. Which will bring us to Indianapolis.

So while we drove we sniggered about the names of towns on the road signs we passed in Pennsylvania. There's Drifting, for example. Lots of animals, like Elk River, Turkey City, Foxburg, Pigeon and Porkey. We came close to Alaska, Newfoundland, St. Petersburg and Corsica. Then, when we were crossing over into Ohio and I was looking at the map, I noticed they have Deerfield, Rochester, Salem, Auburn and Berlin, all near Youngstown. And of course Mesopotamia.
I'm so easily amused...