Extremes

This could also be called, I Love AWD Part II. The shortest leg of my journey back to SD was in Wyoming. It also took the greatest amount of time per mile. It wasn't snowing any longer, it was quite bright and sunny. Also very windy, creating ground drifting that at times made it nearly impossible to distinguish the road from not the road. I slowed down for these patches, whispered an internal prayer to the AWD Goddess (I think her name is Tractionestra) , and did my best to focus on what was visible of the yellow center line. The most stressful part of this drive was on a quite slippery curve when a very large Budweiser truck was on my ass looking for a likely stretch of road on which to pass me. There was no likely stretch of road on which to pass anything! He backed off at the point on the curve where we both saw a large motor home in the ditch. The skid ruts in the icy slush had not yet filled in with the drifting snow, they must have gone in just moments before Bud and I arrived. The ditch was quite steep, the motorhome had been towing a car and it was apparent that the rig had jackknifed on the curve and slid for a ways before dropping into the ditch. Bud backed off even further a mile or so later when we came upon an SUV in the ditch, iced over and on its side. Bud kept his distance until we reached a stretch of relatively clear highway with a passing lane on our side. I would have waved bye-bye but I was too intent on keeping both hands on the wheel. The funny thing was, we both ended up in Torrington about the same time. Meanwhile, back in Brookings, my younger son enjoyed a snow day at home yesterday. I talked to him Thursday evening and he was already anticipating the possibility of a blizzard moving in and creating a three day weekend. He assured me he was going to complete his homework anyway, just in case the collective wishful thinking of the entire student body didn't pull the storm their way. I just hope the rest of my way home is passable by Monday! I've experienced quite enough weather extremes in the last week, from welcome heat and sunshine to rain, zero visibility dust storms in New Mexico, snow in the mountains, slush falling from a threatening, black sky, and drifting snow blown along by the relentless wind across the plains. Thank you, Tractionestra, for my safe delivery to Rapid City. Where it may be warm enough to wear sandals tomorrow!