Sunday, August 4, 2019

driving back


The second, and longer, leg of our drive, from Winslow to Los Angeles.  After yesterday's heavy thunderstorms, today it was heat: 117 in Needles.  Thank goodness for a car with a/c - but we were still wondering whether we should drive at night, next year, like people making journeys in The Grapes of Wrath.  Then we wondered about doing it in three stages, so we'd only drive in the early mornings.  Then we wondered why everyone else in the world - trucks, vans, SUVs, people towing things - was making the same trip today.  Then we were stuck in an endless traffic jam on the Cajon Pass.  But finally we arrived back, safely, to a hot house and howling coyotes ...

But our flowers from our NM garden made it, as did the plants.  Crossing back into CA, the usual inspection station.
Officer: Ma'am?  Where are you coming from?  
Me (in best British accent): Santa Fe, New Mexico.
O: Any plants or animals?
KF: Two indoor house plants; two cats.
O: Hmmmfffffff.  Grown in potting soil, or in earth?
KF: Oh, potting soil!
O: All right, then...

[gloss: two indoor house plants = 1 coleus, 1 orchid, 1 large pot containing 2 clematis, diverse morning glory seedlings, a petunia, two watermelon plants, and some lavender; one smaller pot with sage and other things.  Only the orchid had been inside.  But they were all, indeed, in potting soil].

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