The settlements become less frequent as I drive. I cut across highway 37 to bypass San Francisco, and the countryside opens up. The Oak Savannah, central California's beautiful natural landscape, is haunting, yet still beautiful in the darkness. This is Steinbeck's country and it isn't hard to see how he was so inspired by it.
I hit the 101 and drove to Petaluma, mindlessly cruising, getting lost and unlost a number of times while on the phone with a friend in the Virgin Islands. I cut through the town on side streets and began the long windy country road that would deliver me to the campground where I'd be based for the week.
The clouds had been getting thicker and more ominous. I changed the music, time for Black Flag. I cracked the window and was slapped in the face by a familiar smell - rain was on the way. I then realized that I had forgotten my rain gear.
I got to the campground and pulled into our reserved site. I was the first one there, but within minutes a car carrying two co-workers showed up. One I had met one of the two previously, the other I was a new face. We made introductions and caught up on summer exploits. Soon, we were all unrolling our sleeping bags and calling it a night.
Woke up to another co-worker pulling into the site. She jumped out of the car and ran over to where we were sleeping. “15 minutes till we start.”
I got myself up and put on my shoes. I looked around and took in my surroundings; redwoods and pines, big hills or small mountains to the west, rolling savannah to the east. A gentle fog reminded me we're just a short hike from the ocean. The campground was too crowded for my taste, but as Sunday morning, most of these people would be going back to their real lives soon... Suckers.
Soon, we saw the big white familiar Cube Truck come rolling towards us from a ways down the dirt road. Two work friends sat in the seats, both smiling ear to ear. They circled the lot, had us move some cars and parked.
The usual hellos and filling each other in on lost time, then I suggested: “Lets unload everything we need for coffee first, eh?”
It was agreed, we worked specifically towards finding the stuff we needed for coffee and breakfast, got ourselves fueled up, then unloaded the rest of the truck. As the cook for the week, I started setting up the kitchen area while my coworkers went over information for their indiviual groups. After an hour or so, we put up a rain fly, just in case, then they piled in a car and left to preview trails they'll be hiking this week, leaving me alone to setup camp, finish the kitchen and organize all the food.
Just as I finished loading the food back into the truck to keep it safe from the birds and racoons, the drizzle started. Now I sit huddled under the rainfly, it's thin nylon keeping my computer and my self, both, safe from the steadily increasing downpour. The other campers have all cleared out by now.
Soon my coworkers will return and I'll start cooking dinner. But for now, it's just me here to enjoy the sounds and smells of a beautiful rainy day.
this is really well written.
ReplyDelete