I’m a bit behind…
… on the blog. I was too busy fattening up for Christmas. There is nothing else to do but eat. Friends can’t come over, so I’m eating all the stuff I’d normally give to them. I’ve eaten my weight in pie.
It’s been kind of a quiet time because of the weather combined with holiday stuff. As soon as it’s over, we’ll get back to competing the photo year book, and picking up some of the other projects we need to get done. There is a lot to do.
I did a drive along 101 on the east side of the Olympics. On purpose. I’ve not covered that stretch between Shelton and Pt. Townsend in well over a decade. I often read about the numerous car accidents along that route. It’s a surprisingly curvy road. Sort of like my old girlfriend.
Give a blue-hair a curvy road, some alcohol and big giant trees that don’t move and there is bound to be some news. It is a unique stretch. There were a lot of extremely slow drivers that day. They were scooting along at ten under or more. I’ve not seen that many tiny beat-up pickups since I was in college. Most I saw were from that decade. Why are they the preferred transportation of super-grumpy old men? Nothing screams old man like a tiny pickup. It doesn’t look like anyone makes them anymore. There are still plenty of old men to go around, but I guess there isn’t a market. Now old men drive tiny vans.
What I noticed most along that stretch was that most of the businesses in route have seen much better days. Obviously there was once a time when it was booming. I find it hard to believe that many people had a shitty idea to build a business that had no customers, so the business must have been there once. I don’t know if it was the logging days, or the Boldt Decision of 74 that caused it all to collapse. Most of the buildings look pre 74. Most look like they were built in the 60s, and died in the 70s.
What is it with letting moss grow on everything?
What I especially don’t understand is why a business that’s running would let moss grow all over their sign. Nothing screams “I don’t give a shit” more. I’d have stopped, but to me that’s yelling you’re out of business or damn near it. Maybe it gets them sympathy, sort of like, if you don’t stop and buy something, I don’t get to eat. It’s just odd. That stretch has a whole hillbilly kind of feel to it anyway.
It was nice to get out and drive a new stretch. We will still pull together some drives after the holidays. No, not organized drives. Just a route, a day, and a time we’re sort of thinking about heading out and some places to meet. Meanwhile, we wish you all a great holiday from all of us at E@RTC. It’s been a super-shitty year for everyone, we know. Let’s hope 2021 is a lot better.
Cheers!