SPRING THAW

It's coming. Possibly tonight. The horror, the filth, the slime, the oozing, the sliding, the unbelievable impasse. Yes, the thaw is coming tonight, tomorrow, maybe through the weekend.

Living four miles off a paved road, this is the absolute worst time to go anywhere during the whole year. The road crew, as usual, didn't get around to grading the ruts out of the roads before the first snow. The occasional brief thaws in the winter made the ruts even more impassable. One always wonders whether it's better to go really slow or really fast over the gravel then. It's a local debate--slow or fast--which one ruins the car frame the most; which one splashes the most mud?

But now the serious thaw is coming. The temperature is soaring up to 41 today with a possible 46 by Friday. Rain, possibly heavy at times, will continue throughout the weekend. The roads will begin the oozing, loosening the winter from them. The mud will cause my car to slip and slide back and forth as I travel. I'd like not to go anywhere these four days. Alas, I have something to do in town each of these days.

So tonight I will wade out to the pole barn to my car, ooze out of the driveway, slide up the first hill, and down the first long mile stretch of clay mudded road, being careful when I come to the hill bordered on each side by a steep dropoff, from which I could slide and land in the swamp. This one I hate because the road does seem to slope on each side and I have to ride the crown. I do not want to meet anyone this time. Then I turn onto the last two mile stretch, with potholes as big as manhole covers. You could lose a tire here. Middle, or sides, there is no escaping the holes nor the mud.

Okay, this only happens once a year.  It's worth it to be able to live back here in the beauty of the forest. I'll quit griping now!