TIME FOLLOWS ME

CHAPTER SIXTEEN NORTHEN CAL AND THE DUNES

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

NORTHERN CAL THE DUNES

Riding along was like being in a John Wayne movie.  I expected to be ambushed or something ‘round the next bend or gully.  Gas stations were few and far between.  When the driver would stop and fill up, I would get out and stretch my legs.  I wondered how these beaten up rain and wind blown shacks could hold up?

Where did these people come from and live and what were they doing here?  I found the attendants or owners to be kind of aloof and felt the same way too.  We might share about five minutes of our time, and then never pass this way again.  From my own perspective, I was much more of an observer, not one to strike up conversations.  I was like a sponge from the moment I opened my eyes in the morning, ‘til the last headlight at night reflected off my eyes, lying in the roadside ditch, or my grassy bed.  My Grandmother Young used to say, “ You have the longest eyelashes I have ever seen.”  Well, I didn’t know about that, but I took her word for it.  It certainly wasn’t getting me any special attention I could see.  I sure  felt that great alone feeling out here.

I was traveling with an eighteen-wheel rig when the guy said, “We’re about to enter California”.

 “I’ll have to stop at a weighing station just over the state line”.

This was exciting news and now it was  really happening.  I felt like this is where I was going to see it all.  Northern California was just barren with rolling hills and a kind of scrub brush, small trees lining the road.  

I leaned forward looking out the front windshield when I saw the Big Blue Sign with the white letters read, “Welcome To California.”  I felt disappointed that I didn’t see any luscious orange trees growing beside the road and folks happily picking them, putting them in large bushel baskets just like in Steinbeck’s novel.  That was the first clue I should have picked up.  I aked the driver if there were orange orchards around here anywhere.  We drove on for quite awhile.  He must have known that this meant something to me but didn't say anything.  The meridian divided the highways, one going north, and the other south.  Finally, the trucker pointed out some small trees about six feet tall and said, “There's your orange trees.”

The landscape started to thin out as we headed towards the coast, the mercury climbing further and further up the thin tube.  Started buying coke now at each gas station and water.  I bought a jar of peanut butter and a loaf of bread.  I learned to compact it for traveling.  You just squeeze the ends together and it goes from about a foot long to about four inches.  Then, when you want a slice of bread, you just peeled off a piece of the loaf.  Oh, the wonder of Wonder Bread.

The last trucker, a fine guy, tipped his hat to me and wished me luck as he drove away.  He was going further south to New Mexico.  “Stay on that highway o’er thaarr,” he said pointing from the overpass, “and it will take you to San Francisco.”

Well, the day was a scorcher and the heat rose off the black tarmac in waves like a mirage. I remembered the movie Vanishing Point and it looked just like that.  Looking down the highway was like looking into a hallucination.  I was feeling optimistic, back wearing my cut off blue jean shorts and a T-shirt.  The pockets hung below the cut offs, which was how we wore them.  I stuck out my thumb and lots of cars passed without stopping.  The dunes on my right side seemed like they belonged in the Sahara Desert.  They were long and silky smooth, kind of strange and beautiful.  I had this fantasy of driving a dune buggy through the dunes and spinning ‘round corners and flying off hills.  It was a fun fantasy, taking my mind off of the heat. I did that alot, fantasizing about movies and girlfriends.   I put a bandana around my head to keep from being burnt like toast and took a sip of water.

I knew that I would eventually be picked up and right on cue, a half blue and white V.W. Van came down the highway right at me.  When it got closer, I saw there were flowers painted on the sides and the windows were rolled down.

A guy yelled, “Hey, where you headed?”

“Just going to San Francisco.”

“That’s where we’re going, hop in.”

The  side door slid open and I said, “Far out.”