The original is displayed below. I will be sure to link my Finish the Sentence Friday - Repost of Everything felt perfect the time that...so that host, Kristi Campbell of Finding Ninee and co-host Kenya G. Johnson of Sporadically Yours and other followers of this blog hop can find my post and others' posts.
Today I'm linking up with Finish the Sentence Friday: Everything felt perfect the time that...
Everything felt perfect the time that our family was on their way moving from drought stricken California north to a place that had more rain. It didn't start off feeling perfect though. I'm not even sure I grasped that we were moving and why.
On moving day I'd been dropped off at school the same as usual. My second grade teacher had been notified that my Dad would be picking me up a little early, so I didn't need to ride the bus home. When Dad got there, he told me to tell my teacher goodbye, because we were moving! There were no individual goodbyes to any close friends, just out the door and on our way.
First we stopped at a nearby town to say goodbye to my grandparents. This is when it got even harder. My Grandma had taken care of me different times when my Dad had farm related errands to do, and my Mom was at work. I think Grandma probably took care of my younger brother also. Grandma had no daughters, so I suspect she may have been partial to me, or at least that was the feeling I had. Now her only grandchildren were moving to another state. My grandparents were getting up in years and unable to travel and knew it would be quite a while before they saw us again. I had never seen my Grandma cry, but I saw her tears that day as we departed.
We were traveling northward in the Spring, a nice time of the year to be traveling. It wasn't too cold or too hot, and I'm sure that my parents were hoping they wouldn't have to drive on snowy roads. Dad drove the pickup and was hauling a small two-wheeled cattle trailer behind him. The trailer was packed not with cattle, but with things that couldn't be put in the Bekins Moving Van. Mom drove the car. I was in the car with Mom. I think that my brother may have been riding in the pickup with my Dad, but I don't actually remember.
After we got on our way, everything felt perfect, kind of exciting and adventurous, especially as we got out of the very flat land where we had lived. As we began navigating up the mountains on the very winding road north of Shasta Dam, I was kind of scared looking out the window and seeing a river far below. In that period of time, there was no freeway, just a two-lane narrow road without painted lines on the shoulders. There are more protective railings now too than there were then. We had to drive a lot slower as we tried to drive through the mountainous area. Suddenly, as Dad went around a curve, he blew the right tire on the trailer. The tire headed directly toward our car before careening down the side of the mountain! Dad was somehow able to safely come to a stop, as did Mom. Both were visibly shaken. What could have caused a very imperfect ending was not to be. We were perfectly watched over, and I think we all realized what could have happened, but didn't.
Sorry we missed your post the first time around. Wow what an ending. I wanted to read more. How long it take you to get out of there from that point? That is definitely a memory to never be forgotten. I don't like areas like that WITH all the protective railings. I can't imagine it with and to see the tire going over and down the hill. Wow.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember all the details, but I know we had to stay overnight in the nearest town which was quite a ways away. The tire had to be ordered to be delivered the next day. That old section of road probably still exists, but I know an interstate highway exists now in that area. Although there are curves in the interstate, the interstate is so much wider than the old road and of course the railings are more substantial.
DeleteOh wow. I have chills with the ending. So scary and what a relief that it was just the tire! We have a pass out here in Colorado that we've driven a lot over the years. I was trying to explain to my husband and son what it used to be like - so much more narrow, without the same railings it has now. It's still scary now but back then? It was terrifying. I don't think they could really picture it though. I'm so glad you chose this one to share!
ReplyDeleteThank you Kristi. I know I never really liked to sit on the side of the car where I would be seeing deep ravines, or large bodies of water, like a reservoir, very near the road. My imagination just went wild with the possibilities of accidents, and this was in the day when we didn't have the luxury of a TV set and didn't see movies very often that would implant ideas into my head. I could dream up my own type of terror easy enough. LOL
DeleteThank goodness you guys were safe. That must have been quite a scare! So much for a perfect day. I hope you went on ahead and got comfy in the new place you moved to.
ReplyDeleteYes indeed. We did end up where we wanted to be, but just had some adventure getting there.
DeleteI was having anxiety just from the description of the mountain road with no guard rails (I am NOT good on roads like that, not good at all!) - and then to read that the tire blew! So glad you were all safe and I can imagine now that you are older, realizing just how dangerous that experience really was. Phew! (I'll just be over there breathing into a bag, if anyone needs me :) )
ReplyDeleteI hope you are feeling better now. :))
DeleteIsn't that the truth. Sometimes it isn't until we are much older that we realize the significance of some of our experiences.
wow - what a start to a new chapter from your childhood!
ReplyDeleteThe start of many adventures.
DeleteWhat a great story...and a perfect ending! I can so relate...we drove up the Alcan Highway in a 3/4 ton pickup, pulling a 30' travel trailer. Blew tires with annoying regularity...and there was the time the brakes went out on a steep downhill...adventures are wonderful to look back on and marvel at...
ReplyDeleteOh, wow! Those experiences would really get one's heart racing! Glad you are still around to tell about them, and marvel at.
DeleteSo glad it didn't happen! Truly terrifying. I had something similar happen in NY state but luckily it didn't.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad too, and that you are okay after your similar experience.
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