Tales from the Road I

I've mentioned before - probably even more than once - that I am terrible at getting the camera out when things happen that really should be captured on film. (or memory card...) Well, here's another case. I present to you, a Mercedes SL, I'd guess from the early '80s.

We passed this car at least four times, in Washington, Oregon and California. Any time we'd pull off for food, gas, or potty-breaks, we'd get back on, and before long, come up on this car again. After the 4th (and ultimately, final) time, Cindy said "You should get a picture of it!" So I did... But if I'd done it sooner, it would have been better.

Now, there are a couple of things that this picture doesn't show. Things that we really wish we'd captured to enhance this post!

#1 - The driver was an old man, we'd guess at LEAST in his mid-70s, with perfect posture, sitting up straight with his hands religiously at "ten and two" on the steering wheel. We were inspired by his adventurous spirit, taking his wife and car on a trip through the Siskiyous in late December. This is the type of life we want for ourselves when we get to those later years.

#2 - The car's left blinker had been on for at least 300 miles, one of the ways we repeatedly identified the car as we were coming up on it from behind. Passing it in Centralia: Left blinker on, car in the right lane. In Eugene: Left blinker still on, car still in right lane. And so on. This is one of the artifacts of aging that we're hoping to avoid, but if that's the worst that happens to us, we'll still consider it a victory. Besides, it confuses, irritates, and amuses the young whippersnappers like us!

Finally, when we passed it after having dinner in Yreka (and what a great name for a town, Yreka!) it was still flashing its ID by way of that left turn signal... But it was in the left lane, and moving to the right. (with the signal indicating otherwise) That's when Cindy made the comment about taking a picture. I decided I'd do even better, and shoot a movie of it! But then while switching the camera to movie mode, framing the shot and starting to shoot it, he finally realized that his blinker was erroneously on. So you get that picture of a run-of-the-mill Mercedes SL... But it had been such a part of our first day's travels that we decided to post it anyway.