Through the snowy passes

There was a question whether we would be able to make it to Cottage Grove in time to deliver our cashier's check for our down payment on the appointed day: January 3, 2017- the first business day of 2017.

We had spent December 29 and 30 loading up the contents of our storage lockers into Bekins' truck- in spite of our taking some time last May and June boxing our personal effects and the garden projects there was a lot to do to get it into a long-distance hauler.  In the end it took a second truck, the first being partly full from the start with other people's goods, and an extra day of packing it in, saying goodbye to Gloria and Alex and taking care of our financial affairs in El Segundo, returning to San Diego on the evening of the 30th.

Dec 31 we spent packing up our cars and saying our goodbyes in San Diego to our respective families.  After going to bed early, we awoke early and breakfasted on the first day of the new year and made our departure into our new life, along with cat, worm bin, heirloom begonia,  night blooming cereus, and our suitcases filled with clothes from last July.

We drove all day January 1 to Williams, just north of Sacramento, in a loose caravan in our respective cars.  We didn't have the option of trading off drivers, and we took breaks to rendezvous, refuel and rest every two hours- about a half tank for me in the Element, far less for MM in the Prius. We made it to our motel at about 8 PM, and the air was noticeable nippy.

The next morning weather forecasts were a little vague concerning the road conditions on I-5 north of Medford, but after consulting with southbound travelers in the breakfast bar, we decided that a) we could probably make it, b) we'd better be carrying chains, and c) we'd better get them well south of the pass to avoid finding them all sold out where we needed them.  So we were stocking up on show chains, cold fried chicken, and road snacks at a Walmart just north of Williams.

As it happened, we got to Medford around 2 PM, the "heat of the day," up freshly plowed road and amidst blowing snow flurries with traffic slowed down to a crawl, past an overturned truck that looked a lot like the van we shipped our household goods in, but we got through the passes and down the other side with our chains still unopened and in time to make Cottage Grove, still sedate and green, by nightfall.

By that time the chest cold I had been developing since packing day (thanks to one worker who showed up with severe laryngitis) has become more severe, and I was glad to get some soup and turn in for the night.