April, May and June go to a Museum

April May June

April, May and June decided to go see the small town museum in W. They were looking forward to seeing the baskets made by Indigenous People who still were around in the 1980's making baskets with great skill and recollecting their own grandparents and great-grandparents who had made baskets themselves carrying on an ancient tradition; beautiful baskets out of split roots and pine needles and more. (Why do we always say "and more" which really means nothing at all because anyone could make up something more as in "more ice cream", though you might not equate ice cream with hand made basketry, but you could?! Same with "etc.")

April and June asked, "Do you want to drive?" "Do you want to drive?" back and forth for quite a while. April usually drove because she was competent and confident, but June decided to drive the car/SUV even though she tends to be a baby when it comes to driving to new places or somewhere far, far away that takes more than 40 minutes, tops. But, she thought she might have grown up in the last few months (at least as to points pertaining to driving) so the task fell on her shoulders.

Next April and June flip-flopped about what time to embark. June called to confirm the time and asked April to pick, but April had said, "No, you pick, you're the driver." So June picked 9:00 a.m so as to be early before the heat of the day. Thus, precisely at a belated 9:47 a.m, June motored up to April's house in which May had spent the night, thereby nixing the chance to get to W. before the heat of the day, but this allowed easing and calming worries of driving far, far away.

April, May and June climbed into the small sized car/SUV about which June, 5 years ago, had had a nervous breakdown when purchasing because the mpg wasn't super like a Prius and it was a new car which depreciates thousands of $$ the second you drive off the lot which is a waste and it cost too much $$ in the first place and it's socially taboo to buy SUV's on the West Coast and anyway: she didn't deserve it. But you had to admit it was very comfy, except for a small amount of bumpiness due to it being built on a truck chassis as SUVs are and yet June did so like being up high so she could see which is a benefit to any driver when driving.

And off they went, June in the driver's seat, April in the passenger's seat and May in the back seat with the seat belt that is so hard to figure out. June had tried to ascertain where the sun would be shining as they drove and worried about May having to sit in the heat. The heat had became a consuming concern for June as you probably may have guessed by this point in the story.

This particular destination was easily traveled as it was straight North on one highway, with one stop at the Bluebird Cafe wherein, June talked April into sharing a "wild boar" burger which was a flat, rubbery, gray pattie which was awfully gamey and April and June thanked the Lord that they had split the meal, though the coffee was ok, especially in that June hadn't had hers during her rushed morning, but the chicken sandwich with too much cheese was too much and anyway the pretty-good tomato soup was plenty in itself.

Afterwards April and May pulled off a good one whilst crossing the busy road; May acting as wobbly as a top-heavy Christmas tree and April dramatically overly attentive, offering her arm to a poor old woman, which hastened a nice quick stop by passing truck and car!

Before embarking on their travel plans, June had asked T., a man who regularly drove 50,000 miles of highway, city roads and gravel off road around the state each Earth year, (this writer enjoys capitalizing Earth, because it is a particular place name and an important one at that!) for directions to W. and T. had said to go straight for 2 hours and take the W. off ramp and then take a right. June feared these directions were terribly simple and could not possibly be enough information to get herself and her passengers punctually to the Museum, but they did.

The museum was found that easily and June parked the car/SUV in the direct sunshine, with that very summer sun beating down through the windshield which, as you can surmise, could heat that car/SUV up to record temperatures. June unfurled the spring loaded sunshield with a "whap" and that was that unless you count the very, very slight amount June rolled down the car windows; that was about as much as could be done to keep the car/SUV cool while keeping purses safe. Well, it wasn't going to keep the vehicle cool, but perhaps less hot.

The museum was perused carefully including amazing basketry with accompanying old photographs, arrow points from stone and even glass, even from glass discovered washed up on the coast by the native peoples probably from bottles from a terribly old shipwreck found by divers in the '50's which were later given to the museum in the 80's with pressure from the state law-of-the-sea which became known long after the ragtag group of divers had shown them off to guests for decades in their homes. What good people, the divers in returning what was not theirs.

There was so much more to see and April, May and June did indeed see it all, well at least most, as June had missed the general store artifacts from some day gone by. But at least the gift store had some great gifts and books and magnets like a book of lists of books read in times of yore and a magnet of Seabiscuit, the amazing, come-from-behind little horse who, like his jockey, had been injured, overlooked, and generally unappreciated by the racing fans at the time of the Great Depression in which millions of Americans suffered and Seabiscuit became a man for all men and women and a horse for all horses who raced against all odds, coming in first, surprising the competition and the world class bettors alike.

More about Seabiscuit later. Just be aware that you can go to his final home, a working ranch nearby, (where you can take a tour for $15 unless you wanted to watch a movie of everything, including the jockey's wedding which would cost you $10 extra, not necessary considering that the women had already watched most of it free at the museum, not to mention that June had watched it twice.) where his last days were spent, happy and free, similar to the last days of his jockey, who's last days lasted a lot longer than the horse's because he was a human being and not a large animal who live not as long as people in general. But it was awesome that Red and Seabiscuit could hang out together, in their retirement as they did, even strolling around the farm together while they were healing from injuries, which you can discover in a more detailed fashion by reading Ms. Hillenbrand's best selling book about the famous horse himself, a book that preceded June's passion for equines by a couple of years, but a passion which then exploded into a zeal unexpected even by June herself.

April and June (May was attentively and in a detailed manner, studying more about the basket weavers at this time) paid special attention to old carriages including a phaeton, a type of carriage favored by the younger set in the olden days, April marveling at how the front wheels could whirl and turn. June more interested in imaging how the horses were hooked up, picturing oiled leather straps bouncing rhythmically with each stride of the probably matched pair. Needless to say, April, May and June finished their visit, admired the "donkey puncher" engines outside (in all weather, both hot and cold!?) which reminded May of generations of her family's wonderful days in the silvery wet of northwest logging territory and the book T. had lent her about the same subject.

A studied look at the Hippie Van all decked out in it's 60's glory, which was big time goings ons at that time, wild stuffed boar head included along with the vintage bedstead and bureau covered with beads, candles and lurid fabrics and a teapot on the engine. But by now, the time had come for April, May and June to depart the W. museum, town and destination for home southbound. After climbing into the hot, though not-as-hot-as-it-could-have-been car, bucking up and puttering off while the north county passed by the windows of the car/SUV beautifully, though ubiquitously. (June could never understand how can they could keep planting vineyards with hundreds of vines, covering hillside and plain alike in this county without a huge glut creating a depression for the industry!? Though it was pretty, June resented the loss of the natural landscape, but she kept her mouth shut during the peaceful drive home.)

A little detour was taken to visit the Solar Store, an educational, organic, all natural, fancy shop full of educational, organic and all natural soaps, toys, clothes, pots and pans, sheets, bags and plenty of hats of which one was purchased by April for May's hot head. June wanted many items, but somehow avoided temptation because she has enough stuff not to mention enough hats for one person for Heaven's Sake!! Even a brand new elegant straw Cowgirl hat for her first Horse Show in the Western Ranch Event in which a rider needs to have an appropriate hat that would stay on as she trotted around the ring, judges judging her horse, herself AND her hat.

Journey ended, A, M & J were dutifully exhausted and satisfied with the fine turn of events leading up to this new visit/trip and they just know, without a doubt, that the next one is already being planned in the back of their heads unbeknownst to them, but suspected nonetheless.

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