the Long Way

Wednesday afternoon provided the overcast weather and car insurance and a week of hanging on at Dordt, finishing up was enough to raise the haste in my steps. i packed beginning at about three and was on the road after a pasta dinner, which my mouth wouldn't let me eat slow.
"Henderson" my "new to me" 1975 maroon Volvo 244 DL worked out its sore joints and clogged arteries becoming evermore comfortable at highway speeds; shaking out to a steady growl at either 60mph or 70mph; nuthin in between but the shivers, starting in the floor and rattling my hands on the wheel. The good Doctor and his family of Hendersons had handed over the sioux center sleepy sedan despite authentic saddness from Sabine and Rose. I am assured that their minds have eased with cappucinno's and cobblestones in their noses and eyes.
Driving into the South Dakota head wind. setting the arrow for the Black Hills sometime in the night. Near the Badlands the clouds shredded and pulled away from a moon, a shave away from fullness. and from there the wind was calm except for its rush past my window and the moon shed that extra needed light at the edge of the highway when you can't highbeam the oncoming trucks.
I drove through the quiet deserted and at this hour appropriatly named Black Hills at around 2:00 and after making my way on fumes for the better part of an hour parked in a ranch service road a short ways down from the gates of Crazy Horse Mountain. It was dark despite the moon and the street lights, and so the mount was obscured to a blue silhoette I walked up a frosty hill to see it close and then returned to my car to try and sleep.
6.4ft of man dont easily rest in 4.2ft of 75 Volvo and so after much shifting of my rump I sat back in my seat and shifted out into what was now a predawn road. The light blue brightening to gold as i pulled into the first fuel shop and gased up and headed for the Devil's tower.

pal·i·sades

pal·i·sade ( P ) Pronunciation Key (pl-sd)n.
A fence of pales forming a defense barrier or fortification.
One of the pales of such a fence.
palisades A line of lofty steep cliffs, usually along a river. tr.v. pal·i·sad·ed, pal·i·sad·ing, pal·i·sades
To equip or fortify with palisades or a palisade.

All this equiping and fortifying may seem a little strange to some but I jsut got back from a day of rest in this strange gulch of south dakota that goes by the afordefined name.

and it was good
sort of a quite hurrah after all the hooplah
It just feels good to sit in cold water after saying too many goodbyes

the end

5:12am central time

I now own a deep red 1975 Volvo 440 Sedan.
And they say great here we go again.
I believe it has the magic to get over the mountains.
I tried sleeping but after an hour and a half laying in bed I got up and began doing the things that need doing. No rest for the wicked or the procrastinator I guess maybe that is true at the end.
I move in twenty minute mood swings these days. Joy to be leaving swinging to stomach wrentching sadness over those I won't see much.
I don't like it
so much to do and I really just want to sit talk and smoke over a good beer with good people
I guess Im a Hobbit really. a freaking tall Hobbit
Ent draughts all around
Hurumph
what is the soul of a man? tell me Bruce Cockburn tell me
Dr. Tazelaar needs to know if I know, twelve hours from now.