A couple of days later, we pulled up stakes to head back to Washington. Michael's father was in hospital in serious condition. At 94 years of age, the prognosis was not good.
We took three days to make the trip north, the route and road familiar now: straight across the valley on Rt 41 to connect with I-5 all the way to Seattle.
Heading out of Pismo, the clouds hung low, matching our mood and concern about whether we would make it in time.
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crossing the valley along Rt 41, it was a very different scene with grasses sprouting
and the desert looking lush and verdant after the recent rains |
Our first overnight stop was in Patterson, right along the California aqueduct that makes agriculture possible in this desert terrain. The wide ribbon of blue continues for several miles parallel to I-5.
That evening on our stroll around the campground, the cloud patterns were strange and spectacular.
The next day we were back on the highway early, making it all the way to Seven Feathers in Canyonville, Oregon by late afternoon. It was a straight run, northbound on I-5, uneventful and smooth with the exception of a few instances of strange weather. I was convinced the elements matched our emotions and mood as we continued along to whatever awaited us in Washington State.
We left Patterson under mostly sunny skies.
Beyond Sacramento, the clouds became thicker.
Past Redding as we made our way through the Shasta Trinity National Forests, the clouds seemed to roll in from the east.
We marveled at how full Lake Shasta was now with all the recent record rainfall. Just two years ago, the water level was so low that we could see several feet of the exposed ochre banks rising from the lake. Today the water was heavy and grey, inching close to the tree line, leaving only a small band of red shoreline visible.
Mt Shasta, usually visible, was completely hidden today. And as we approached the town of Mt Shasta, it began to rain quite heavily.
Suddenly we found ourselves driving through hail, followed by sleet, and then just as suddenly it cleared up.
Black Butte had a fresh dusting of white powder on the top.
Entering Oregon over the Siskiyous, we drove through more rain sprinkles and wet patches.
In one section, the road looked quite eerie as heavy mist curled and rose upward along the slopes.
Then just as suddenly we entered thick fog.
The Seven Feathers exit was a welcome sight after a long day of driving with its weird weather patterns. In one day we saw it all: sun, rain, hail, sleet, and fog.
Seven Feathers is one of our favorite RV resorts. Always popular and often fully booked, it was fortunate we were able to secure a spot for the night.
We were back on the road after a restful night. Oregon has pretty scenery, no matter the time of year. It's always green with plenty of forested areas.
Closer to Portland, the grey clouds appeared. It's not unusual to have cloud cover once you are in the northwest. Today they were somber and hanging low but it remained dry.
The cloud cover continued once we crossed into Washington.
Along various sections there were interesting cloud formations.
We were back in home territory after six months. Tomorrow we will drive the last short distance through Tacoma and Seattle traffic to Lake Pleasant RV Park in Bothell. And we will stop in at the hospital to visit Dad who is doing a little better.
We marveled at how full Lake Shasta was now with all the recent record rainfall. Just two years ago, the water level was so low that we could see several feet of the exposed ochre banks rising from the lake. Today the water was heavy and grey, inching close to the tree line, leaving only a small band of red shoreline visible. 
