saturday drive up the mountain

 

we wanted to get out of the house for a few hours.  anna reminded me that we are in the last half, or third, or quarter - we don't know! - of our lives & so we need to get the hell out sometimes & do some things.  today me, anna & nick piled into the family truckster, headed up on hwy 80. to the gold country.  specifically, the little hamlet of nevada city.

nevada city is a small kinda hippiesh town.  it is located in deep red self-proclaimed state of jefferson, a rural section of california where the more libertarian brand of political ideologies would like to secede from the state of california.  you see those gadsen flags, trump 2024 flags, & all kinds of things displayed.  & yet, nevada city is home to lots of artists & writers & bohemians.  indeed, poet gary snyder lives nearby.  i'm not claiming one can't be a card carrying member of the state of jefferson & not be a bohemian.  but historically those two camps often clash politically.  

& yet, ain't that the human condition?  to be in direct conflict with our very desires whether they be artistic, political, economic, social etc etc.  

nevertheless, we live in a pretty wierd time not only socially & politically but weather wise too.  this week the west is suffering from record cold temperatures & blizzard conditions while the east is experiencing heatwaves.  & as you can see from the photo above of downtown nevada city snow dumped on the burg with a ton more expected tonight.  

i'm not a snow person.  sacramento can count the days it's received snow on one hand.  but the beauty of it was mesmerizing.  nevada city is such a pretty little town nestled in country that can take your breath away.  situated over 2000 ft above sea level snow in nevada city at this time of year is not uncommon but the amount we've witnessed might be.  hell, we are such CA folk we don't have heavy jackets or parkas.  the sidewalks were packed with snow & ice.  & i have holes in my shoes!  fuck me!

we had a late breakfast at a small greasy spoon.  i say that with great affection.  the restaurant was fucking fantastic.  small.  intimate.  a little grungy.  & the food was un-fancy but delicious.  my mood sure as fuck picked up as we were eating.  my city boy jacket did the job even if my socks were getting wet.  we all had our phones out sharing photos of our cats.  that's not weird!  we love our kitties!

after our meal we gingerly set off down the main st. to see what we can find.  we found a little shop that sold candles, books, cards etc etc.  i bought a small collection of essays by a local poet, molly fisk.  anna purchased a few cards to give out as birthday gifts.  that's it.  many of the shops were closed.  some buildings were vacant.  one young tourist family was unfamiliar with our parking meters & asked us for guidance as we passed.  

but it is never the destination that is the cause.  it is the journey.  we got back into our truckster, pointed it down the mountain, stopped in to see nearby grass valley, another scenic city, & then we quickly found ourselves driving out of the snow & toward home.  oh man, was it a fun day.  usually i hate snow but today i found it enchanting.  as the philosopher said, the world is always just the case & today that case brought us outside of our beloved home town to a place where it seems sometimes the gold rush is still on.  we made one last stop at a large antique mall in roseville where nick found a book about cars to his liking.  & then that was it.  traffic was heavy.  when is it not.  for we live in california.