An Adventure Down Every Road

I have a good friend that I love to go explore with.  We have the greatest time finding the quirky, weird and unusual things that most people may not even notice.  If they do notice, they will usually dismiss what they have seen and not give it another thought.  Not Maude and I.  We photograph, discuss, contemplate and admire our findings – and obviously now at least I’m blogging about some of them.

The middle of last week Maude emailed asking if I wanted to go explore on Sunday. She also wondered what the weather was going to be like, specifically if we were going to have rain which might make the roads messy.  Now, you must understand that we don’t let a little bit of mud on the road stop us, but Maude just purchased a new 4 wheel drive vehicle a few weeks ago and I knew if she drove, she wouldn’t want to get her new buggy messed up. 

I responded to her email, “Sure let’s go.  No rain between now and then is predicted.  Let’s go for it!” 

You guessed it.  We had a shower go through a day or two later.   Not a big rain, but just enough to get the roads messy again.  We were not deterred in our quest (we’re both Kansas Explorers by the way) to drive down every road in Pottawatomie County Kansas.  So off we went, Maude driving.

We had a great time talking about the old farmsteads and what life must have been like for the early settlers to the area.  Maude’s family came here in the 1850’s, so of course we had to go by their original farm.  Such a quaint and pretty place.  One could just imagine chickens in that yard, clothes drying on a clothes line and great-great-grandpa applying a firm hand to the reins of the horse while plowing the field.

On we drove past the mostly grass covered entrance to what looked like unchartered territory that Maude assured me was “not too far from the highway”.  We got through the first stretch of mud without a hitch.  After all, the road would get better.  We weren’t too far from the highway and we had on-demand 4 wheel drive.  Around a curve we went and up a naturally graveled hill.

That was the last gravel we saw.  But it’s okay.  We weren’t too far from the highway.  The road got muddier.  The ruts got deeper.  So obviously at least a couple of vehicles had been down the road ahead of us. How bad could it be?  I began praying.  Hard.

At this point there isn’t any place to turn around.  We were committed.  We slid to what was supposed to be a ditch and Maude was saying, “Oh my!”  That wasn’t my thought.  I was thinking, “So where is that highway?” 

We came to a crossroads and Maude very confidently said, “I’m going to turn here.  The highway isn’t too far.”  Yeah, we’ve heard that before.  I was beginning to think there was no highway.  I was also thinking about how I was going to explain to my husband why I didn’t make it home that night and if we got stuck, who in their right mind would come down this road to pull us out. I was still praying.  Really hard.

About that time we reached, not the highway, but a less muddy patch with a little gravel.  I breathed.  I just heard Maude say, you guessed it, “Oh my!”  Up another hill we went and then we were back in the mucky mud.  However we were assured that someone could get to where ever we were to pull us out, because there where tractor tire tracks all over the road ahead.  Someone before us had gotten stuck and the good news was they weren’t there anymore so if they were able to get help, then we could too. I was praying harder now.

Maude asked, “What do I do?”  My advice was “Put your foot in it and don’t stop. Just keep the wheels turning.”  To that I heard, “Oh my!”  In retrospect, I probably should have told her to breathe, but I was reminding myself to do the same. 

We made it through that stretch and just beyond the last hill we saw a fast moving car.  That must be the highway I’ve heard so much about!  I could swear I heard the Hallelujah Chorus.  The highway isn’t a myth!  It does exist!!

We reached the stop sign and Maude put the vehicle in park and said just one more time for good measure, “Oh my!!”  Neither one of us was brave enough to get out and take a look at her buggy.  We were admiring the globs of mud that found a new home atop the outside mirror and on the windshield.  Frankly, I don’t think either one of us was capable of standing up or walking at that point. 

Next we started laughing and chattering about our adventure.  After Maude regained her composure, we drove on down another, much less muddy country road.  The two of us agreed on one thing.  No more roads like that unless it’s dry as a bone. 

When we did look at the vehicle, there was mud within an inch and a half or so of the rims on the tires and the wheel wells were packed with mud.  Everything else was in good shape.  I’m sure there are some angels that were breathing a sigh of relief and no one will convince me that prayer doesn’t work.  We could have easily been stranded, but God was faithful and helped out two women when they needed help the most.

Maude and I are excited about the memory we made together and how we could brag that we’d been muddin’.   Isn’t making memories with friends and family what life’s all about?  What fun my good friend and I had!  There will be many more adventures to come, but Maude won’t be driving.