Snowy Flagstaff

This morning I'm up early - because I know I have a big drive ahead of me today. I would like to get to Tulsa, Oklahoma - but that's about 15 hours or so away. I don't know if I can do all that today - but hopefully so.
Yesterday I hit the storm that I had seen in the distance as I was leaving Southern California. There was some rain and then sleet as I drove through Victorville and the high desert - then back to rain. The skies were dark for most of the drive across the desert. As I crossed into Arizona I could see snow on the low mountains and hills and once passed Kingman it got worse - a lot worse. The roads had snow on them, snow was falling hard and fast - at times it was hard to see through the snow. But sort of ironically, as the road climbed higher the conditions got better - but I figured that I was just out running the storm and that it would be following me, so I had to keep moving on as safely and quickly as possible. I didn't want to get stuck in some little town like Jeff and I had all those years ago.
Just over twenty years ago, my best friend Jeff and I decided to drive to St. Louis - to get out of town for a few days just after that New Years Day. We headed out and just like yesterday, we got caught in a storm. The driving conditions were really bad so we stopped for the night in the town of Ash Fork - which is only 50 miles from Flagstaff - but I didn't think I could make it any further safely.
So we stayed at the one motel in town - a tiny town - not much there besides two gas stations, that motel, and a little store around the corner that we hadn't seen at the time - and also some houses. Anyway - it was a miserable night - the heater wasn't working right - neither was the shower - or the TV. we had to settle for sandwiches from a gas station - which ended up being not good at all and we threw them away in fact.
The next morning we got up and slowly drove into town over the roads that were covered in snow - following the grooves of the big trucks and happily found a breakfast spot - which gave us an endless supply of coffee - it was so good.
So now the sun is beginning to climb and I need to get moving. My tea and my morning pastry is done - time for the road -
yours truly,
Jeremiah


Just east of Kingman - Rattlesnake Wash - which I mention in my song Just Above The Ground - and some snow in the background

Just Above The Ground - from Nashville, TN and the much missed Norm's River Road House - which was waterlogged from the 2010 Nashville Flood. The video features Lauren Austin on vocals and Johnny G. d'Artenay on upright bass.