Thursday and home again

So, Christmas eve was a strange day, everything took longer than I expected, but the delays allowed other things to happen: the thing with the ex, chasing down the garbage truck, etc.  Finally left town around 7:30.  Fog thick, temperatures dropping, thoughts of freezing fog.  It dropped five degrees between Everett and Marysville.  I stop in Marysville, a passenger train passes, rumbling northward.  I get back on the freeway, fog glowing a sulphur yellow, headlights slashing through it.  At 8 I switch the radio to listen to the broadcast of the NW Boys Choir's Lessons and Carols from the night before.  I take a back road in Mt. Vernon and am stopped again for the same train pulling into the station.  Turn toward Whidbey, fog thickens, try to follow the car in front of me, but it speeds beyond my ability to see it, fumble my way over the dark, winding, foggy roads.  As I near Deception Pass, the last song in the concert comes on "Oh, Holy Night" fog still thick, then, as the first verse ends I hit the bridge deck and the fog dissipates revealing stars so brilliant, and in such a multitude it takes my breath away.  It's true there is neither a moon nor light pollution from a city, but they feel so vibrant and close.  I don't remember the last time I saw the sky and the stars so clear.

The next evening, I drive my sister back to Bellingham, just after sunset.  I don't like certain sections of the freeways, and have my pocketful of go-arounds.  I take a backroad at the last minute, hoping I can remember the route, I don't know that I've driven it at night before.  (If there's a back road, I'll probably take it.)  Memory kicks in, places and turn offs look familiar.  We pass through Edison: shut down, silent, but totally lit up with Christmas lights.  Magical.  Not a soul around.  I take the wrong exit on the way back, have to get back on the freeway and find the right one.  I timed it this time, slightly over 20 minutes for the detour...I don't know how long the freeway route is, but the detour is prettier, even at night, and I'm not in a hurry.

Spent remainder of my afternoon at home watching a show on mermaids and then on Megalodon...goal for vacation is to clear out my space of things I don't need before the New Year.  Present seems like a good time to start.