Carlen posted about a shoe tree her family visited a few weeks back, that reminded me of our nearest shoe tree not far past Hallelujah Junction on HWY 395, which is the way we drive to visit my mother in Susanville (where I'm not from). Here is our shoe tree Carlen.
We've driven the 90 mile stretch from our house to my mother's - oh, I don't know how many times, dozens and dozens, and the shoe tree is always a welcome sight on this not very exciting drive.
The shoe tree used to be filled out with branches, but was struck by lightning a few years ago (kind of like in Jane Eyre, when the chestnut tree is split in two by lightning after Mr. Rochester kisses Jane beneath in the rain), leaving it a bit scrawny looking. And then the shoes are periodically removed by the Health Department. But nothing can stop shoe tree lovers from reclaiming what is theirs, so the shoe tree lives on, despite government time wasting and the laws of nature.
First prize goes to the hot pink fiberglass cast with cast boot!
Ella sizes up a pair of faded blue Converse All-Stars
Stopping at the shoe tree prompted this question from Sophie (who is ever the deep thinker), "do they have a shoe tree in Berkeley?" Why would she ask such a question you say? Because she was witness to other strange tree happenings in Berkeley not too long ago. She's clever like that! And now, this leads us to a newsflash - the epic tree-sit in Berkeley came to an end not too long ago. There were lots of tears and kumbayahs. But I digress - a lot! Our family has a lot of history on Hwy 395 between Reno and Susanville. Matt and I did a lot of dating on it. For real. We spent many many hours in the car (I lived in Susanville and he lived in Reno) talking, getting to know each other better, listening to music, gazing at each other, wondering what our future together would be like, etc.. Matt literally drove through a blizzard white out to get to me, only five days after we'd met at a dance (such were the powers I once possessed). I've gotten speeding tickets, and I've pulled over on the shoulder to nurse screaming babies on it. I've been stuck for ages in road work traffic, and I've passed hundreds of freakin' slowpokes slowing me down. I've been mesmerized (many times) by a rising full yellow moon. And I've been spooked on pitch black moonless nights, while driving pregnant without a cell phone, in a junker early 80's model 280Z with Ella in the back, and wondered where I would hide us if we broke down, and a serial killer stopped to help. Would there be sagebrush large enough to hide us both? Would Ella be able to keep quiet? Should I stay there until morning, or try to walk for help? Would I ever make it home alive? We've hit every bathroom, and almost not made it in time, many times. We were nearly blown into a ditch in high winds on Thanksgiving Day, in our high wind profile 1984 Volkswagen Vanagon. I've almost fallen asleep on it many times, and I've drunk eldless amounts of diet coke on it as well. I've sung some of my best karaoke ever on 395 driving to and from my mother's, and my family has rejoiced and given thanks with each perfectly sung note ;-) Why am I going on and on about Hwy 395 anyway? I don't know. Maybe because it goes on and on, and it's part of our history, and it has a really cool shoe tree with a hot pink fiberglass cast with boot hanging on it. ****************************************************** Dancing With The Stars Recap My Maksim! The only male dancer worth looking at is gone. I think I said it before, he's just H-O-T hot! And his accent - gone. Oh, and poor Misty. She's gone too, which I'm not all that broken up about - but did you hear her Achilles tendon snap? WOW! Hope it won't be a chronic career ending injury, just for DWTS. Too bad! What else happened tonight anyway? There were some really good dances, and it's amazing what Cloris can do, even though she can't really dance, but I was kind of bored. It's all about who had the best song for me at this point. So, tonight's winner is Warren Sapp, who danced to 'Lovin U' by Alicia Keys
The worst choice - Toni Braxton dancing the Vietnamese Waltz (that's not a typo, it's what she called it) to that horrid 80's-ish stadium rocker version of 'Für Elise'.
7 comments:
I'm so with you on the hideous Toni Braxton song. And what was with the Marie Antoinette get up? I thought she'd lose part of somewhere in the dance. It just seemed to muddle everything.
Love the 395 reminiscing. Every couple needs a 395, don't you think?
I think I saw that tree!
The photo of Sophie is HILARIOUS!! She looks like she is beyond distressed!
Yeah Laura, the Marie Antoinette thing was a over the top and distracting. I can't decide who should go tonight though.
Hardly anything is more distressing to a five year old, than a two year old pilfering her brand new Halloween candy!
I love the 395 memoirs! What is the name of that one exit that just has a gas station and nothing else for miles? You know the one!
Thanks for your help Rachel!!! Check it out.....
That shoe tree is so funny. I love it. I also love hearing the way you write. You are so intellectual.
OUTSTANDING POST, rachel! my goodness, you could be an amazing columnist! you had me captivated with hwy 395 and that is SOMETHING! i could picture you in every circumstance you shared and it was comical every time . . . even hiding behind sage brush PREGNANT! i don't know another shoe tree in the world that can boast a pink cast! can't be topped i'm afraid!
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