Loss of a Dear Shoulder

Drenched with sunshine upon awakening and faced with a four mile climb back to the highway, we first prepared a big pot of chocolate tamarind rice. Following a digestive nap in the sunshine, we were ready to go. Spinning up the long, winding hill brought the first true brow sweat. Despite being a climb, the road was missed as the quiet and lack of car exhaust were broken as we rejoined the highway. Scooting along a wide, smooth shoulder we soaked in mile after mile. After a burger break at a flamboyantly alien rest stop, we continued.

Unfortunately the good times came to an end. The shoulder of the road, that special strip of pavement outside the white line, dwindled to a crumbling mess. At least there were two lanes in our direction, and motorists gave us a wide passing distance.

Discouraged by the road conditions, we retired early near a turquoise building advertising jerky and wild honey, in what must have been an old dump judging by the amount of rusty metal strewn about. The lights of the highway traffic looked strange through the branches of the creosote brush, but we soon fell asleep on the sandy ground.