The Pineapple Express

Another Adventure with John in his Red Ford Truck

Water water everywhere

And nary a drop to drink

Well, actually we had bottles of water in John’s red ford truck but on Interstate 5 there was water, water, everywhere, making me think of  Coleridge’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner, a story about some sailors plagued by the spirit of an albatross that one of them had shot with an arrow.  As we drove from Camas, Washington to Mossyrock,Washington,  water was spraying up from all the cars on the road while clouds opened up, releasing steady torrents of rain. The weather reporter had predicted this. “It’s called The Pineapple Express”, she said, explaining that there would be an atmospheric stream of warm air bringing lots of water.

Indeed it did. We drove over a bridge across the Cowlitz River, looking down at how high and wide the river was with all the rain, plus water from melting early snows emptying into it. It brought to mind a folk song, “The river is deep and the river is wide, milk and honey on the other side” (Michael Rowed the Boat Ashore, The Highwaymen, 1961).  We passed grassy fields and saw standing water everywhere.  One field had pumpkins scattered over the soggy ground.  We arrived safely at our destination before darkness descended at 4:30, thanks to the recent switch from daylight savings time to standard time.

The next day, the rain eased up and we took a nature drive. As we headed out Highway 12, I noticed a rocky hillside that bordered the road. It was shimmering in the hesitant sunlight, as if someone had taken silver glitter and shaken it all over the black rocky surface.  I took a closer look and saw that gentle rivulets of water flowed over the whole surface of the rock wall and the sun shone on it, causing the sparkling sight. We drove on, noting cows, horses, and Christmas tree farms where piles of harvested trees waited to be hauled to various sellers. “Let’s hope the trees don’t rot in the rain,” I commented.  In time, we drove back to John’s home, where we ate a dinner of beef stew and fudge brownies made from a Ghirardelli mix.

The weekend came to a close and we left Mossyrock for Camas, noting again all the country road sights. A big yellow maple leaf dive bombed our windshield and to our right, a multicolored rainbow stretched across a wide green field, just before a little more rain splattered across the window. The whole weekend had been another good adventure with John in his red ford truck.

 

Reviews

[Suzanne Sonderleigh]

You should put all your stories in a book called, “John’s Red Ford Truck.” And put the pictures in as well!

[Shelley Warner]

Thank you for that affirmation. I am actually working on that. I'm calling it Adventures with John in his Red Ford Truck. I'm interspersing the stories with stories of how we got together and poems that I've written about us. It'll take me a couple years because we'll have more adventures. I have published two other books. The first one, A Very Present Help, is a spiritual journey out of an unhealthy faith to a more positive one. The second, What Remains Behind, is a grief story with a surprise ending in the epilogue--John coming into my life.

[Suzanne Sonderleigh]

Wonderful! It sounds like you have walked out of the darkness and into the Light.

[Shelley Warner]

Yes, I'm very thankful for that.

[Dave Brown]

I used to have a positive attitude about the Pineapple Express which regularly visits us in the lower part of Vancouver Island, but it is now becoming more of a hazard than anything else, with its last visit leaving death and extensive destruction
How times change!!

[Shelley Warner]

Yes, during that Pineapple Express, we heard on the news about some people who were camping on an island and had to be rescued off of it. It sure can be a hazard.

[Gabie Carne]

I loved the detail you put into your surroundings. I felt like I was in the the red ford truck right along side of you.

[Shelley Warner]

Thank you for reading Gabie. I think this is our first time to interact with each other. I'll check out your work too. John came into my life a few years after my husband died. His wife had died too. We had gone together for awhile when we were young teenagers. I've written other stories about our adventures in his truck.

[barleygirl]

This is a delightful immersion in what you observed with all your senses. Growing up in the boondocks, we didn't have much to do but drive around when anything unusual happened & in California, rain is very unusual. It would be so fun & exciting to go check all the rivers & such. You threw me back in time! We haven't had that kind of rain in years now! Love your writing (((HUGS)))

[Shelley Warner]

Thank you Barleygirl. I can relate to missing rain in California. We lived in San Diego in the 90's and I remember missing rain. I grew up in the Pacific NW and here I am back in the area. I do remember an El Nino year in SD when we had some rainy days. I remember one rainy day taking my teenage daughter and her friend to see the movie Titanic.

[Samuel Dickens]

You describe the scenes so well. A delight for my eyes, I tell you. But rain in Washington state? Why, of course. When stationed at Whidbey Island, I think it rained every single day. Nearly always, though, it was just was light.
Back in '61, the 13 year-old me just loved that song. Around the same time, I would hear more folk music from Peter, Paul, and Mary and Joan Baez, and I came to really dig that stuff.

[Shelley Warner]

Thank you for sharing the memories that my story brought to your mind. Such nice compliments about my writing. Thanks so much.

[Coyote Poetry]

When I was young and free. Every weekend, a adventure. Hello dear Shelley and I enjoyed the tale. You took me back to my wandering days. Thank you for sharing the entertaining story.
Coyote

[Shelley Warner]

You're welcome and thank you for reading and commenting.

[Coyote Poetry]

You are welcome dear Shelley.