I'll be Willin' to be Movin'...

A tribute to the truckers who pass us over and over each day on the highways, and who sleep next to us in the truck stops. I've developed a true respect for these men and women of the road...

WILLIN'

Performed by Lowell George of Little Feat...

I been warped by the rain, driven by the snow
I'm drunk and dirty don't ya know, and I'm still, willin'
Out on the road late at night, Seen my pretty Alice in every head light
Alice, Dallas Alice

I've been from Tuscon to Tucumcari
Tehachapi to Tonapah
Driven every kind of rig that's ever been made
Driven the back roads so I wouldn't get weighed
And if you give me: weed, whites, and wine
And you show me a sign
I'll be willin', to be movin'

I've been kicked by the wind, robbed by the sleet
Had my head stoved in, but I'm still on my feet and I'm still... willin'
Now I smuggled some smokes and folks from Mexico
Baked by the sun, every time I go to Mexico, and I'm still

And I been from Tuscon to Tucumcari
Tehachapi to Tonapah
Driven every kind of rig that's ever been made
Driven the back roads so I wouldn't get weighed
And if you give me: weed, whites, and wine
And you show me a sign
I'll be willin', to be movin'


We woke to a gorgeous sunrise in the dirt parking lot in the middle of nowhere, east of Boron...

We took our time getting ready for the day. Larry drove over to the Pilot to fill my car up and came back with two cups of coffee, mine mixed with hot chocolate, just the way I like it.

The parking lot really filled up during the night. This was the strangest place. Apparently the big trucks can park anywhere they want - in this big dirt lot, on the street, in the Pilot parking lot - didn't seem to matter, and we didn't care. It was nice just to have a free spot for the night, pretty much away from the hustle & bustle in the Pilot parking lot. I've told Larry many a time that I feel so much safer with a trucker parked next to me than anybody else in these places strange to us.

I finally got dressed, we secured things in Jumbo, and hit the road once again!

We drove through the Mojave Desert... so beautiful in it's own desolate way.

 

East of the town of Mojave...

We came upon this incredible wind farm in Mojave. It seemed as if I could feel their energy. Some of them were moving ferociously, and others weren't moving much at all. They seemed almost alive!

The wind farms continued on our left as we climbed the extremely steep 3793 feet Tehachapi Pass! Coming from Colorado, we laughed at the idea of a pass of that elevation! Jumbo climbed it effortlessly.

We pulled off in a wide spot in the road to appreciate the contrast between the Mojave Desert that we had just left and the majestic oaks that we found just after we crested the top of the pass.

 

We headed down the pass, coasting most of the way.

Fortunately we didn't have to go into Bakersfield, because it didn't look like our kind of town. The Flying J Truck Stop where we had planned on staying was about 10 miles north of Bakersfield, so we went straight there, arrived around 11:45 a.m., and found a prime spot. I went into Subway to get us some lunch, and we relaxed for the remainder of the day. It felt good to not have to be anywhere!

We even had our own private picnic table!

Larry noticed a local vendor selling oranges from his truck parking just a few feet away. Truckers were stopping and buying big bags, so we thought they must be good. We walked down there and found that they were fresh-picked this morning, so we bought  a small bag.

 It was a good day! Tomorrow we're off to Salinas to check out John Steinbeck country.