Therapeutic Driving

Finally an update, and a blog barf! 5 glorious entries for you! Enjoy!

So, today was a not-so fun day at work. Ok, actually, it was a Monday-style day, only on a Tuesday. I had a run-in with the resident bullies (I’m getting really tired of being the scapegoat for everything – rooms not being open, scores being turned in late, heck, even the rain!), and then a couple of my students, one in particular, were totally off the wall today. Oh, and then my projector wouldn’t work… Yeah, so, I was frustrated, and grouchy, and SO in need of a break – and we’ve only been back for two days!

It’s kind of sad, actually, that I’ve started my end of school countdown (32 days), because I came back to school this week very excited about some of the things that I’m going to be doing in my classroom the rest of this year. But, I ran into some fun-suckers, that ruined that, at least temporarily, today.

So, on a bit of a whim, I decided to go on another drive – I stopped at Walker's, grabbed candy, water, dinner, a map, and headed out. I chose to go to Duchesne (pronounced Doo-shane), then Price, then back to Provo via Spanish Fork Canyon and other canyons and country roads. Even being alone and in the rain, it was pretty fun.

Between Heber and Duchesne, I saw some herons or egrets in the SNOW, and a field of deer! I’d really like to go back to Aspen Grove campground this summer, when it’s a bit warmer down there. It looked cool, and it is in a beautiful area. I took one detour toward Strawberry Pinnacle for some wildlife viewing opportunities. I only saw 3 deer that decided to cross the road in front of me – twice! Starvation Reservoir is also BEAUTIFUL! One of my favorite things, however, was Ashley National Forest. I loved it!!! It was absolutely gorgeous and reminded me of Colorado and Yellowstone simultaneously. I’d love to camp there sometime too!

Random fact of the day – if you are ever in need of a shortcut from Highway 191 to Highway 6, you can take Emma Park Road if it’s open. I didn’t actually take it, but, it looked cool. Not sure if it would shave off time, or just be a scenic route. Either way, it’s worth a jaunt.

Signs of Industry – saw several oil rigs., and drove right underneath (yes, underneath) the energy plant in the middle of Spanish Fork Canyon just outside of Price. Oh, and, of course, the Spanish Fork windmills, which somehow always remind me of the Wishbone version of Don Quijote, and make me smile – even in the dark!

All in all, the 150 mile, 3 ½ hour drive was TOTALLY worth it! I feel much better, and I got to see ELK! Two small herds of them, actually, in Ashley National Forest. Such fun! If you ever have a bad day, I highly recommend driving as a healing process.