Thirty -five years ago, at age twenty-eight, I made this trek across these United States, following a young man to the Salmon River of Idaho. This time, at age sixty-two, I am not following a young man but following the dictates of a much more mature mind. I think this time to complete some inner work unfinished those many years ago. I come by myself and of my own accord. It is taking some major courage and fortitude to close my life in Vermont. I have left my little cabin overlooking the White Mountains, my dear friends, my law practice and in essence life as it has been for the past fifteen years. I have come for five months to Shepp Ranch on the main Salmon River, about thirty-eight miles up river from Riggins Idaho.
I left Vermont at 5:30 a.m. on Monday June 2rd with a dear friend and past husband, Willard Abbott. Willard months ago graciously accepted my invitation of months ago to make this journey. I didn't feel I could traverse the country 2,700 miles from Norwich Vermont to Boise Idaho alone and stay awake on the road. We traveled for three days, about fourteen hours each day, Willard driving about fourteen hours a day and me about two hours each day. Our other traveling companion is my one and a half year old tuxedo cat, Yentl. Yentl has his bed and litter box atop everything else in the car including, clothing, stuff for the river, a fiddle, mandolin and button box accordion.
Yentl traveling in his bed in the Yaris . . ..
Willard, Yentl and I travel listening to John Prine, Nancy Griffith, Perpetual E Motion. We listen to one novel by Idaho mystery novelist from Sun Valley, Ridley Pearson. We spend two nights on the road. One night we stay with Willard's brother just outside Chicago and the second night we hole up in Cheyenne Wyoming. The miles float by and the topography changes from lush green Vermont, evergreens and deciduous trees, to the prairie, sagebrush country, Bureau of Land Management land full of antelope and finally arriving in Boise Idaho on Wednesday, June 25th at 6:45 p.m. The little sky blue 2010 Yaris has safely delivered us. We celebrate the end of our journey with a dinner at Willard's favorite Thai restaurant and Yentl celebrates by sleeping in a real room with at Willard's house with room to romp and sit on screened window ledges.
