Val Has a Beehive In Her Bonnet

Not-Heaven hath no fury like Val with a beehive in her bonnet. No single bee could convey her rage. If Val was pitted against a woman scorned in a cage match, that poor scorned woman would be vaporized by the glare of Val's stinkeye, piercing her with the heat of 10,000 suns.

Val was not a happy camper on Wednesday evening. And certainly not a happy town-traveler.

Remember how I stayed home for two days, because the long high bridge was being resurfaced? The period for resurfacing, putting that bridge down to one lane, was Tuesday and Wednesday, from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. So I waited. Bided my time. Set out for town after 5:00 on Wednesday evening.

I went out by alternate route, turning left at Mailbox Row. As I approached the bridge on the county lettered highway, I saw several bright orange signs. REDUCE SPEED. And BE PREPARED TO STOP. Then BUMP. 

Traffic was flowing. At the regular entrance from my blacktop county road, a piece of heavy equipment was parked. There was nothing on the bridge. Silly me. I thought that perhaps the bridge work was done. Yet across the bridge, I saw a white highway department truck. Lined up behind it were 6-8 cars. Huh. There was nothing telling me (nor the car ahead of me, already halfway across) to wait our turn for the bridge.

NOTHING HAD BEEN DONE!

Indeed, the BUMP was still the same. The grooves and holes in the bridge still there. Except some holes had been filled with blacktop.

I think those cars lined up waiting were confused. I think that highway truck driver was just picking up signs at the end of the day. Because when I came home, all signs were gone except for the two BUMP signs. AND the heavy equipment thingy had been moved to a grassy area beside my county blacktop road.

Hick said they would probably be paving it Thursday morning.

"It don't take long to pave it."

"Well, I have to get to the post office, and get Genius's letter weighed. I put other stuff in it this time, and don't want it coming back postage due. I can't wait until after 4:30 to go to town."

"They'll be done by the time you leave."

I was not optimistic. I left home at 1:50. Took my alternate route. Didn't see any signs until the BUMP. The heavy equipment was gone.

NOTHING HAD BEEN DONE!

Still no paving! Still the grooves! Who knows WHEN that bridge will ever get paved. It's kind of dangerous when cars swerve to miss the potholes, even the now-filled ones.

I managed to snap two pictures on the way home around 4:00 on Thursday.

 

Yeah. There's a bump just before where that car is. You'd better slow down, or you'll bounce your head off the ceiling as you go over the metal grid joint getting onto the bridge.

 

That's not new pavement! That's stripped-down, scoured-out pavement, with patches. Not very good traction in wet weather, with tires only getting limited contact on the grooves. Hope they do something before the frost comes. 

Not that I'd be up at that time... but school buses have to cross that bridge when they come to it.