Val Has a Rare Reversal of Opinion

I left for town around 4:30 on Saturday. As I was easing myself one leg at a time down the steps, talking to Jack on the side porch, I heard a vehicle tearing down the gravel road. At first I thought maybe it was someone on a tractor, smoothing the gravel around. But it sounded too fast for that as it passed. So I deduced that it must be a 4-wheeler or side-by-side (like Hick's Gator, only sportier). When I got to the end of the driveway, I could see nothing but a cloud of dust hanging over the road. No vehicle in sight. But the tracks on the gravel screamed SIDE-BY-SIDE!

A tractor is wider than a car. These tire prints were closer together. And had made a distinct pattern in the gravel. It was like an S or a $. Weaving from side to side. JOYRIDING! Maybe to live dangerously. Maybe to kick up dust for fun. In any case, such evidence did nothing to rekindle (oops! KINDLE. You can't "re" something that was never there) Val's love fondness toleration of side-by-sides. They are the devil's mount! Keep them away from me! Accidents waiting to happen!

That's how I feel about these vehicles on the roads, like our 55 mph lettered blacktop highway to town. So many people drive them, with no sides, no helmets, and kids riding in the back. They don't stand a chance in a collision with a REAL automobile.

Anyhoo... this is the country. Our gravel road doesn't have a lot of traffic compared to the blacktop highway. But there ARE 45 families out here. So there are cars and trucks on the gravel road. Most drive around 25 mph, except the idiots. It's the weekend. Visitors and kids are out riding on the gravel road. There was really no reason for my cantankerousness. Still, I was sad that nobody was around to see me shake my fist and grimace in their direction.

I tooled along in T-Hoe, kicking up my own dust. At the top of Hick and Buddy's Badly-Blacktopped Hill, I slowed cautiously, because there's a curve to the left halfway down, and you can't see what's coming up. With that deep ditch along the right side, I don't want to have a collision, or tip over trying to get out of the way.

 

Welp! Here came a side-by-side, around the curve, tearing up the hill! It was driven by a teenage boy, with several cronies as passengers. I hit the brakes and eased T-Hoe as close as I could get to the ditch/chasm. And the most unexpected thing happened!

The SxS Driver slowed, pulled all the way over next to the trees, with only two tires left of the gravel, and stopped!!!

I gave a thank-you wave, and continued down the hill. That's when the most unbelievable thing of all occurred! 

SxS Driver lifted his hand to acknowledge my thank-you wave!!!

That's a pretty good kid. I hope he enjoyed his afternoon of joy-riding.