Distance Is Not a Factor ~ haibun

/ Ken Gierke / rivrvlogr

Distance Is Not a Factor

This morning finds me on a solitary journey, as my wife stays behind for work, driving on a ten-hour jaunt to visit my son and his family in Cleveland, where I shall hold for the first time my lovely granddaughter, now four weeks old. My drive continues the next morning, Thursday, taking me to Buffalo for holiday visits with both my son and daughter, interspersed with visits to sisters and friends.

Maxing out the time of that stay takes me to Sunday morning and a very, very long drive home, as I avoid driving on New Years Eve day, weather permitting. Indianapolis is a seven-hour drive and offers a layover if weather becomes a factor, leaving just six hours for an early drive home, the next day – hopefully early enough to avoid the serious drinkers on New Years Eve.

Odd breaks may offer a chance to read random posts by my friends on WordPress, but I anticipate a lot of catching up, once I am home.

for the holidays
distance is not a factor
when words aren’t enough

This graphic from weather.com shows the weather system over the States, as it is expected to develop, west to east, this week. My route (the red line) will be through rain, with snow expected in New York, once I arrive. The stretch from Cleveland to Buffalo runs parallel to the Lake Erie shoreline and is known for its “lake effect” winter storms. I’ve had my share of storms along that route. Hopefully, they will have passed before my drive home on Sunday.

32 thoughts on “Distance Is Not a Factor ~ haibun”

  5. Drive safely Ken and enjoy your cuddles!
    I can relate with long journeys……. it was seven hours each way to visit my Mum as we had to stop a few times for potty breaks for the dog and changing drivers. We would have to do this in a day as we couldn’t afford a stay over and my sister never offered. The last trip coming back in February took 9 hours. Hubby can’t do long journeys at all now, so this year is the first Christmas in years we haven’t had to travel anywhere.
    Happy New Year to you and your family.

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  7. That is a long drive Ken but with love as a companion time will fly.
    4 week old granddaughter. Ahh …., it will be worth it as will visiting your
    children and family. All those miles will put your mind in creative mood.
    Have a safe journey.

    Miriam

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    • Thank you, Betty. It was nice to see family, especially a new granddaughter. Both drives were uneventful. I was concerned about the return trip, the weather forecast for PA and NY along Lake Erie being questionable, but light snow for the first 40 miles was the worst of it – dry roads and sunny from Ohio to Missouri.

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    • Thank you. The drive (there and back) was uneventful. I miss Western New York (and those I love, there) and I’m always happy to be back. But my heart took me to Missouri 6 1/2 years ago, and I missed that part of it while I was gone.

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