TRAVELS WITH JUDY JONES

 Many years ago, circa 1966, I became friends with a co-worker, Judy Jones.  We had a great deal of fun together.  She drove home to Emmett with me and brought her guinea pigs.  The girls were thrilled, Mom not so much. 

One year we  decided to drive from San Francisco to Bluefield, West Virginia.  I requested a map from Triple A requesting the shortest route.  Which sent down some strange and unfamiliar byways.  

Her little girl, Michael Ann, was about two and she kept us entertained and terrified.  At one point we were driving in the Rockies, Michael Ann reached over and pulled out the keys of the big assed gas guzzling Pontiac.  It had power steering which stopped upon loss of keys.  Oopsies, Gimme them keys! 

We tried to get some shuteye by pulling over on the side of the freeway.  No good.  Big old semis kept blowing past, rocking the car so we got out, stretched our legs and continued on.  By the time we got to Kentucky, we had driven by actual rope bridges that crossed creeks upon which cars and trucks traversed.  We drove to a hilltop which had three roads leading down.  Hmm, what to do?  We were lost.  Finally a pick up truck stopped and after a fairly lengthy conversation, Judy finally recognized a place the guys talked about.  

Away we went.  We got to the holler where Judy's Mom, (Kathleen Jones) lived.  We had driven 33 hours straight and slept for 13 hours. That was the first time I ever saw Fire Flies.  They looked exactly like the ones you see from the boat on Pirates of the Caribbean at Disney Land.  

There was a tremendous thunder shower one day and the water drained into a couple barrels and we used that water to wash our hair.  We also went to a drive in movie which was located on top of a hill that had been scraped flat.  Judy drove her brothers car and nearly burned out the clutch using hill hold while creeping slowly up to the ticket gate and parking.  The drive in was segregated.  Whites got to use it certain days of the week and blacks got to use it the other days of the week.  

We also got to purchase white lightning for a neighbor in California.  I would not recommend drinking it as the distillers usually cut it with bleach.  We also saw fighting cocks caged in small pens.  

The local car wash consisted of a fairly steady waterfall by a road, so we went to get the car washed.  

One driving trip we returned with Judy's Mom  and her brother, Clyde.  We had a flat tire near Rosewell, New Mexico.  We pulled over to the rest area and the next morning, Judy got a lift into town and brought back the station attendant and we had to stop and get three new tires.  We drove merrily home to San Rafael and the next morning the fourth tire went flat.  

One Christmas we drove to Winnemucca, Nevada where Betty (Judy's oldest sister) was living with her husband, who was in the Air Force stationed at the radar site there.  We had a terrific time partying  over the holidays.  

One time Judy and I and a couple of girlfriends from work drove to Winnemucca to visit.  We got into town about 3 am  and decided to have breakfast at one of the casinos.  There we were all dressed up in our finery. As we  walked into the restaurant, there were several Air Force men sitting at the bar.  They all rose solemnly.  I heard one of them say, "I have the urge to merge."  

The last grand adventure was the year Judy, her little girl, her sister Betty, her little girl, their two dogs and I flew home with all of our attendant luggage. I had one suitcase.  Betty had lots of suitcases and one suitcase containing her wig and styrofoam head.  

We did fairly well until we got to an airport in Tennessee.  We were switched to a smaller commuter airline and the plane was a WWII carg transport.  It had netting for the luggage.  The stewardess was a lovely Brit who was married to one of the pilots. She got us all situated and handed out soft drinks.  There was only room for the five of us, the luggage and dogs had to remain in Tennessee until the next flight into Bluefield.  

The next flight was the next day.  We took off and flew in some clouds.  The clouds came into the vents of the plain and rolled right down the aisle.  We landed, got home and came back the next day to pick up the dogs and luggage.  We truly looked like the Gabor sisters on tour.