J.W. Burleson photo / Boquillas del Carmen, Coah.

PHB

My photo
Brooklin, Maine, United States
We own a 1975 GMC Sierra Grande 15 in Maine and a 1986 Chevrolet Custom Deluxe 10 in West Texas. Also a pair of 1997 Volvo 850 wagons. Average age in the fleet is 28 years--we're recycling. I've published 3 novels: THE LAW OF DREAMS (2006), THE O'BRIENS (2012), and CARRY ME (2016). Also 2 short story collections: NIGHT DRIVING(1987) and TRAVELLING LIGHT (2013). More of my literary life is at www.peterbehrens.org I was a Fellow at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study for 2012-13. I'm an adjunct professor at Colorado College and in the MFA program at Queens University of Charlotte. In 2015-16 I was a Fellow at Harvard University's Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. The Autoliterate office is in Car Talk Plaza in Harvard Square, 2 floors above Dewey Cheatem & Howe. SUBSCRIBE TO THE AUTOLITERATE DAILY EMAIL by hitting the button to the right.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

F-250 Storms the Midwest

Notes and images from photographer Jarrod McCabe, on the road this stormy week in a 1971 Ford F-250, from Bozeman MT to Framingham MA:


                                                                               Colorado Shell
"we stayed with some friends in colorado and gave clementine a bit of a rest saturday.  she looked great against the backdrop of the rocky mountains in boulder.  we lit out of denver late sunday, gassed up, and made it to eastern kansas to set up camp.

we awoke at the rest stop just over the border to howling wind and grey skies.  clementine started up quick.  we checked her oil and transmission fluid, prepared ourselves for wet weather and got an early start.  we dodged tumbleweeds and headed east on i-70, hoping to cover some ground before we hit the storm.

we wanted to hit some back roads.  colby, kansas was our jumping off point after getting 300lbs of sand for the bed and sending some postcards.  the studded tires helped a lot in the early snow, but after lunch it was clear we'd need the chains.  for about 50 miles we were chained up on the rear end and crawled our way to salina, ks letting ambulances pass us by.  

the snow turned to rain then back to snow by morning.  it would be a few hours before we passed the storm.  about an hour out of salina i saw a small modern hatchback come careening over the 20 foot median straight toward us.  it kicked up frozen dirt and grass as the driver tried to regain control.  we watched the car slide behind clementine, maybe 20-30 feet, before it regained control.  

that, was way too close.twelve hours later we arrived here in carbondale, illinois.  we had some killer barbecue along the way and picked up some fireworks in missouri.  our friend here is a blacksmith and we're going to try and get clementine a little flair.  another day here and we're into the hard push home for christmas.  --JM

all photographs ©2011 Jarrod McCabe

                                                 Birds Before the Storm, Kansas
                                                                     Kansas Lunch Stop

                               Prepping Gear for the Blizzard, Kansas   

                                                 Chained Up And Heading East

 

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