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Rest Stop near the Columbia River Gorge.When I saw the sign marked “Rest Stop”, I pulled over. North-central Oregon was starting to look like west Texas, and my mind was starting to wander. The signs kept promising “Port” this and “River” that, but I hadn’t seen any water so far. Besides, that ham wouldn’t last much longer unrefrigerated, and I was hungry. I hopped onto a picnic table, made myself a sandwich with a not-quiTe stale baguette, and surveyed the rest stop.
This was new territory, subtly different from Idaho and Eastern Oregon. A self-important shaved head guy with hip sunglasses stood blocking the sidewalk, talking loudly on his cell phone. “She’s just lucky she wasn’t actually using any illegal substances.”
A dusty minivan pulled up and emitted 5 or 6 sobering reminders of why white folks ought not to marry first cousins. They sidled past the guy on the cell phone. I did a double-take when I saw the old guy sitting in his station, but it was not the same one from Deadman’s Pass.
When the red convertible pulled up, I pointed and laughed. Thirty miles past, it had raced past me so fast it nearly popped my ears. But the Oregon State Police had taken care of him, a few miles on.
He stepped out of his car, unfolding himself to his full 6-feet plus. He had one of those weird haircuts that are short on top and long in back. The back was pulled into a scraggly ponytail, tucked under a camouflage cap. His t-shirt was pansy yellow, and he walked like he’d recently been hit in the back with a 2 X 4.
I called the Karma Police, but they didn’t arrest this man.
In the pets area, a horse grazed, but didn’t appear to be on a leash, in direct violation of posted sign law.
When the huge pickup truck with the big metals bars on the front grill, which make it easy and convenient to run right over a little Ford Focus like mine, finally roared to life and drove away, I finished my sandwich, threw the scraps to a seagull who’d been watching me, and drove on toward Portland.
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