TIME AND THE CHERISHED PATINA
An earned varnish, now on the marriage.
More than 50 years of knowing.
Mothership on the road, traveling
to the farm off-grid on 101, northern California.
A rare breakfast in a restaurant, in Willets.
She reads him the directions to the farm,
20-some miles in, off Commercial Street.
Set your car's trip mileage odometer now.
Pass Noyo Theatre on right, City Park on left,
continue straight. When you are 1 1/2 miles
from Willits, you will come to a Y,
with O'Leary's Red Barn Feed Store
of to your right, veer left. You will now be on
Hearst Willits Road, County Road 306.
This road will curve again to your right.
When you are almost out of the valley,
you will come to the junction of 306
and 308 Canyon Road. Continue straight
on 308 Canyon Road. You will cross
a small single lane bridge, 3.9 miles from Willits,
and start up the canyon. Canyon Road
is paved, but gets narrow. So be careful.
About 7.4 miles from Willits
you will come to another Y in the road.
Turn left and go across a cement bridge.
The road now becomes Tomki Road
and will soon become unpaved.
Continue on Tomki Road until you come
to a T Intersection. If you were to go straight,
you would turn into someone's driveway.
If you go left you end up in Tomki Creek.
Therefore, take a sharp right hand turn
up the mountain. You are now
back on Hearst Willits Road.
Go up and down and around and about
on this road--past Foster Mountain Road
(veer left) until you reach the Eel River.
It will be on your left-hand side
with a sheep farm on its north bank.
About this time you'll also see a little cabin
and then a home on your right.
As you continue straight, you'll notice
a big silver bridge to your left--
do not go left over the bridge.
Directly in front of you the road curves left
towards the bridge; you'll see a group
of mailboxes on your right,
and an Emandal sign on a tree, stay right.
The road splits again just a short distance
after the first Y. Stay to the right.
Follow this road past the lower Vineyard,
past the Emandal Sign, past the Staff Housing,
all the way to Emandal. The road ends at the farm.
If you have questions, call,
but realize that cell phone reception ends
once you leave the Willits Valley
and our phone could remain unanswered.
Jim Bodeen
listening to Karen reading
trying to follow instructions
in the Mothership, ducking branches
15 September 2016
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