This was the second trip that I came back to the weedless ranch without using an interstate. Just state routes. Blue highways.

I was rewarded with a brief intense rain up at the top of the mountain. So many different beautiful shades of sky and wet.

The main thing that interests me about these roads is trying to see if there’s a way around the empire’s stupid checkpoints. I have no rational reason to do it. There is no contraband substances or persons in my cargo hold ever. I just don’t like being stopped. It’s gross.

I haven’t found the way yet and I’m not even sure it exists. If it does, there’s some rough dirt road involved. We’ll see.

The stupid checkpoints discussion should flow into some thinking I’ve been doing, prompted by the NYT’s radio show, about total authoritarianism (what China is doing to the Uyghurs) vs. authoritarianism-lite (these tools stopping every car northbound).

That’ll keep though. A day or two anyway. For a time when spill can be a little more important, a little more daily. Soon.