Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

The view from Wendy's World: I know what's at the end of the rainbow

Have you ever noticed how many stories start with, So there I was? Have you ever wondered whats truly at the end of a rainbow?

So there I was, driving along last Tuesday afternoon through the bottom of a rainbow. Seriously.

I left work just a few minutes late and was enjoying the fact that it wasnt so overly hot. I did notice several lightning strikes in the distance - where I was headed - but it looked to be a long way off. With the window rolled down and the sunroof open, I was singing along to Don Williams or Dr. Hook (I have rather eclectic taste in music), when I topped and hill and found myself in a serious downpour. With only seconds worth of warning, I rolled up my window, sat up straighter in an effort to see the road and turned down the radio. Its a strange thing that I cant drive in rain with the radio up, but we all have our little quirks.

I probably went along like that for about a mile before I felt the first drops of rain inside.

Hmm...

I couldnt take my eyes from the road so I got several more drips before I realized that the sunroof was still open. I ventured one hand up and closed it. Or so I thought.

Another mile down the road and the rain was starting to slack up outside. Inside, it was pouring. When I finally felt I could safely look up, I realized that the sunroof wasnt completely closed.

As I was grumbling, I saw a rainbow. I love rainbows. Not only is it a promise, its just plain pretty. Whether theyre crisp and clear or sort of hazy at the edges, almost everybody will stop to look at a rainbow.

By that time, the rain had greatly diminished and I was back to driving normally, and continued to watch the rainbow. It wasnt very well defined, but it was definitely a rainbow.

Thats when I realized that it was fuzzy because I was almost on top of it. In fact, it ended on the Interstate, just ahead of where I was traveling.

In my lane.

I wondered if thered be a wreck as all the motorists suddenly stopped to search for gold.

Of course, that didnt happen but it was a fanciful idea that made me smile.

And for just a split second, the color was all around me. I could literally see the blue hues to one side and the pink tinge to the other. It was awesome.

So there I was, and I discovered that it was ME at the end of the rainbow. Okay, thats probably a little too fanciful, especially for all of us returning to work after a long weekend.

School is back in session, football is back in play, the signs of fall are evident no matter how much I want to hold it back. Drive safely, stand behind your local kids (whether its on the football field or in the backyard), and take time to look for a rainbow whenever you can.