>It was so cold….
(Insert punch line here.)
On my road trip to take La Petite back to college today, the Transport Weather Report (a.k.a. the minivan’s thermometer) ranged from -4 degrees to a positively balmy +2. Wow. I almost had to unzip my jacket at the sight of the number on the plus-side. The van’s heating system kept up with the cold well enough, as did the defroster. The windshield washer could use some help. I’ll be curious to find out whether the fluid simply remains frozen or if the reservoir is empty. Mythbusters, can you help? Just kidding. The van is down to half a tank of gas, so as soon as I think I can handle standing outside long enough to fill it, I’ll go to the gas station and wash the windows at the same time. Brrrr.
I enjoy the drive to and from the school. It’s mostly along secondary roads — those two-lane highways with lots of farms and little towns and very few type A drivers. With that in mind, take a look at this list. Can you figure out what these have in common?

Dark Acres
Blooming Meadows
Cold Spring
Spring Creek
Rapids
Edgewater
Clay
Rock
Maple
Oak
Homestead