A work of art

Works of art are to be appreciated. I often look at paintings, quilts, ceramics and any attractive work that has been labored over and finished to perfection. It is a pleasure to admire such efforts and appreciate them. I say this because now, as I drive down Woodford-Tehachapi Road, I cannot help but admire the fine paving job that has just been completed. Mostly though, I had to admire the lines painted to show us "our side" of the road and the turn off sections. They are so mathematically correct and placed with precision in the exact spot. Everything in exactly the right place. They also stand out and provide good night vision, too. There are many forms of art but kudos to the workmen for their beautiful road work.

One of my five sons is a City Council member in the community where he lives. I told him I felt like saying thanks for the beautiful road work that was done on the road which I travel daily. He said, "Do it!" He further explained that there is a litany of complaints received from citizens of his community about road conditions. First, he says, they say, "The condition of a certain road is deplorable!" Then, when the road work begins, the complaints come in to do something about the road being "torn up"

Next, when it's fixed, they say, "It took you long enough!" My son stressed the fact for me to be sure and say thanks. He further said that a lady came to their last Council meeting and said just that. "Thanks for doing such a good road repair job." He said they all stood and gave her a standing ovation.

My father, Chauncey Davis, during his lifetime had many occupations: gold miner, truck driver, bus driver, salvage man, gas station proprietor and he also worked for both the State and County Highway Road Maintenance Departments. This involves being out in the hot sun for hours on end, patching, paving, grading and painting lines! This was back in the 1930s when the equipment for painting lines was a bit more primitive!

When he would come home in the evening from work, he would tell us, at the dinner table, about his day. We knew a lot about what good road work required. We also learned that being struck by ongoing traffic can be an occupational hazard for those employed. When the sign tells you about roadwork being done ahead, it's time to slow down as directed. My father lost a good friend on old U.S. Highway 466, near Mojave, by someone in a hurry. My father has been dead for nearly fifty years but when I come to the sign that says "Road Work Ahead", I still think of him and his advice to slow down.

Woodford-Tehachapi Road received its name sometime after I left to follow my U.S. Marine around for some years. It used to be part of U.S. Highway 466 and was the only route to Bakersfield for many years.

It was then and still is a scenic route and I never fail to look to the left as I approach the summit before going down the mountain. There are two very old Poplar trees off to the left just after passing White Pine Drive and before you go past Pinon Canyon Drive. When my parents moved to Tehachapi in 1923, my mother said those trees were there. They had been by a home that had burned. It seems strange that they could have lasted so long but there are also some Poplar trees in the city park that are original trees from the park's beginning.

When Highway 58 was finally finished, old U.S. 466 lost its identity. It used to come through Tehachapi and bend left on Curry. It continued on what we used to call Three Mile Road (now Highway 202 or Valley Blvd). After approximately three miles, we would turn right onto the section of road just newly paved and renamed Woodford-Tehachapi Road. I always wondered why they didn't put Tehachapi-Woodford Road on the sign since it began on the Tehachapi end of the road. Woodford was the railroad name for the Keene area.

Driving down U.S. 466 "in the old days" to Bakersfield – the only road one could travel - wasn't too bad a drive if you didn't mind the mountain curves. If you did mind, you'd better have taken the train. Coming up, however, was another story. The trucks heading up the mountain, when pulling a grade would slow to fifteen, sometimes ten-miles-per-hour. There were a few places to pass if you were quick. I was a coward.

The construction of Highway 58 provided a wonderful road and actually shortened the mileage to Bakersfield a little. The old curvy way was 45 miles so the new highway didn't cut off too many miles but was a delight to travel. However, living in Golden Hills, when I go to Bakersfield, I find it more convenient to "go down the old road." Otherwise, I would need to drive six miles East before entering the highway to travel west. With Hwy. 58 having most of the traffic it's just a nice mountain drive on the old road. Watch those blind curves though, you do meet other cars occasionally.

One of my husband's sisters, a lifetime Iowa resident who is used to the beautiful, mostly flat, mid-west farm land, was riding with me to Bakersfield one day. I asked her if she minded going down the old mountain road. She said no but was very quiet on the way. Finally, she said, "We've been going downhill since we left your house! How much farther DOWN do we need to go? I told her we had to drop nearly 4,000 feet. I was stretching it a bit though for Bakersfield is 492 feet in elevation which would require a descent of just under 3500 feet. It's a good road though and thanks to the people who do the road maintenance. it's a pleasant drive.

All artists are to be congratulated on their having done their jobs well whether painting a picture or painting the lines on a road. My latest congrats go to those workers who did the "art work" on Woodford-Tehachapi Road.