Pollard Flat

If you are ever driving between Oregon and California you will pass an exit for Pollard Flat, it is one potty stop you will never forget.

We originally stopped there back in June of 08 on our big road trip out of total desperation because our girls needed to use the bathroom. I walked into the log cabin like structure filled with cigarette smoke with my three blonde girls in tow. It seemed like a bar so I was not sure if they would let kids in. I asked if we could use their bathroom and the lady said "Ya, but you might want to warn your kids about the lady in the bath tub". She told us to wait because someone was in there. We stood in the little eating area filled with grumpy stone faced truckers staring at us. I knew we did not belong there, but stood there out of desperation. I remember one of the girls asking why everyone was staring at us and I just smiled at her. Finally an old man came out of the bathroom and we all hustled in. Then we saw her... everyone froze. I had to push the girls in the room to close and lock the door behind us.

"Is she dead? Ruby asked. Lucy suddenly wanted me to hold her. Then they each told me that they no longer needed to use the bathroom.

I reassured everyone that she was not real and had to stand between the mannequin and the girls as they used the potty. The whole time I was just talking about how silly it was and how funny she looked. When we walked back to the car all three girls were talking over each other to tell Eric what happened. I remember being stunned wondering if I had just done permanent damage to my kids.

Although we have passed this exit several times since we have never returned until today. It just happened that Ruby needed to use the bathroom on the long stretch where this is the only exit. We warned her where were were stopping and she said she didn't care. As we pulled up Haley said "Oh my gosh, I remember this...I still have dreams about the lady in the bathtub"(a yes to the permanent damage question). It was not nearly as traumatic today. It was early in the morning and the restaurant /bar /store was empty except for one worker and the girls knew what to expect, well kind of.

Today the girls just thought it was funny. After Ruby & Lucy had used the bathroom and Cheyenne went in, I started talking to the lady that works there about how freaked out we had been by the mannequin previously. She asked if the mannequin had ever screamed at us. I said no. She walked over and pushed a button on the wall and a loud screaming voice came from the bathroom yelling "What are you doing"... "Stop touching me!".... "Get out of my bathroom!" Poor Cheyenne flew out of there. Now all 4 girls have officially been traumatized by this stop.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]