The stores were closed, so I turned around in the parking lot, half-paved half gravel filled potholes; and started back up the road. Traffic got heavy, and up ahead we could see the highway overpass in the setting sun, but between us and the highway was the construction area full of half-built electric towers, trusswork and cranes.

The cars ahead of me took what looked like an exit to a shortcut directly through the construction area, at first it was a smooth road adjacent to the bases of the towers, but I could see bolt-heads sticking up through it and I pulled off onto the gravel on the side and slowed way down. Watching as the cars in line next to me slowed down and stopped, then the people started getting out of their cars, looking around, some of them trying to climb the towers to get a view and figure out which way to go to get to the two-lane access road that leads to the highway.

in a little stand of trees up ahead I saw a guy on a red riding mower, pull off the lawn and stop for a minute in the shade, watching the other cars as they tried to cross the ruts and ditches and get around the obstacles in the construction area. I got out and walked over to him and nodded in the direction of the road up ahead, "I'm trying to get back on the road, can you tell me the best way?"

He looked at me long and slow and at first I thought he might not have understood, but as I opened my mouth to ask him again he said, "you have to go back, the entrances to the highway are all through parking garages," and he gestured with his forefinger, making little quick circles.

"Thanks," I said, getting back in my car and putting it in reverse.