Early Morning Drive

The alarm was set for 5:00 AM. Since I hadn't set the alarm on this clock in years, naturally I woke up at 4:30. Not trusting the alarm was set properly I couldn't get back to sleep. That's typically me these days. When I absolutely have to be somewhere early, I wake up well ahead of time. No matter, I wound up with a few minutes to spare before I had to leave to drive somebody I care about to their appointment with a surgeon. It's just over an hour drive, first to pick them up, then head to their hospital. 

We were early, of course. And she's recovering fine now.

With some time to kill before leaving the house, I popped online and checked out a couple sites. One was "All Hat No Cattle", a favorite for years, mostly politics but highly eclectic in topics as well. I'd missed her post from yesterday. Too busy. Within five minutes I found a real gem she'd posted, a flash mob video from 2014 in Nurnberg. It starts in what looks like a town plaza full of people, church bells tolling, when one man sets up his doublebass. And waits. A young girl approaches him holding her recorder in her hands, stops in front of him, and starts to play. The notes are immediately recognizable: "Ode to Joy", also known as the 4th movement of Beethoven's 9th, his choral symphony. The two alternate  phrases, gradually cellos join in, violins, booming kettledrums, horns,  finally the singers. I bookmarked  it to return to, since I didn't have the time to finish listening right then. Look it up under yesterday's date. It's still impressive the 4th time through, at least for me.

I trust you can guess it put me in a great mood for the day ahead. Then again, I'm usually fine behind the wheel, out in the country, low traffic levels that early, plenty of space to safely scout the countryside as I roll through it. One rabbit safely crossed the road in front of me. Everything else seemed still asleep. It didn't hurt that I turned on the classical music station of MPR and started listening to the St. Paul Suite by Gustav Holst, another favorite. The combination of the two pieces prepared me for what was next, put me in the frame of mind to capture it. No camera? How about a pen on a napkin after reaching the hospital?

 

Early Morning Drive

Ground fog shushed the scattered fields,
Hugging them in soft embrace.
As morning sun tossed her basketful
Of roses and oranges across the sky
She bid the fog to kiss the nearby trees
As it rose through their branches,
Drifting away
Secure in its welcome
To return another night.
They would play this game again.