Saturday, January 14th, 2012
For having been away for so short a time, today's 10 hour day felt long. I've only been away for a couple of weeks, but the impact has made itself known. Today's drive was along the famous I-5 corridor, starting in the emerald and picturesque Willamette Valley, and ending in the broad, less scenic yet more agriculturally productive Central Valley of California. The Siskiyou Mountains lie in between the two valleys, and they are nothing to sneeze at. Abrupt, jaged and undulating, these mountains offer many scenic views and plenty of time to see in during the arduous climbs. As it stands now, I am in Lathrop, CA at one of the many Swift terminals, yet all of these are mere details in comparison to earlier events.
Today I got up at 0600-ish. I say “ish” because I hit the snooze a couple of times. I got my head together, went outside to go get some coffee. I was still tired, it takes some getting used to. The sun was just hinting at rising and the air still held its chill from the night before. Coming back after securing caffeine, I noticed that I was still too early to leave. So I played some banjo. After blundering through the few songs I know, I estimated that I could start my pre-trip inspection and still be within the legal parameters. Not that any one ever checks that stuff, but I feel better for doing it mostly right. Truck looks good, but it is still too early to go. I head outside wondering if there is something I missed.
Walking to the end of my trailer, I hear a shrill cacophony. Knowing full well that this is not my trailer tires leaking, I mosey to the back and stare out across the broad field of sod (which is a big part of what they grow in this valley... sod for lawns). In the brightening dawn, streaks of orange-red dazzle across the sky, which itself is punctuated by what looks to be about 20,000 Canada geese, wheeling overhead and clustered on the ground. Waving too and fro, they cling together then separate in a endless airborne dance. One group wheels off, only to return from a different vector. Other smaller groups find their way to the mass assembly. Scores of birds descend to the earth, resembling an armload of maple seeds tossed from a tree branch. The visual effect of the fluttering was matched only by the accompanying sounds. The rest of the world had turned off for a moment to hear the thousands of heartbeats across the air. I was completely spellbound. A light breeze reminded me how cold it was, but it would not diminish the beauty.
Sometime later, having driven a number of hours, I pulled into the Pilot in Dunnigan, CA. It was certainly shower time, and the sun was setting. The ominous clouds of earlier this morning were left far behind in a different world. The air here is warm and inviting, making it hard for my body to comprehend that it is January. I saw a tree with ripening oranges hung heavily on the branches. Having fueld and parked my truck, I walked towards the building for that shower. Looking into the sunset, I saw it again. A goodly number of songbirds had collected themselves and were flying in a big circle over the parking lot. They chirped and warbled, some alighting upon some nearby trees for the night, continuing their conversations.
Something is happening, and perhaps I'm the only one to see it. Maybe these spots are magical, or perhaps it is some kind of message that I have not yet seen. The odds are too slim for this to occur twice in a day. I'll sleep on it.
Beautiful.
ReplyDelete