SATURDAY MORNING MUSINGS

"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.”

I was never a morning person. As I have mentioned before, during 80% of my law enforcement career I worked the night shift. I always took pleasure in knowing that I was heading to bed, while most everyone else was making that dreaded morning drive into work. Somewhere along the way, over the past couple of years, I have found that getting started early isn't half bad. It also helps, that we have very seldom ever thought of driving this truck around the country as a job.

There is something about being able to watch as the day slowly evolves, from the first hint of light cresting the horizon, and the coolness of that first morning air as you breath it in. This morning we were up at 4:30, and after taking our showers, and doing the pre trip inspection, we were ready to hit the road. But all around us there was already activity.

We saw an OES Strike Team heading to a wildfire in the town of Paradise, CA nearby, which had started yesterday, burning over 50 homes and leaving the air heavy with smoke. Two buses had pulled into the truck stop, with passengers getting off to use the facilities and grab come coffee as they continue on their way. Where they were going and where they had come from would remain a mystery. As we traveled down the Interstate we counted 3 crop dusters, 2 planes and a helicopter, busy spraying the fields. Traffic early in the morning is light, and especially on the weekends, more trucks than four wheelers, but all intent on getting to their destinations.

Most of all I love the promise of what the day will bring us. What interesting sights will we see? What breaking news will be broadcast on the airwaves? How many miles will we travel and just where will we end up for the night? But more importantly, knowing that several times throughout the day, we will look at each other, and share the knowledge that we are exactly where we want to be in our lives and enjoying every minute of it together.