It’s 70 degrees at 7 a.m. and it’s 6 weeks until Christmas! A beautiful balmy weekend just ended and today will be more of the same. Ahh. I’m riding in a Nissan Versa, very comfy and roomy. A glass mason jar is sitting in one of the cupholders – for the toll money. The driver is a tall, 50s guy, sort of Germanic looking. But then I just watched “Valkyrie” last night so those Germanic images are fresh in my mind. (The Tom Cruise film about the 1944 assassination attempt on Hitler). The air conditioner is on so the car is quite chilly, in spite of the relatively warm morning. The disheveled blond woman riding in the front (also Germanic looking) plugs into a set of major ear phones. the big ones that cover your whole ear. I’ve ridden with her before and remember my take on her then – sort of angry and mussed. Traffic is bad. This looks like it will be a full hour-and-then-some commute today. But it’s so clear and lovely, and I’m not driving. As we near Berkeley the view of the city and the bay is just like a postcard – the city, the bridge, the blue water and the sparkling clear sky.
Flying directly above us, same direction, over the freeway, are 7 magnificent ducks journeying on their migration. It’s always a happy sight to see this continuing ritual. The freeway may roar beneath them, their habitats may shrink or vanish, the climate may be warmer or colder, but the migrators prevail, as they have and as they will. It’s a big hit of optimism and hope, and I thank them. Happy Monday.
Filed under: Car Pooling, Car Pooling Etiquette, Casual Carpool Bay Area, Casual Carpooling, commute, casual car pool, Environment, Today's Commute, Tolls for car pools, Uncategorized |
Getting There 
Leave a Reply