Sunday Drive

Both Jilda and I were a little down today for some reason. After breakfast, I went down to stay with my mom while my sister went to church. I did a little reading and took care of some things for work tomorrow.
When I started home, I was listening to Kitaro. He's a New Age artist that I've listened to for some time. He makes use of synthesizers and samplers to add depth to create a sonic image that is both compelling and pleasing to the ear. The music and the vibrant colors of the fall foliage made me feel like I was on psychedelic high.
Once home, I asked Jilda if she'd like to take a Sunday drive. She was a little hesitant at first but agreed. We drove up the Empire road and turned on to Rickwood Caverns Road. The afternoon sun was angled just right to backlight the Sweet Gum, Hickory, Persimmon and Red Sumac. Every turn in the road had beautiful color.
We drove back across the mountain headed toward Interstate 65 and Hayden beyond. The drive across county road 9 which connects to state road 231 near Blount Springs. We passed the Acoustic Cafe. It's not really a Cafe, it's my friend Steve Masterson's house but he has a great music festival there once a year and the festival is called The Acoustic Cafe. It is one beautiful place on earth.
We used to go on Sunday drives when I was a kid. For years while they were building Smith Dam, which is one of the largest earthen dams in the world, my dad would load up the family ever so often and we'd drive the fifteen miles or so up there and park on the hill and look at the diggers, trucks, and other heavy equipment. The resavoir where the dam was eventually build was really deep and the construction equipment looks like toys from our vantage point. From there we would drive down highway 69 and go east on highway 78 to the Warrior River Bridge where there was a "Frosty" drive inn and we'd all have an ice cream cone. It was a real treat.
People don't seem to be into Sunday drives as much these days. The price of gas is one factor, a lot of people can't afford to drive around looking at leaves, but I think there is a lot of competition. People can stay at home and be entertained with home theatre, digital dolby surround sound, HBO 24x7, pro football, baseball, NASCAR, and so many other distractions that a drive in the country just doesn't hold that much appeal.....that may be true for some, but it is not true for me.
When we got home this afternoon after our drive, we both felt refreshed, and my spirits had been lifted.