MOUNTAINS AT NIGHT

Well I was driving home tonight, around 9:20 pm. It was dark and I was on an open road looking out at the mountains and the twinkling lights along the mountain slopes, like landing in an airplane and it was beautiful. I felt like I was reading a page of poetry. It reminded me of flying into Quito Ecuador at night and seeing the sparkling lights on the mountainsides like fire flies. One of my favorite things in the world is to fly, particularly at night and in a smaller plane, but I also like the jumbo jet. The only thing is that I feel a bit claustrophobic on large jets that are filled to capacity and people are sitting on top of you, hacking lung, reeking of cheap perfume and talking loudly about their boring lives which they feel is the most interesting thing since Reeses peanut butter cups. My last flight was incredible. I sat in the very last seat on the plane. The noise was so excruciatingly loud I couldn't hear anything but it was a steady rumble so I was able to concentrate on my book while sipping a twelve year old scotch. As the plane began to descend over the lush, warm landscape of Florida I shut off my small reading light and watched the lights of the world glimmering growing closer and closer.

There is something magical and remarkable about driving around the mountains early in the evening when the lights of people's homes are still burning bright and the warm balmy air of a peculiar winter are blowing through the window. In a way it is soothing, somewhat calming and times like those always send my mind reeling back in time to moments in life that I have experienced and in a way the sensation triggers brief mental flashes. It was a pleasant evening. I picked up my daughter and we spent the night watching tweety and sylvester until it was time for bed.