What A Difference A Little Nature Makes

It takes me a while to get going in the morning (ideally, at least an hour at the kitchen table for breakfast/reading the newspaper/checking in on email, social media, and blogs) but after that I find the AM hours are the most productive. After lunch I lose my drive.

Today a fellowship member needed some supplies that I had. She lives an hour west of my house so we arranged to meet halfway. However, when she threw out a meeting time of 3:30 pm I was annoyed; that's right in the middle of my least productive part of the day. However, she really needed the supplies so I agreed.

My route to the meeting location took me west on Interstate 44. Because I'm never out at that time I didn't realize that it was the beginning of rush hour traffic. Another annoyance. Traffic going eastbound was gridlocked for several miles, and decided I would not go home that way.

I gritted my teeth as I navigated around multiple semi trucks and a pickup that was weaving in and out of traffic. The first four miles going west on 44 is lined with development, but all of a sudden you enter the Forest 44 Corridor and there is a dramatic change in the scenery, with rolling hills lined with heavy greenery and no development. That change completely changed my attitude.

Continuing several miles down the highway I passed over the Meramec River, which is straddled by the former city of Times Beach (the site of a major environmental disaster and now a state park). No development here!

In two more miles I was at Eureka and exited the interstate. 

My destination was a strip mall just off the highway. The acquaintance was waiting for me, the supply hand off only took a few minutes, and then it was time to start home.

I had made the decision not to get back on the highway. Fortunately I knew the area well enough to take surface streets-first going north and then east. The trip ended up being just what I needed. The first half consisted of two lane roads that wound up, down, and around the rolling hills. Even though there was very little traffic I didn't feel safe stopping for a photo, it was very similar to this:

Pxhere

After a turn that took me down a subdivision-lined street, the next portion of the drive skirted the perimeter of a state park. Once again there was nature to the right and left of me. I was bummed when the park ended, because the next two turns were onto heavily traveled, four lane roads. Instead of looking at the wonders of nature around me I had to concentrate on the traffic.

Five years ago today: Polite, Pleasant, Personable