Drivin' to N'awlins

So yesterday I did the hellish 12-13 hour trip drive from Florida to N'awlins. I have just given up coffee and chocolate (I know, I know, me give up chocolate - no I swear the world is not coming to an end!!) and so did the journey aided by the power of green tea - "Zen" green tea from Starbucks to be precise. The tea was wonderful and I was more aware than normal. With the amount of coffee and chocolate I would rely on for that journey I always felt jittery, awake, but jittery. However with the green tea I was awake and more aware than normal. Don't get me wrong I still miss the gorgeous taste of coffee and, of course, chocolate, its just that I reluctantly have to admit to feeling much better without them.

So without my jitters I noticed some interesting things on my 12 hour meditation in a metal box whizzing along asphalt. First was that Autumn, Fall whatever you call it comes to the South, just late. When I got about half way up Florida (so just past Orlando) amoungst the palm trees there were occassional appearances of orange and yellow. As I drove further those appearances grew until they dominated the landscape. It wasn't the same as Ohio and those other states with thier swathes of colour. This was the southern trees decorated with vines which also were changing into gorgeous colours of yellows and oranges. It looked like nature was decorating for Christmas. I have to admit I was happy to see fall - I hadn't realised how much I was missing it. The strange thing was it all happened during the week I was in Miami for Thanksgiving.

The other thing that kept my synapses occupied were the clouds. It was as if they were jealous of the display the foliage was making and were determined to outdo them. I saw Goofy, the old man in the half moon, a cherub and a rabbit. And don't worry I was watching the road too!!