It was still dark when I awoke. I glanced at the alarm clock. 5:15. I could sleep, or at least rest and meditate for a while before I had to get up. I turned over, closed my eyes allowing those early morning thoughts and feelings to return. When I next looked at the alarm clock, the familiar blue lights were off. The power was out. I checked my watch. 5:30. I set the alarm on my watch to go off in thirty minutes and returned to my meditations.

When the alarm on my watch went off, I looked again at the alarm clock. It was still without power. Outside, I could hear the rain, and in the distance a neighbor’s generator. I knew that it would be a busy day at work, so I packed a gym bag with a towel and a change of clothes. I could shower at the office.

Yet as I prepared to leave, the power came back on, so I reverted to my normal routine, just a little bit off.

On the drive to work, I looked at the low flying clouds. I had never been all that good at weather observation, but it appeared as if the clouds were about 200 feet off the ground and moving around 15 miles an hour. It was peaceful. It was beautiful.

Sure enough, it was a busy day at the office. Before I knew it, I had put in a very long day and was heading home. The rain had stopped, but mist clung to the hills. There was something primitive about the view. I could imagine living out in nature, struggling against the elements, but still finding time to stop and enjoy the beauty of the mist on the hills.