Sunset Road

sunset rd
Originally uploaded by Matt Callahan.

Green Desert

cactus
Originally uploaded by Matt Callahan.

After all the rain we've had this winter, the desert gone green.

The Little Things

I woke up on Friday at 4 am. I lay in bed listening to the rain for a while thinking that I’d much rather stay at home than drag myself off to work. I forced myself into the shower and went about the normal routine. I got in the car and anticipated another drive to work filled with constant radio station changes (my ten year old Chevy didn’t come with a CD player and I killed the cassette deck from overuse). I can’t believe how bad radio is today. People really listen to this junk?

After punching a few buttons, I stopped on the “smooth jazz” station long enough to hear the DJ announce that a song from Ottmar Liebert was next. They played Surrender 2 Love, one of my favorite rainy-day songs. It’s amazing how something as simple as a favorite tune can change your day. I made it to work and felt much better. Keep your eyes (or ears in this case) open for the little gifts in life.

The River of Time Runs Swiftly

I apologize to those who may have been checking here for any new posts. My schedule over the course of the last month has been quite full. When the urge to blog hit, I was typically not near my PC and when I was on the computer, I had lost my inspiration.

During the past few weeks, I’ve given the concept of time a great deal of thought. In my own day-to-day experiences, there just isn’t enough time to do everything that needs to be accomplished. The hours turn to days, then to weeks. It’s February and it seems that we just celebrated Christmas yet the experience is so distant. In corresponding with Ottmar in regard to his Lester Devoe guitar, he reminded me that he’s had the “new” guitar for almost three years. I remember him posting in his blog when it arrived. Where has all that time gone?

I received word last week that the mother of my closest friend had died. I had known the women for twenty years and thought back on time spent with her. Only then did it hit me, I hadn’t seen her in nearly five years. How could that be?

This morning I woke just after four AM. That’s my weeklong schedule and it’s hard to shake off. I like those few hours in the morning when the rest of the house is still asleep. The minutes become mine and I savor them. I sat on the couch and listened to the Dreaming CD from the Opium collection through headphones. I watched out the window as the stars faded away as the sun rose, the black night sky turning a perfect blue. Thinking back, that’s the best control over how I’ve spent my time all week.

I’ve got to work on that. As long as I can find the time.