I know fog causes lots of chaos with traffic.. although one rarely hears of roads becoming slippery due to fog as is with snow, ice, and sleet.
For me, if a person has to go without sunlight, I think I would rather have fog instead of cloud and rain.
Fog seems soft and silky to me--like a pair of fresh delicate nylons as they slide over one's legs covering skin unused to such gentleness.
Rain is often stinging little bits of hard wetness slamming pieces of water upon the earth in loud anger or visible resentment with sharpness and grumbling.
Fog is like a cushioned quilt of spun sugar which wraps around and actually touches each part of the world completely--each crevasse, physical bend, and hidden depth.
Rain falls. Fog rises.
Rain taps intrusively a thousand times over, while the fog is silent--simply existing, still and soft as a sleeping kitten nestled against its mother and siblings.
FOG
The fog comes on little cat feet.
It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on.
It is raining. It is raining very hard. The window is open and a cool moist breeze is wafting through the living room chilling my bare legs. I feel the warming comfort from the laptop as I type this. I can hear at least 4 types of birds chirping over the soft rain taps on the roof . The what must be a very wet squirrel is running to and fro over my head across the shingles.
The sky is a slate grey due not only to the cloud cover but also because of the early morning light.
I can also hear the periodic hum of tires on the highway about a mile down the road. It is odd how one can seemingly instinctively know which vehicle is a transport truck, which a van or car, or quarter ton. It is not as if anyone ever consciously thinks 'I must remember and note that sound for future reference..it might be important some day'.
This morning I do think about the people traveling in those vehicles. Are they comfortable? The car heaters will surely be turned on to ward off the dampness. Are they listening to Satellite Radio above the sound of the windshield wipers? Are they conversing idly or intensely with their travelling companions if they have them? Are they talking or idly thinking about their children, parents, lovers, jobs, finances? Are they nearing their destination or have they just begun their voyage?
I envision Cheezie and candy wrappers (pink chicken bones) lying on the floor , beside empty coffee containers awaiting a refill at the next gas station. They might have just had a greasy bacon and egg, toast, black coffee breakfast at the local 24/7 restaurant ten miles back and are feeling the consequential lethargy setting in.
Maybe they are traveling on business, or they are on vacation. Perhaps they are moving permanently , never to travel this particular highway again. Their minds filled with plans, hopes and regrets as they sojourn towards the new and unknown.
Some of those people traveling might be people that I could be good friends with if I ever had a chance to meet them. Others, no doubt, might be of the class that seeing the trunk of their car disappear into a distance would be considered a blessing indeed.
I wonder if these travellers ever think of the people who live along the roadside? I wonder if they are as curious about us as I am about them? I know that whenever I travel through a town or village during the night and see a light on in a house it always looks so safe and warm and I am strangely filled with a type of envy at the coziness imagined.
I hope that none of these vehicles will be involved in any accident due to the wet roads, driver inattention, or mechanical failure.
I wish them well..my Today Travellers. Unbeknown to them, they have helped me think about something other than myself for a few moments and sometimes that 'other than myself thinking' is a good thing.
