Kat's Rambling Mind

I guess I should start by letting you know that I live in a small town called Cleveland in the northeast Georgia mountains. While we’re certainly growing, most of the medical facilities we use are in neighboring Gainesville, Georgia, about 30 minutes south of us. Gainesville is a much bigger town, or really, a small city now.

It just so happened I had to drive to Gainesville today for a routine medical test. There are several ways to get there from here, the main route being Highway 129 South. Or, you can take what I call the scenic route, which is going via Clarks Bridge Road (I’m sure it has a highway number, but I’m too lazy to look it up). The main route on 129 has more warehouses and convenience stores, but Clarks Bridge Road is a drive through the country.

Now, the weather today is stunning. Brilliantly sunny with a robin’s egg blue sky, complete with big, fluffy white clouds; a light, warm breeze is blowing to keep the temperature of 80 degrees from being too warm. “Not a bad day for a drive”, I thought to myself as I made the turn onto Clarks Bridge Road.

I was immediately greeted with the deep greens of the trees that line either side of the road. These are trees that have stood for at least a generation. Sturdy oaks, maples, and other hardwoods set the tone. The bright sunshine and the crisp sky set off the majesty of the wooden stewards that stand patiently and quietly.

To my left, I look over and see a local dairy farm, one that supplies milk to stores all across the northeast Georgia region. Groups of cows are seen in pastures that seem to spread back for miles. As I navigated the curves in the road, I admired the houses that dot either side of the roadway. Some older, some newer, but all kept neat as a pin. I had made this drive hundreds of times, but today it seemed different; the colors were more vivid, the contrasts sharper.

Winding down the road a little further, another farm, and I was greeted as I rounded a curve with the sharp, clean smell of freshly cut grass and newly turned dirt. I breathed in the refreshing aroma and continued on. More homes, farms, pastures and churches dotted the countryside. Several huge cornfields along the way held corn that would probably go to feed livestock.

Soon I was at the bridge, and Lake Lanier Olympic park. The park was built to host the water events for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. As I crossed the wide bridge, I looked over and got a view of the lake that was just lovely. The breeze was moving the water, causing the reflected sunlight to shimmer like liquid diamonds on the surface of the water. How I wished I could stop and admire the lake longer, but maybe another day.

Just as I finished crossing the bridge, a school bus pulled out in front of me from one of the many subdivisions in the area. Normally, I admit, I probably would have cursed at the inconvenience, but not today. I was enjoying the drive and the scenery too much to be bothered.

As I sat through the multiple stops of the bus, I noticed the kids coming home seemed especially joyful. “Maybe because it’s such a beautiful day”, I thought to myself. I would later learn that today was the last day of school in that area. But I watched as kids tumbled out of the bus, running down driveways to mothers standing there to greet them with open arms. The vision of the hugs and happiness made me feel a bit like I’d stumbled into a private moment.

The cutest was a little girl whose mother had met her at the bus stop walking a puppy on a leash. Within thirty seconds of the girl’s exit from the bus, the leash was wrapped around her legs, her mother’s legs, and a bookbag, with the puppy jumping in the air. I smiled as I passed by, hoping they got untangled successfully.

Soon I was at the intersection of the divided highway that I needed to turn onto to reach my appointment. As I made the left turn to head to the imaging center, I decided to return home by the same route, as traffic had been light on the way down, and I had so enjoyed the peacefulness of the trip. I pulled into the medical park and found a spot close to the door. I had lulled myself into a mellow mood on a spring afternoon, and I barely noticed the scan I had done.

And so that was my afternoon drive. A treat on a weekday when I would normally be working, I really enjoyed the trip today. So, if you’re feeling a little stressed, find yourself a country road on a sunny day and take a little drive. It’s good for ails you, I promise.