Contentment in the Morning When I look into this scene, I am reminded of a similar one during a cross-country trip in 1994 to "find myself" in Oregon. Although my return trip to Connecticut was soon to follow, I did come to appreciate the fertile and flat river valleys after ascending the eastern slopes of the snow-covered Cascade Mountain Range. The descent down into the lush, humid farmland of Oregon left me breathless since the summits had been where snows were blinding and roads nearly impassable. Having just driven through a total of seven (7) climatic "zones" (a horticultural reference), I was impressed with a similar scene to that above. It was here where soils were rich and black, where Spring colors were ablaze in the foothills on the other side of a vast meadow of wildflowers and furrowed farm plots. I will always remember the Sierra Nevadas for their life more so than their snowy magnificence high up where the winds blew so hard earlier that day. I chose "Contentment in the Morning" for my title because these colorful, Spring-blooming trees, nestled in the foothills of this farming community, provided a sense of calm. The added moon, provides a feeling of solitude in a time of searching. Back