Light or Smudges

Generally when I look through windows I see light and landscape.  Today, I saw smudges as I cleaned the insides and outsides of some of our many double paned windows.  Fortunately, I'm usually looking beyond arm's reach.  Whether we're looking for light or smudges, we'll usually find what we expect to see.

Morning Light

Those of us who live in the city are surrounded by street lights, landscape lighting, billboards, interior and exterior commercial building lights and headlights.  As I left for Austin at 5:45 this morning, it didn't seem particularly dark. But as I reached a rural stretch, suddenly the pre-dawn darkness enveloped me.  It hadn't occurred to me that a significant part of my road trip would be governed by nighttime speed limits. 

I realized that the sun rather than my city clock determines when morning begins for much of the commuting world.