I had to give my dog one last pat 
And rub those velvet ears
Just one final time before I left my sanctuary 
And I had to be extra careful walking down the path
As it had rained last night and 
Jewel colored leaves were stuck making my way slick
Then I stopped to have a discussion with my neighbor
About the woolyworm she found on her porch
Which of course led to talk of the impending winter
And so then when I finally got in my car
Without my coffee
I had to find just the right song to start my day
And as I drove in
I was mesmerized by the fog rolling steadily across the mountain
It wasn't so much the colors that stopped me
On the side of the road to take a blurry picture 
As it was the way the light was sparkling so clear 
With the mist continuing on its journey 
Nothing delaying it 
Unlike myself
Who had been interrupted half a dozen times already 
It is Fall Break after all
But I didn't go to the beach
I stayed right here
Where I belong
And I thought of how some people get it
And it's second nature to use certain phrases
And it's musical 
These mountain ways
So anyway
That's why I'm late
And it didn't help that I hit snooze twice