We are advancing critically to the middle of the month of July. The equinox and seasonal transition are now undeniably sewn up. There persists the burgeoning richness of a midsummer day, thick with invisible atmospheric resolve and the evocative surface of the placid river. We were greeted this morning by a mournful grey dome, a uniform seemingly tranquil orb of humid haze characteristic of an impending hot summer day. The landscape was marked by a horizontal division of verdancy and fogginess through which penetrated the restfulness of a balmy breeze.

More remarkable still was the universal calm. The traffic everywhere – whether in town or on the highways – was diminished to the point of imperceptibility and mild astonishment. You can always tell when something’s up, when things have changed, when people have already departed the territory for the hinterland, the lake or the river. Driving along the highways felt moderately invasive upon private domain. My introductory motion this morning while driving through our residential area and along the river reflected the identical reserve.  Garage doors were noticeably closed and locked. There was no-one in sight. Driveways were cleared and left conspicuously blank. The occupants were gone. No manifest intention to garden, kayak or entertain. It was altogether an abbreviated moment, a stand-still depiction. Landscapers were nowhere in evidence; their tractors and carts were dismissively removed alongside the road.

Balancing my adventure today was a thoroughly wholesome experience with my car. While I cannot identify any specific detail, there was unquestionably something singular about the experience. As usual I had all the windows open. And, yes, occasionally I succumbed to the passing amusement of leaving a BMW or Audi in the dust upon merging onto the highway; but only to illustrate to myself the bespoke advantage of a fully electric automobile (acceleration is distinctly uninterrupted contrary to a mechanical engine with gears). Otherwise it was a ritual of observing the speed limit and relishing the distant undulating farmlands.

While not everyone personifies their car perhaps as readily as do I; still, whatever the nature of the alliance, most people attach some significance to their car, either its limitless gratification, its power or enduring longevity. Mine is all about balance and alignment. I do not begrudge people – whether young or old – who seek to gratify their attachment to sound and speed.