Every Sunday morning at around 7:30 AM, my parents and dog go on a hike. A location is usually selected ahead of time, and settings have varied from different town parks around the Albany, NY area to actual hiking trails. We began doing this during my undergraduate years and I go with them whenever I visit my hometown, and I will admit that I am not a morning person at all, but something about being able to take in nature with my family is truly special. This piece begins with a clarinet soli that gets transformed into a little expression of morning beauty. The rest of the piece is in 6/8 and showcases the light-hearted adventure of these hikes which do get a bit physical with some of the trails that we’ve chosen in the past. I wrote this piece as a token of these memories and as a birthday gift for my loving mother!