Smoke from forest fires hundreds of miles from here nearly obliterated the sunrise. What little sun you could see took on an apocalyptic color that bathed everything in its path warm muted tones of orange and red. At a Port of Tacoma, Washington railcar refurbishing plant steel wheels from thousands of trains sat stacked outside in the yard waiting their fate. Reflecting the warm sun as it fought the smoke-filled skies.

What brought me into that yard this morning was what brings many of us to something visually interesting; repetitive patterns. In a world where chaos is the norm seeing objects present in order creates something fundamentally pleasing. It can sooth your senses and settle you into a state of relaxation. From Zen Gardens to the pattern of wind waves on a lake it’s hard to not be mesmerized and fascinated by repeating patterns.

They have such a hold on me sometimes. I turn instinctively to them in nature and seek them out in almost every man-made object. Such was the case this morning as I wandered the rail yard filled with concentric circles heading to remanufacture.