Friday, September 26, 2008

Autumn in the West Country

Abraham Lake along Highway 11.

Fall has touched the trees and has brought a crispness to the morning air.
I want to stay in bed while it's dark, but the stars this time of year are magnificent. If I go out in the early morning, especially before 6 a.m., the bull's head greets me from above the neighbor's spruce trees.
I can often see a satellite tracking high in the sky and hear the sharp, rustling eeep of bats in the otherwise still morning.
I breathe deeply of the cool, invigorating air and feel it tickle my lungs. I am more awake in those first few moments outside than I often am the rest of the day.
Morning is my favorite time. It readies me for the day.
What about you?

17 comments:

the Bag Lady said...

Oh, yes - morning is my favourite time, too! But I'm not much for going outside when it's still dark (and cold!) I have become a wimp.

Crabby McSlacker said...

The older I get, the more I appreciate mornings. I keep going to be earlier and getting up earlier--I think that's true for a lot of us; must be a human lifecycle thing.

I never used to be such a morning person.

(And thanks, leah, for the encouragement over at CF... if I'm a bit scarce in the comments over the next few weeks/months, know that I'm still reading! I hate to be just a lurker; hopefully things will get back to normal soon.

Leah J. Utas said...

dfBag Lady, cold and dark is invigorating. If nothing else, it'll make you appreciate your warm house and hot coffee that much more.

Crabby, mornings may well be a thing of age, but I've always liked the early part of the day. It was just summer mornings when I was young but lately I've grown to appreciate them year-round.
And you're welcome, Crabby. Do as you need to do and I'll understand about the scarcity of Crab.

Frank Baron said...

I love mornings, particularly on those (increasingly rare, alas) days when I'm up pre-dawn to do some fishing.

But increasingly, I like the night too. Mornings are layered with promise - nights with mystery. Both are powerful draws.

Thomma Lyn said...

Oh wowie, what a gorgeous picture! :)

I'm a night person. Been a night owl all my life. In particular, there's something so peaceful about what I call the o'dark thirty hours -- between midnight and four a.m. But lately, I've been going to bed earlier because the days are getting shorter and I want to finish my hikes before dark.

Anonymous said...

Just awesome! Have a great weekend!

Leah J. Utas said...

Frank, you're absolutely right about nights and mornings.

TL, thanks. I've never been much of a night person although I have stayed up late in the past. I hear you on the quiet hours. I just get mine from a different angle.

Leah J. Utas said...

Hello, M. Thanks.

Penny said...

I'm definitely a sunrise girl. I mean, c'mon, everybody's awake at sunset pretty much. But daybreak feels like a special, secret time.

TA x

Leah J. Utas said...

Great way to put it, TA. It is kind of secret, isn't it?

Reb said...

Lovely photo Leah. I can appreciate the dawn, sometimes even get up to greet it. That was the one lovely thing about working night shift, you got to be up all night and watch the sky go through all it's changes. I am a true night owl, as much as I try not to be.

Leah J. Utas said...

Thanks, Reb. Guess there's no point fighting the circadian rhythms.

Holly said...

I am such a night owl! One evening I was complaining about being tired at dinner. my husband said, "don't worry, the sun will go down soon!" Until then I had never realized how much I perk up after the sun goes down. Amazing!

Anonymous said...

lovelovelove the crack of down.
the true crack.
4 ish.
the silence. the promise of what the day might hold.



love.

Hilary said...

Lovely photo. Promising mornings? Mysterious nights? I want to have some of those mornings and nights of which Frank speaks. Oh .. wait.. ;)

Barbara Martin said...

I was a morning person when I had to get up early to feed the horses, but now I prefer afternoons and evenings.

The photograph is lovely with the autumn colours.

Leah J. Utas said...

Hello Holly. I understand. I get a second wind in the late afternoon and perk up a bit for a few hours.

Yes, Mizfit. The promise of the day. All that waiting energy.

Thanks, Hilary.

Thanks, Barbara. I think rhythyms change.