passages of thought at the end of january

sunrise:  7:01

a few random thought passages this morning....



Sometimes, this time of year, people find themselves feeling a lot like this empty milkweed husk.  A walk around the pre-dawn world can do wonders to fill your soul.










Strange winter - plenty of ice but what little snow there was has disappeared.  The icy flow across the back field is an unfamiliar landscape, usually buried under a blanket of white.

There are advantages...it is much easier to get up and go - no boots necessary.  But I am still looking forward to snow's return:  visible animal tracks, the smell of snow, cold moisture in the air, the crunch underfoot, the glide of cross-country skis, the highlighted detailing of tree branches, the silent footfalls, and the brightness that glows from the ground under a night sky.

As of this morning, my four children are now living in Los Angeles, Washington, DC, New York City, and Boston.  Our family is spanning the country.  We will more thoroughly span when A moves to St. Louis next summer.  Where will everyone land when it comes time to settle down, I wonder...?  Or perhaps, the concept of settling down won't be the same.

Tomorrow is the last day with a sunrise on the civilized side of 7am.

a little color for January blahs

sunrise:  7:06

It happened gradually - the slow, creeping in of old bad habits.  Just over a year after my 365 sunrise completion, I am finding myself lingering under the covers until the sun is long up...nine o'clock...ten o'clock.  As an occasional anomaly it may be okay, but as a habit it is deadly.  Apathy settles in.  The idle mind gets preoccupied with unproductive meanderings...

It was time to get up.

It seems that I don't often hit the finest mornings for my more selective sunrise outings, but no matter.  Getting up and out is the point.  Right now the light snow has turned into a heavy snow outside my window, which actually has a beauty all its own.

Two things helped to lighten up the day:  exuberant dogs, and unexpected beauty.

How can I remain lethargic in the face of Kate's ever-ready, joyful energy?

and they humble me, with my hopelessly insufficient sensory ability.  The three of them found something to sniff here that caught their attention like a fire alarm

And a bit of winter color is a lovely thing.

January sunrise - coast to coast

Many thanks to Tess and her dad for winter sunrise contributions from coast to coast:




Big Sur, California sunrise at the new year:

Washington D.C. dawn, January 6, 2012

Wow.

carpe aurora!

sunrise:  7:13

The latest sunrise of 2012 was yesterday, but only by a few seconds.  This is the cushiest time of year to roll out of bed and get out to see the dawn with minimal intrusion on your morning rest.  So - get out there - seize the dawn!

"Good morning!" "Good day!" "Good year!"

Most of the people who read this blog have already seen my New Year's column, but for those who haven't, here is the link:

Reflections At the Turning of the Year

Despite a string of late, late nights spilling into the early morning hours, I woke up with the pre-dawn light on this first day of 2012. For a while I tried to ignore the outdoors, then a beam of sunlight snuck into my bedroom and insisted that I get up.

In our predictably unpredictable climate, we had a white Thanksgiving and an earth-toned New Year's.  But there is still ice on the pond to distinguish this day from November.

It is fun to stay up late celebrating, but really, getting outdoors in the morning is a much better way to feel good about the future.

I wish you all a good morning, a good day, and a good year.