Lessons from a Teddy Bear

We had a great thunder boomer and downpour on Thursday night/Friday morning. Some areas had hail. Luckily we had no hail.

Well before the storm arrived, I walked out to the meadow and thought I'd take a 'gander' at things. If it was moving in swiftly, I'd vacate the area. 

When I saw lightening, I packed up and hustled back to the house. I have a pal that is a storm chaser. He goes out to bluffs and gets the most amazing time lapse photography along with some fantastic lightening shots.

I'm a wuss. I'll photograph a storm from my porch but never out in the open.

2 years ago lightening struck a tree in our donkey's pen and literally blew a tree up. The hot wire fence was fused part of the way around the pen. I lost Thor about a month later, his donkey 'tude just went away. The Vet said he probably got electrocuted. 

Any...way.... so yeah, I fear lightening. 

The thunder was so intense later that Charlie become a quivering mess. I snuggled  with him on the couch. 

Well fast forward to Saturday. I had Big Plans. I wuz gonna go to KVR for a morning hike and rock climb.  I looked out the window to see a thunderstorm brewing to the Northeast. 

Instead I grabbed Bear, coffee, and camera and took off up the road. Maybe the clouds would produce something interesting and maybe they wouldn't.

The skies were mostly bleh. Bluish greyish, and a bit of color tossed in. I decided to be like Bear and sit down and be patient. The sunrise itself was hidden from view.

It was a flop. So I grabbed Bear and headed towards the car. I forgot my coffee and walked back when something interesting started to happen.

So, I decided to watch a bit more. Bear hollered from the car:

I TOLD you to be patient!

Bears!

Then this happened...

"Wow! Would you look at that!" I exclaimed.

Told you so.

[See, it is like this. Bear goes with me so I can have a conversation with him. Otherwise I just have to talk to myself and that surely would be very weird, right?]

Finally I looked at the time and decided to start home.

Uh. Ummm.

Bear was right. 

Be patient.

Morning?

"Hey I want to go with you on one of your morning hikes." Says my friend Bill.

I get up very early.

"How early?"

Old people early.

"Hah, I'm elderly, I get up to pee at 3:30. But I go back to bed and get up at 5 and 6 but go back to bed until CrossFit."

So what is Bill Early?

"What do you mean?"

I mean what time could you go realistically?

"I'll pick you up at 5?"

Text me when you start your pickup.

Truthfully, I would have gone earlier to 'catch' the predawn sky in my plans. But I thought I'd best not push it at all. Bill was an afternoon hiker but had recently discovered that mornings were best to beat the heat for doing outdoor stuff.

In the summer, I can't sleep past the first breath of predawn. I can't help it. I use that time to go check the fences, or walk on the ridge to watch the deer grazing in the cropland.

There is something pretty special about feeling like you have the world to yourself at that time of day.

It is almost an intrusion to have the rest of the world wake up too.

Bill is a neighbor and friend through CrossFit. He likes to complain that he is very old. He isn't. He is only 4 years older than I am. He is in his second year of retirement and true to form, he is busier now than pre retirement. He likes hiking as a form of relaxing exercise, but also has decided that he needs to get to know the area he has lived in for so many years but never had the time for.

I wanted to show him the beauty of early morning. The slanted light, the magic between dawn and day.

And... my husband feels more comfortable if I have someone going with me on my crazy excursions.

Of course I was awake at 3:30. I pondered which place I should take my friend.

So I decided to 'shoot' the Milkway since it was presenting itself right outside my porch.

That way I could be useful and ponder at the same time.

The lights in the lower half of the photo above mark my neighbor's solar lights on the dog fence and the streaks belong to the fireflies. 

The whole purpose of the morning hike was to get Bill excited enough to go with me to shoot the Milkyway or the stars above the ponds at KVR. Or to just watch a full moon set/sunrise down by the water.

That thought was two fold. While at the ponds, we could hopefully catch a glimpse of the Trumpeter Swans or other cool birds in the early morning.

Text: 4 minutes.

Text: Okay, I'll be here.

At 5, Bill picked me up. [First time in a vehicle with anyone outside my family.]

We parked as the sun was just coming over the horizon. It filtered through the wooded trail as we hiked up towards the rock outcropping. This short trail is all uphill and I can usually march up it quickly. No way was I going to make this uncomfortable for him. I matched his pace and listened to him breath.

"This is beautiful!" He kept exclaiming. The morning light was indeed enchanting as we walked right the light filtered through the heavy canopied woods.

I led him through the narrow trail up to the rock. To my horror I saw that the poison ivy had really done very well in the drought.

I asked Bill if he knew what poison ivy looked like. He didn't. So I helped negotiate the trail the rest of the way to keep his bare legs from rubbing the leaves of Three.

We'd missed the brilliant colors of dawn over the valley ....but....

The first view was enough for Bill to softly exclaim.

Wow.

wow...wow....

We spent about 20 minutes on top looking at the light, the forest, the mist, and the view.

And as promised, I had us back on the road in time for him to get home, take a short snooze and make his 9 am CrossFit class.

He was animated on the drive and asked if we could do this again. 

I let my idea of a full moon set and sunrise combo percolate with him a bit.

Next time I get smarter and bring coffee with me. I missed having coffee on the rock.

Morning

I pop awake around 4 am when it starts to get a bit light outside. By 5 am I am wide awake and it is Charlie time. We run through our morning routine, but this week it has been different.

I realize that mornings are all mine for a bit. If there is left over coffee I heat that up and have some while I feed Charlie and have him do his morning business.

Then I make a pot. I look at Charlie and he looks at me. I pick up his little cord and glance out the window. The temperatures are decent, the grass is soaking wet...
we seem to decide together that we should take a morning walk through the meadow and enjoy some quiet moments.

This morning was quite different. We had the fog, but the sun shone through it turning it a brilliant orange/yellow color for a bit.

I even found some spider webs!

I didn't have a proper lens or set up for a 'great' shot, but there it was! A magical web glistening in the morning fog and dew!

There it is, the Meadow in its morning glory with fog moving over the ground and the heavy dew reflecting light.
The wild apple trees are coming into blossom and soon the meadow will be buzzing with bees and full of sweet smells.

We spent about 20 minutes just wandering around looking at the leaves, the trees, the grasses and the dew.

And Charlie came on the first 'whistle' I gave him.

On the run he came, the dew drops flying and his little bells jingling.

We walked back to the house in the morning sunlight together and ... well.
It was awesome.

The coffee was done brewing when we came in the house.
Charlie needed a towel to get him partially dried off.

But our early morning had been like a secret that we shared together as best friends.

Dogs, Sunrise, Fog, and Dew.
Birdsong and Sunlight.
What better things can their be in life?

Chilly morning at Jersey Valley

I drove to Jersey Vally a couple of days ago when it got to be in the higher 30's at night.

I thought I might be able to see some mist coming off the water and I was not surprised.
However the very cold Northeastern breeze did chill me to the bone.

On the ridge the sun was already blazing away, warming the morning up.

However deep down in the valley it was quite cold.

Althought when the sun began to just peek over the tree tops, the valley started to brighten up with colors.

I stayed a few more minutes and tried to rub some warmth into my hands. Finally my patience ran out.

I headed back towards the car and decided to just head home.  

Next time, I am coming with finger-less gloves and something much warmer to wear.