Mornings

I used to hate getting up in the morning. I used to have trouble sleeping from the rotating and the odd shifts I used to work.

It took me years to get into a good sleep habit. Well, I think it is a good sleep habit. Now I go to bed about the same time each night and wake up at 5AM with no alarm clock.

I'm getting used to the chilly mornings also. My insulated coveralls are generally right next to the porch door along with my hat and gloves. What easier way to take a sunrise walk than to have those items laid out right next to the door?

Below, the moon and the western sky above our cottage. You can see Mica the grey elderly mule standing and watching to see if I head to the shed.

I was surprised yesterday morning by the intense colors that came through the forest while Charlie and I walked up the driveway. It was like the ridge was on fire!

The intensity of the 'red' color was incredible. The bark on the trees along the western edge of the road were literally red colored. I took photos, but the images turned out so red and bizarre, I didn't save them.

This morning's sky was much more subtle and I had fun trying to place that one lone corn stalk properly in the photo. It took me several tries. Charlie was happy to wander the corn field and seek out deer and other critter smells.

I like this time of day. I have it to myself. There are no phone calls, no doctor appointments, or requests from the other half. 

It is my selfish time to sip coffee or take a walk or simply watch the day start. 

I do love the subtle colors of dawn too. I think sometimes too many people concentrate on the vivid dawns and sunsets, and let the subtle and gentle colors go unnoticed.

Charlie thinks mornings are for sniffing and doing dog business. He gave me a grumpy look once I headed back towards home. On the way to the ridge he ran ahead of me. 
On the way home he dragged his feet and walked behind me.

I get it Charlie, I like the mornings too!

A Wee Break

Charlie and I did end up going for an afternoon hike. A very long one. I left my cell phone at home and packed some snacks for the two of us.
Dog treats and granola bars along with water of course.

The auction for my MIL's collectables and apartment 'stuff' was going to be held on Saturday and I'd promised a friend I'd go with her.

I really enjoyed the time just wandering without looking at a clock. The sunlight came through the thinning leaves of gold on the trail that lead to the back valley.
I didn't feel compelled to try to photograph the scene as I knew I'd never capture the smells and the golden light properly. I just wanted to wander with Charlie and enjoy our time away from phones, doctors, emails, and appointment reminders.

I didn't get to do my CrossFit intramural workout scheduled and I felt badly about that, so I decided to put that out of my mind also.

When Charlie and I got into the back valley, we spent a lot of time watching small trout swim in a rocky pool. I got out the infrared camera and took some photos.

Both of us decided not to follow the creek downstream as the water was too deep in spots for me to cross without getting soaked. I would need my knee high boots for that.
Charlie wasn't really thrilled about swimming across either.
We headed back up to the ridge and found that the sky was amazing. The clouds were amazing.

There is tiny Charlie looking up at the 'world'. To be so small yet so brave. He is a wonder.

So our ridge walk around the corn field did not disappoint us at all.

Funny thing happened on the way up the trail. I stopped and gave Charlie a treat and then had a granola bar while I re-arranged my back pack. I glanced to my right and stared into a low slung trail camera. I took off my hat and waved before shouldering the back pack and heading up to the ridge. That was the second camera I'd seen. This is my absent neighbor's land and he does come once a year to hunt on it. I've got permission to wander to my heart's delight on the land, but won't step foot on it during the 9 day deer/gun season. That is when the land is overrun by insanity.

Most of the year, I have the 'land' to myself and the critters. In the spring the 4 wheeler guys are around every weekend making a racket, but I just enjoy the place during the week days when they aren't around.

Someone had mowed around the fields and set up cameras. I just wave if I see one and continue on my hikes. The cameras will disappear by the weekend after Thanksgiving.

I had a notion of dressing up in a Halloween Costume and dancing near the cameras.

We made our way back home slowly. I was in no hurry. I longed for those days that I could stay out on the ridge until the sun set.

I knew I should not have gone off and hiked when I had so much to still do in the shed, but I figured I needed a break from that too.

Saturday promised rain all day. Sunday was supposed to be nice, the rest of the week? Cold and rain.
All good days to work in the big shed.

Something about pre dawn

Before the sun comes up.
I awaken.

This morning I poured a cup of coffee and warmed it up. I grabbed my camera bag and walked past the sleeping dog and went looking for morning colors.

I decided to visit the bridge on a hunch that the colors might just be fantastic.
The spot did not disappoint me at all.

I headed back and stopped on Riley road to 'shoot' the first burst of daylight.

I used my zoom lens to pull the sun towards me.
All I could think of is ...wow, this day will be hot!
Look at that sun!

I drove half a mile and realized that the sun would rise again in this spot. Bonus!
Two sunrises in 10 minutes!

I scooted home and caught up Mica. She is elderly, calm, and an excellent all around mule.
She has some breathing issues but I hoped to avoid them by riding her on easy terrain.

Hills? I walk and lead her. Flat? We can ride.

We went out to watch the fog lift from the low areas and inspect the rolled hay bales on the neighbor's cropland.

She is the tallest mule we have.
This morning she seemed to have a real issue with leaving home and her pals.

The woods were actually quite cool and comfortable compared to the open sunlight on the ridge.

On second thought, this is where we should have ridden instead of the new morning's blazing hot sun.

Live and learn.



Middays are just too hot right now to do much other than read a book or sit on the porch in the rocking chair with a fan on.

I can't wait for tomorrow's dawn.

Patchy Smoke and then Patchy Fog

For real, that is what the LaCrosse NOAA service sight said last night.

I was wondering what Patchy Smoke would look like. Last weekend there was Canadian Wildfire smoke obscuring the night horizon while we were watching for the Perseid Meteor showers.

Just before I went to sleep last night, I went out with Charlie and noticed the crescent moon was a deep orange.
Ahhh. Smoke.

Charlie woke me up right at 5 am. I looked out the window and had my first surprise of the day. Little Richard was outside my bedroom window grazing. He was loose.
I walked out in bare feet and a t-shirt and walked him to the 3 electric line pen. He went like a Prince.
I'd been asked if I'd sell him recently and I said no. He could be a pain in the butt, but he does a good job at grazing areas I have a hard time mowing by hand.

There was a faint light in the sky while I watched Charlie do his business and we wandered back to the house to have coffee.

The sky was very dull and at first I attributed it to the fog. I gathered my camera bag stuff and keys. Charlie wasn't letting me out the door without him.
He even tried to help me with my socks and boots...

I plopped him into the 'car seat' and we set off to the ridge. The sky and fog had an unusual dullness to it.

Generally if it is foggy and the sun has risen, the fog has a brilliant color...this morning?

It was as if someone had wiped all the colors from the sky.

Yet the sun was already up....

So this must be what partly smokey and partly foggy means.

I felt the sun looked rather strange, almost like a red full moon rising.
Except I knew that it was the sun.