Sunrise with New Eyes (AND SOTC 217/365)

I can be kind of grumbly when I have to wake up early on a Saturday against my own volition. I like to take my weekends at a slow, easy pace, and having never been a morning person, I generally don't like to start my weekends with an alarm. However, sometimes those gentle Saturdays are not meant to be, and so it was that I found myself up early this morning to take the cat to the vet for follow-up to some recent surgery. Oh, the things we do for those we love.

Needless to say, it's not what I would choose to do with a Saturday morning, but I placated my grumbles knowing that the day could likely be redeemed by a nap later on, and if not a nap, then at least by an extra hour of sleep when Daylight Savings Time ends tonight.

However, because the clocks haven't changed yet, it meant that I was up before the sun this morning. ...And then the sun started to wake up too. Alberta has a knack for glorious sunrises, especially in the fall and winter, when the increased clouds give something for the light to bounce off of in a million different directions. I stood in the kitchen, pouring milk over my cereal, and glanced out the east-facing window. In the last bit of twilight, I could already tell that the sun was going to give a lovely show this morning. As I ate, I watched the clock, and I watched the sky. I think I can catch this one. A band of bright light hit the horizon; time to get the camera.

One of these days I will organize myself to catch a sunrise from one of Edmonton's beautiful River Valley parks, or from some rolling farm field. However, the limited radius I had within my neighbourhood this morning did not disappoint--the beauty of my surrounding streets is one of the reasons I love living here.

I turned trees into models as the sun surfaced over the horizon--and the sky... the sky. The whole neighbourhood became awash in pink and orange.

It had been a while since I'd taken my camera out for a spin--Thanksgiving, when a soft blanket of snow quieted the city. That was about a month ago. And as I stand beneath the fiery glow of the morning, I realize that it's the first time I'm using my camera with my 'new' eyes.*

My heart sings.

The sky continues to break open into full daylight; it's time to move on--there are places to go and things to be done. I am still hoping for that nap this afternoon.

But for now, my grumbles disappear and I breathe in the fresh new start to my day.









* I corrected my vision with LASIK surgery recently, and am now glasses-free!