I woke early this morning, way too early for Saturday, the day I plan to catch up on my weekly sleep deficit.
Monday through Friday I get up at 5:45. This time of year, the sun -- if it appears that day-- barely makes it to 20 degrees above the horizon by the time I get to work.
The early winter sky is always beautiful, my small consolation prize for being conscious--barely-- before my biorhythms want me to be.
But today, I figured I'd roll out after nine, at least, if I was lucky. I wasn't, as far as my sleep plans went.
I'd gone to the bathroom, and plopped back into bed. But the view I'd seen out the window nagged: perfect light, snow still on the branches, grasses bowed and beautiful under crystal blankets.
Go to sleep. It's only snow, I told myself.
But it's beautiful, and you can take a nap later. Get up! That was me, too.
When I argue with myself, I listen to the emotional side, not the logical. So I got up, grabbed the camera, and slipped out into the frosty beauty.
In reality I was blessed; that's better than lucky.
I walked beside bunny and deer tracks. Grasses leaned into the trail like spectators anxious for a parade to begin. But there was only me, snapping pictures of what the sun put its finger on.
Unlike the students in my class, the grasses, vines, and trees were undemanding. No clamoring and clowning for me to take their pictures. They just stood proud, quiet and beautiful.
Worth waking early for.
~~~~~
In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy. ~William Blake
Comments
Gorgeous shots, Ma'am.
It is raining here. Sheets and sheets of warm rain, pouring off the roof, backing up in ditches and pooling in the yard.
I love the rain. There is something private and renewing about the rain. Your photos gave me the same sense. Nature making us humans stop and look at it at work.
Beautiful!
Pauline~Misery loves company. I'm glad you got up! It was worth it for you, too, I'll bet. :>)
All my working days I got up at 4:45 so that I could have a 45 min walk in the dark before the rest of the world woke up. People said, 'But, isn't it dangerous?' (This was, after all, Los Angeles) 'No,'I said. 'The bad guys are all passed out by then. It's 11:00 PM you have to watch out for.' And,in all those years I saw only one bad guy and he ran away when I started yelling. But, I saw probably thousands of beautiful things - stars, moon, mama skunk and baby skunks, a raccoon (yes, in L.A.), night-blooming flowers going to bed, day blooming flowers opening, spider webs with dew diamonds, perfect snails that I moved off the sidewalk to safety - it was all worth it. And, thanks for reminding me.
I used to get up at 5:30 every day. Since I retired in May, I can now sleep in until 8:30 with no problem!
The birds were hiding from me, but I still got a couple of good shots. I can't wait for more snow!
Hi Ruth - you have me confused as I've never read your blog before. Thank you for visiting mine.
I share your views about needing to step back from the Xmas over-undulgence.
In the New Year, I'll do a post about stock photography in general, so I hope that may help you.
Gillian. xxx