On the wings of the dawn

There is something about the early morning that calls to my soul. The breathless quiet just before dawn, the first glimmers of light that begin to wake up the world, the promise of a new day. And when you can experience that in a beautiful natural setting, you just need to drink it in.

So, this morning, we rose very early and walked down to the beach to watch the sun rise over the ocean. It was chilly (about 45 degrees) and just beginning to get light when we reached the shore. Tiny seabirds scampered after their breakfast as the waves refreshed their buffet. The sky was streaked with orange and blue; each minute brought changing colors and hues until at last, the sun broke through.

Jim, not typically an early-riser but nonetheless an extremely patient man, sat on a bench, sipping coffee and taking in the scene as I took pictures -- first from the walkway, then onto the beach. The silky sand was surprisingly cold when my flipflops failed to keep it out, but that’s a small price to pay. We watched until the sun was fully above the horizon, then headed back to our camper for some breakfast and more coffee.

What a great start to the day. I’m sure you know people who have a “bucket list” – a list of things they want to do once before they kick the bucket. But I have a different list – I have a list of things that I love so much, I will always want to do them one more time. Watching the sun rise over the ocean is very high on that list.