The Morning Walk

I was waiting for the dogs to finish eating when I chanced to look out the living room windows.....and this is what I saw:



Sunrise waits for no-one, and I knew there was no chance of my getting four dogs to finish their chow and do their business, getting two little dogs back inside and two big dogs leashed up before the fire in the sky was but a memory. So as soon as they finished eating and I no longer had to stand guard to make sure piggy Ms. Sadie didn't steal Master Oliver's food, as she is prone to do, I dashed outside and captured this shot from the end of the driveway:



The air was crisp, the heavy frost looked like snow, the sky was beautiful....and so, though I knew the best of the sunrise would be gone, I pulled some sweats and a coat over my pjs and without finishing my morning coffee, headed for the beach with Sadie and Charley.

In the few minutes it took us to walk down there, perhaps a total of fifteen minutes since I snapped the first picture, the reds had been diluted to pinks, and the bay was awash in myriad of water-colour hues:







The walkway was slippery with the heavy frost on wood, and no footprints appeared in the frost to show others had walked here before us. Despite the morning chill, we took our time and paused often to reflect on the beauty of the bay. One does not rush in nature's cathedrals.



From the marina we could hear a man whistling as he prepared his boat for the day, loading the traps for the crabs he would catch. Another boat at the next dock coaxed villagers to come buy his tuna.



As we walked, the turning tide left black sand where white frost had been before.


The bay was alive with birds of all kinds - herons and gulls, ducks and oystercatchers, geese and crows and sandpipers.



Most were too far away or in too much darkness to photograph, but their little bird feet left wonderful designs in the frosty sand:





All too soon, the dogs and I had to head home as I had an early appointment in town. And so, with regret, we headed up the stairs that provide a shortcut back to the house.



A beautiful morning walk. Worth the cold coffee. Worth the rushed preparations for the day. Worth the frozen fingers and toes. And, I trust, worth the sharing.