Not much better

I was so looking forward to sleeping in this morning, but the dang cat started yowling at 5:30 and that was it for me. I tried going back, but it was no use. My anger was softened by glow of the sky and the lure of my hot tub. I crept down the stairs, hoping not to alert my sleeping pup (her exuberance in the wee hours is too much for me some mornings). I make it outside and am instantly glad--the soft air and early morning sounds bring me ease. I sink into the warm tub and gratitude comes easily. (I will not list my cat, however, he's still a PIA)

1. Late summer sounds.

We spent 2 weeks on the west coast of BC in July. Our trip home to the east was long and brutal, the car finally pulling into our gravel drive in the wee hours of the morning. The first thing I noticed when I opened the car door was how different the night sounded. The crickets must have started their summer night chorus in our absence. After spending two weeks with completely silent nights on the coast, the drone of crickets was shocking; so much so, that when we gratefully fell into bed, I couldn't sleep due to their chatter!

I'm not sure why we didn't hear crickets when we were out west, (maybe because we were so close to the ocean?) but the absence of them made me realize what a symbol of summer they are to me, and I cherish the sound.

2. The weight of the air at 6am in September.
3. The first glimpse of what the day will bring.
4. Trails in the wet grass.
​5. An outdoor shower at sunrise. Not much better...