Crack of dawn

It’s been getting to the time of year when I can actually manage to be up with the sun. Late-summer mornings have their own special light and feeling about them that I really love.

Just have to remember of course, I used to be bright as a button in the morning, but in later years I seem to begin my days in a fog. Dressing to go out in the morning chill and damp grass isn’t the first or even fifth thing happening naturally. Not to mention the fact that my eyes need at least an hour before I can pop in my contact lenses.

So imagine me if you will, in a sudden panic knowing the special light will be gone within 5 minutes, wearing goosebumps, nightie and red wellingtons, stumbling across the dew sprinkled property, followed by at least one fat cat and curious ponies, camera in hand, searching for spiderwebs and gold. šŸ˜‰

At the time of finally posting this, the rain has begun – coordinating with my SI/sciatic problem to really flare up, and what was meant to be the week of installing windows in my studio. But I have high hopes of September coming through for me, with both sunrises and two legs to stand on for some photos of gold. So for now, a couple of early August snapshots.

How about a challenge, everyone, show me dawn around your place in September.

30 thoughts on “Crack of dawn

  1. Beautiful photos. I am not a morning person but lately have been rising early to do yoga with my dd and its been surprisingly lovely. I smiled at the image of you in your nighty and gumboots, trailed by animals, walking through the dewy dawn. It’s a really charming vision. But I do hope you get the sort of weather soon which best supports your health.

    1. Thank you. šŸ™‚ I don’t think the weather has anything to do with my leg, fortunately, I simply haven’t had the patience to rest enough between building tasks. I wanted so badly to be done that I hoped I could deal with it after. I’m seeing the physiotherapist on Monday, as I suspect it’s no longer just muscles but actually an irritated nerve. Pls cross your fingers I won’t have to stay on the couch for months and months and months, thinking of my half done studio (and the expenses I’ve accumulated)!

  2. Oh, getting up early was worth it (easy for me to say!)–the photos are amazing. I especially like the spiderweb! I’ll try to accept your “dawn in September” challenge–I’m always up early, I just need to remember to snap some photos.

        1. So what time of year do your mornings begin to feel like they’re on the brink of autumn? We usually have millions of spiderwebs at this time, the nights are colder with more dew as a result, even if there are still some warm days.

          1. It’s very much the same here (upstate New York). TONS of spider webs! But the last couple of weeks have been abnormally warm and we’re heading into a Labor Day weekend of near 90 temps–what?! After that, I think we’ll be back to cooler, crisper weather–I hope so!

  3. the dumbest, but most heart-felt thing I ever said was in early September about twenty years ago, when I said to my Mom as we were enjoying a September sunrise “I love this time of year, because I don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn to watch the sun rise.” She knew what I meant. šŸ™‚ Your photos are lovely, and perhaps I will manage to get a sunrise shot this autumn for you. šŸ™‚

    1. Baaahahaha. Well, if it isn’t the sunrise, any kind of early day just by your doorstep counts too. šŸ™‚ It would be fun to get a few versions from around the world.

  4. Nydelige foto! Tror ikke jeg klarer Ć„ stĆ„ opp ved soloppgang forelĆøpig, og nĆ„r soloppgangen nƦrmer seg vanlig stĆ„-opp-tid, sĆ„ mĆ„ jeg nok lage frokost og fĆ„ en del personer avgĆ„rde pĆ„ skolen. Men det hadde vƦrt gĆøy Ć„ gjort det!

    1. Ja, det lyder travlt – mĆ„ske et lille mobilfoto pĆ„ vej fra et sted til et andet lige ved daggry, nĆ„r det en gang passer sammen?

  5. These photos are magnificent!! And your description of yourself, well, I immediately imagined an earth fairy with her magical animal companions. I had such a clear image that I might sketch it later! Is that one in the field, a rabbit or a deer? It looks almost equally both to me.

    I walk up about an hour before dawn. Drink coffee, write morning pages, and sometimes find my way back to the bed for an early morning nap. I generally don’t make it outside though I am tempted to take you up on your challenge!

    1. It’s a deer, they hide in our extra long grass which is shoulder high since the tractor broke down, I can’t even use my path.

      I’d love to see your take on my morning walk, please let us know if it ever makes its way into the world! I’d been thinking of doing some project or other with those red boots as a signature, red is so not me, but they have grown on me.

  6. Herlige billeder, og en umanerlig fristende udfordring. Jeg er heller ikke en der kommer tidligt ud af fjerene, men mĆ„ske i september. Jeg skal bare lidt langt vƦk for aat fĆ„ et uforstyrret kig ĆøstpĆ„ mod solopgangen. ForĆøvrigt synes jeg hele dagen er fuld af sƦrligt lys lige for tiden – isƦr pĆ„ en bygedag som i dag.

    1. Solopgang, daggry i haven, man vƦlger selv. Der er bare noget vejr, og visse tidspunkter, som er nƦsten magiske… Selv mit hĆøloft har et sƦrligt lys, det lykkedes at installere 1 vindue inden regnen. Hver gang jeg stikker hovedet op gennem lugen, tƦnker jeg et splitsekund “Der er hul i taget”. Ja, og det regner ikke ind. Skal have fotograferet udsigten derfra, den er fantastisk.

  7. I’m right with you on the nightwear photography. Many a painting of mine is based on a photograph taken in my bathrobe and uggs. I hope you get the care you need for the sciatica. I have stretches that I do each day to keep mine in check. It really works. Let me know if you would like descriptions.

    1. I’ve been in contact with my physiotherapist again and Friday, after a Thursday in hell with really bad nerve pain and an emergency trip to the doctor, I had a chiro adjustment which made it go away in the blink of an eye. Which is sad, because I’ve spent two months with this getting worse and worse, been there twice and been told I was ok, even though I asked for “that thing you do with my knee over the edge of the couch”. Damn. Now the muscles in my lower back are like cement, it’s going to take some time. Only my luck that studio work has stalled while waiting for windows to go in and it’s raining, because the pain has really been doing a number on my brain and attitude. I bet you know how that goes! But at least they all seem to think it’s not a slipped disc, just overexertion from trying to work my way through it.

      And yes please, any insights you’d care to share are most welcome! šŸ™‚

      1. Here are two stretches I use. For the ‘cement lower back’: Sit at the edge of a low seat (sofa might work, but I find the toilet is the right height!), put your legs straight out in front of you and slowly bend your torso over to meet your thighs. At first you can bend just a little bit, hold it then slowly go for a little more, a little more. Come up slowly, helping with your arms so as not to spasm the back muscles again. Another is the ham string stretch, done daily-ish for prevention. Standing, put one leg up on the arm of a chair/sofa arm/bed so it is straight out in front of you, toes up. Lean toward the outstretched leg so the back of the thigh stretches. Hold 30 secs. Come out of pose slowly, repeat with other leg. Hope these help.

    1. Well, you could post them on your own blogs and also put a link to your post in the comments here. I was in fact going to make a new post myself with photos from yesterday.

    2. I’ll update my new post to include pages of participants as they appear – although I suspect you’re the only one who remembered, I haven’t had the “time” to advertise it!

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