...and then I see the diamond dust on everything.

Sometimes life takes us down difficult paths.  Ones that are hard to traverse, and often leave us wondering why.  Oftentimes these are paths we've chosen for ourselves.  It's important to remember that's it's all worth it in the end. 

 

My mornings these days are full of spit-up and poop and kids that need me, and even though I'm often left wondering why, I never forget that they are my diamond dust and I am a lucky, lucky person.

Title from : Grant Lee Phillips, Strangest Thing

Morning

It's no secret that I really enjoy mornings.  I have always been a morning person.  There are days when I do more before 9 a.m. than I accomplish for the rest of the day.  I like to rise early  during the week (usually around 5 a.m.) to run and enjoy some peace before the rest of the house wakes.

 

 

 

 

 

I love being awake to watch the sun rise.  It is a very important thing to me, and one that has really only developed since since moving to Maple Lake.  I've always loved morning, though.

 

Why?

 

Mornings hold a power that no other time of day does.  Being awake before any one else brings a peace and serenity to me that I struggle to find throughout the rest  of the day.  At sunrise, anything is possible.  Mornings are when we make a choice.  Will it be a good day?  Bad?  Nondescript?

 

 

 

I try every day to choose positivity.  A sunrise is a clean slate.  Anything is possible, and if you're like me and up before anyone else, no one is there to tell you "no".  At sunrise my mind is completely my own, and it's absolutely bursting with possibility.

 

 

This Morning's Sunrise

Broken

I am sure by now you are aware of the tragic events that unfolded yesterday in Newtown, Connecticut.

My heart is absolutely broken, and I can't even begin to imagine what the families of those children and other victims are experiencing waking up this morning.  All of the tomorrows are gone. 

Raw pain.

A society in which something like this happens is broken.

It's clear that mental health services aren't enough right now.  Gun control is laughable.  I don't know what the answer is, but how many more times does something like this need to happen before something is done?

I wish for peace and healing for the families in Connecticut this morning and for all mornings to come. 

No words that I can write here will ever be enough, either to adequately express my feelings, or to convey what I hope for the future.

A Few Mornings

These days have been busy days for me, but not so busy that I haven't been taking my morning photos.  It's no secret that morning is my favourite time of day.  Here are some shots from the last few mornings.

We have had a stretch of warmer weather lately, but soon the days and nights will cool, bringing ice and snow once again to Maple Lake.

I am looking forward to the changes the new season will bring.

Spring Mornings

If you follow me on facebook, you have seen most of these photos already, but I think it's neat to see them all together.  These were all taken on different days throughout the months of April and the beginning of May.

Trying

Do you ever have days or moments where you feel you are trying so hard, but accomplishing nothing?  My whole last week was like that.  Working so hard, but coming up short every time.  Nothing seemed to go my way.  Every moment of every day was a battle.

It's trying, and it tends to wear a person down.  But what can you do?  Nothing.  Just keep trying.

This morning is another wet one- nothing to do outside but go for a walk and take pictures. 

Everything was covered in raindrops, and the finest mist was in the air.

The Sounds of Sunrise

If you follow me on facebook, you already know that I get up early enough to catch the sunrise and post photos of it almost every day.  I look forward to this time because for me it's an alone time, which these days are far and few between. 

Once out of bed, I peak around the shade in our room and, as was the case this morning, fly for the camera to take pictures of a beautiful, but fleeting sky.  As I step outside on to the deck, what I am most often struck by is not the purple-pink flames in the sky or the lake enrobed in golden mist.  It's the noise.

I am constantly surprised by how loud mornings are around here.  I wrote about the lake ice creaking and groaning and cracking during the winter, and now Spring has brought on it's own soundtrack.  The photos I take only tell one story.  They don't tell you about the gaggle of turkeys carrying on down the way, or the absolute cacophony of bird song or the grouse beating it's wings up in the bush.

Throughout the day there is a constant stream of sounds, birds chirping, the wind in the trees and red squirrels telling off anything and anyone who gets in their way.  The morning sounds are the most striking though.  Perhaps it's the juxtaposition of noise on such peaceful scenes, when no one else is around to listen, or maybe it's the fact that these are the first noises I've heard on a particular day, but whatever it is, it's a constant source of wonderment for me, and I look forward to what each new morning will bring.

The Lyricism of Ice

Even in the stillness of winter, a frozen lake is very loud.  This morning I stepped outside to snap some photos of the spectacular morning sky, and as it always does, the unearthly noise coming from the lake took me by surprise.  It's fascinating to listen to.  Unpredictable.

A frozen lake makes noise in this way because the ice is elastic and dynamic.  Constantly changing due to currents underneath and ranging temperatures.  Certainly, our lake is the noisiest on very cold mornings or when there has been a dramatic temperature change.

We are nearing our one year mark of living here - we moved last Easter weekend, and I am looking forward to coming full circle, as it were.  When we arrived last year, the ice was already out and there were only patches of snow left.  I want to see the lake ice melt.  Having only visited here in the past, and never staying long enough to notice anything significant, I am constantly surprised by how dynamic and lyrical winter is.  I would have never guessed that the most interesting season on a lake would be winter, but it is.

From the Weather Book

February 23
- gorgeous morning
- thick blanket of new snow

February 24
- a whole load of snow - allll day long!

March 1
- in like a lion....

March 3
- windy
- stormy
- snow
- ice
- rain
- tree down
- crazy, crazy weather

March 4
- cold, clear
- Happy Birthday Henry!

March 5
- cold!

March 6
- windy
- milder


Now that Henry's birthday has passed (cry, cry) I'm hoping that I can find more time to write and blog.