These autumn days are particularly beautiful, with the stunning colours in the brilliant sun.
This gallery shows just a few of this week's mornings when meandering to the shore as the sun was rising.
-click on any image for a larger view-
The days begin with a walk to Flagpole Point before breakfast.
In part it is a necessity, to walk the dog, but equally important is that this outing provides me a chance to appreciate the uniqueness of each morning. Though it is the same place, the variation is infinite: light, colour and texture in differing combinations.
The rising sun's position is constantly shifting with the seasons, tides varying with moon-phase, wind and weather, clouds, fog, rain, or clear... Add to this, the cast of birds and small animals. I never know just what the morning jaunt will offer: kingfishers, herons, otters, harlequins, eagles, mink, seals...
It has long been my habit to record these first glimpses of the day there with a few photos, usually just on my iPhone, but sometimes with my 'big' camera. Recently it occurred to me to share some of my morning glimpses with others, so I created a Flickr Album Mornings at Flagpole Point which you can view here.
My aim is to post one a day. Sometimes, like yesterday when we had a power outage I couldn't post. There are bound to be other missed days here and there, but mostly it'll be a daily photo.
Thanks so much for enjoying these glimpses of the world with me.
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Though the afternoon had been drizzly and the days fairly cool, the camellia doesn't seem to mind. She's blooming, determined spring is really arriving. I cut some and arranged them in the old white milk jug, and set them on the dining table. The next morning the sun was up before I was so I was greeted with this glimpse of beauty sunlit beauty.
Photo Notes: this piece is adapted from my original RAW photo using Lightroom and Topaz Impression.
The colours of the morning sun most certainly are golden. Here the arbutus and cedars display their stunning colour, texture and shapes. The warmth of the colours belies the chill of the day.
The smooth water, contrasted with the shapes of the sandstone and logs... a pleasing mix, in the morning's light, of shape and texture. Maybe it's an indication of what the day holds —
It looks like the forecast is matching what we saw as the sun rose this morning. Heavy rain and wind are in the offing. Meanwhile —there was a blaze of glory in the early light.
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I’ve added a few adjustments to this iPhone photo with Photoshop and Topaz Simplify get the image closer to what my 'eye' saw.
The rain has started in earnest now. Its not a gentle sprinkling as we had overnight but a proper and welcome rain, pounding on the roof.
There was a brief pause between the overnight showers and this more definite, steady downfall, and it was in that pause I went out with the dogs, on our usual morning round. In the southeast there was one tiny window in the clouds, the lower edge gilded by the sun rising behind. That window is now tight shut, but it provided a lovely glimpse of the light that's ever present, even while obscured.
Spending a few days in 'town' offers a chance to walk the paths along Mosquito Creek. The delight of these walks comes not only from the beauty alongside the tumbling creek-water, but the poignancy of recognizing these are likely last days before the green leaves the trees (so to speak). The sunlight shining through the still vibrant green is more precious perhaps because these days are so limited. But its not only the colour and light. For me its also their shadow patterns on the path — constantly shifting, and intriguing.
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The photo above is one of my favourite points on the trail where it diverges around a grand moss-clothed maple. To the left it goes down to the creek itself. To the right, up to the road. The main trail is straight ahead, past the maple, following alongside the creek.
Every morning is different. And beautiful. My early morning venture out with 'the girls' (our two Golden Retrievers) is not only for their benefit. Clearly. It is for me too, as I breathe the morning air, and revel in the daily beauty. Today again, the stillness of the water, the reflections of the clouds, the congregation of gulls on the rocks, the warm glow of the rising sun— all of it.
Soon perhaps, it'll be winter storms, biting cold wind, and raucous waves. But for now, this is what we have. And its glorious.
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These daily excursions outside and the morning by morning-ness of the wonders I see remind me of a line of an old and fine hymn that remains with me: '...morning by morning new mercies I see...' Maybe that's the tune for the day today...?
The reward for venturing out with our two Goldens this morning: the rising sun spread its light through the one opening in the cloud, lit up a path of light on the water, and gave a rosy gold hue to the underside of the clouds.
In the brightness, just to the right of centre you can see the outline of the mountain peaks of Washington State. The southern shoulder of Mt. Baker, just barely discernable in the centre of the light. (Click on the image to see it full sized).
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Happily the time of sunrise is getting later: one of the benefits of autumn. I'm grateful not to be sleeping through the glories of the early morning light-shows like the one I was grateful to see and posted here.
