What's your favourite time of the day?

Are you an early bird or a night owl...?

“At sunrise, the blue sky paints herself with gold colours and joyfully dances to the music of a morning breeze.'“

Debasish Mridha

‘there is something

inexpressively beautiful

about the world

when the sun begins to rise

and fill the dim sky

with soft rays of light

and only the birds are awake

to sing to you “good morning”

while everyone else

is curled up in their beds

unaware of the magnificence

they’re missing

and everything feels so simple

it’s as if six a.m. is an epiphany

that sparks at your fingertips

and spreads until

you’re encompassed entirely

by a feeling of clarity

there is something

inexpressively beautiful

about being awake to behold

the splendour of this world

while everyone else

is still asleep.’

M. K

I’ve always been a morning person. As a child, growing up on a farm with livestock, there were no such things as ‘lie-ins’. And when our ponies arrived, very early mornings became the norm.

The habit stuck. To me, it seems a waste of a day to lie-in until midday, although I realise I’m lucky, in that it’s my choice to get up early. I love that feeling; a new day, with all the promise that it holds, dawn just beginning to break. Passing traffic is scarce, and I meet only the occasional dog-walker. As the indigo sky melts into velvet clouds edged with blush pink, and the sliver of gold widens, the chorus of birdsong grows ever louder.

As usual, the maelstrom of thoughts, so intrusive before leaving home, begins to fade; the metronomic sound of my footsteps, awareness of my surroundings, and yes, to use a trite phrase, ‘being present in the moment,’ encompasses me.

For me, there is ‘something so expressively beautiful about the world when the sun begins to rise’… I enjoy walking the streets and lanes under the cover of ink black skies. I enjoy the feeling that I’m the only one awake, even though, with lights shining through house windows, I know that’s not the case. I enjoy the pools of amber light cast by street lights, reflected in the receding puddles. I enjoy the medley of house names; Cobbler’s Corner, Badger’s Rest, The Piggery, Hermit’s Nest Cottage, Fox Barn… I enjoy spotting tiny details - laying on the ground, it’s interwoven moss and twigs unravelling, a tiny nest, blown untethered…

And, as the sliver of gold widens, and darkness surrenders to the light, I enjoy the chattering of birds; crows leaving their roosts, geese flying overhead, on their way to feeding grounds, blackbirds squawking as they skitter across the path in front of me. I enjoy seeing how the dawn unfurls; is it going to be sunny day?

The rhythm of my footsteps, the beauty of the morning, and the hope it provides, all work their magic. I return home, remove boots and coat, watch as steam curls upwards from my cup of coffee; my mind is quieter now, all is an oasis of calm…

I’ve been having a Themed Week over on my social media posts. This week, it’s some of my favourite photos:

Each recalls a particular memory for me;

• frosty snowdrops, the image of which, won a competition for me

• boats emerging from the fog; sitting on the harbour wall, coffee in hand, waiting for dolphins

• the view from a summit in Scotland, so proud of my achievement in climbing to the top, after months of ill-health

• a crystallised seed-head, a reminder of the resilience of nature

• the golden hour over the barley fields, a turning point in my journey of grief

Images, whether they be photographs or paintings, can conjure up a myriad of memories and emotions, they can transport you to a time and place - these are just a few of mine.

Apart from my early morning walks, what else has been motivating or interesting me this week?

• I love history, even more so, when it’s the history of a tool I regularly use. This article on the history of pencils is fascinating! Is this really where the phrase ‘Black Market’ came from?

• And talking of history, I really enjoyed this book: The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper by Roland Allen

• I’ve recently discover Desiree Brown’s Substack ‘The Second Bloom’, and am currently working my way through the archives. This post about reflection and Marie Kondo - stick with it, she’s not just about folding t-shirts - certainly provided some points to consider!

• Mark making is one of my favourite pastimes. I love bold marks, delicate marks, energetic ones and meandering ones…so I love the work of Richard Zenon who I discovered over here on Instagram.

Until next time, happy creating!