Marina sunrise

The marina was full of sailboats

All sleeping sound at night

Most of them on permanent moorings

A few were overnight visitors

They were the ones who woke up first

Chatting incessantly at dawn

Speculating if the sunrise would be special today

The long timers were not amused

Its only a sunrise

We get them here most days

Not worth waking up for

Keep down the chatter 

Some of use want to sleep more

The visitors ignored them

Wow look at that big sky

The clouds are lit up orange and purple

Lets turn to watch the sunrise

They were in awe of the spectacle

The rising orange sun floated on the horizon

Was it under the ocean all night

Did the sun just wake up too

Does the sun make these colors for fun

Is he in awe looking at us 

This could never get tiring

The sun rose higher and the colors faded away

Soon it was all over with dull cloudy skies

Wow that was amazing

You resident sail boats are so lucky

You should all we waking early daily to watch this

The residents were totally unfazed

Go back to sleep

It was only a sunrise

You need to rest more

We have a hard day of sailing ahead

The wind started to pick up

Chopping up the surface of the bay

A few early sailers appeared

Rolling down sails in preparation

The newcomers were excited

Oh we get to explore this bay

Maybe we will see dolphins

Lets see who can sail fastest

I will win today

The residents were not amused

Why do they let visitors moor here

They always wake up too early

Its was just another sunrise 

My sails are still tired from racing yesterday

A few hours later

All the visitors were away sailing

The remaining residents dozed

Peace at last

Thank goodness they left

I hope they all sink today

There was however one dissenter

I am glad they woke us early

Sunrise was truly incredible today

pre-dawn bayside worship

she stepped out into the crisp early morning spring air

birds singing the dawn chorus to greet her

the pale blue sky had been delicately painted onto the calm waters of the bay

the marsh was starting to shed its brown winter coat and change into green for the summer 

the sun was not up but the cloudy eastern sky was orange ablaze in anticipation

a lone waterman glided over the mirror like surface

speeding towards crab pots with hopes of a bumper catch

rhythmically flowing ripples ran from his boat to infinity 

carving up the perfectly reflected sky painting into a torn canvas

when the boat was well gone and the ripples were just a gentle swell

the sky began to gently repaint itself on the water

she treasured these still moments that touched her soul

she loved way the bay and the marsh gifted her changing portraits  

the pre-dawn era was brief but seemed never ending

the sun burst over the horizon with enthusiastic abandon

dormant still air was nudged into movement by the warming sun 

gentle breezes began a whispering dance over the bay wiping out the reflected sky

she took one last breath of the intoxicating morning air before going inside

with a gracious thank you she she sealed the images in her mind

it was time to face another day laced with work, chores, family and errands

mixing with the poor souls who have never learned to worship these wonders

she will return for her daily dose of bayside nature tomorrow

plan your daily do nothing moment

I like to get up early

get away from everything electronic

step outside

just me and nature

its my planned daily do nothing moment

take a deep breath

listen to my heart beat

wait for the sunrise 

in awe that its so different every day

watch the birds fly by

see the colors in the sky slowly change

try to figure out which way the clouds are drifting

follow the wind making ripples on the water

notice how lush green the marsh is today

observe a waterman tending to his crab pots

he glides effortlessly from one pot to the next

pulls up each one with minimal effort

he is totally in rhythm with nature

 a harvester of crops from the bays

he moves on up the creek

his small boat makes a low wake

which soon disappears 

he leaves no footprint

 a heron flies overhead 

he makes a gangly awkward landing

takes a few measured steps in the shallows

then he waits and waits and waits

eventually his breakfast will swim along towards him

but in the meantime

he is having his do nothing moment

Assateague worshippers

she walks the Assateague beach before sunrise

feeling the sand between her toes

pausing to listen to the gentle crashing waves

watching the birds run in and out of the waters edge

too early for the daily onslaught summer tourists

only locals venture out at dark o’thirty

some come to ride the surf

others stroll with morning coffee in hand

she stands still as the first jewel of sunshine appears

the sky painter had chosen mostly orange today

tinting the high clouds pale pink in honor of the approaching sun

the birds line up to watch the sunrise

the sun climbs up out of the ocean

like an awakening giant

only ever seen with the naked eye near the horizon

all other times his power must be worshiped through sunglasses

with eyes closed she pays homage to the morning sun

willing her mind to absorb the energy falling on her face 

whispering thank you to the universe for another beautiful day

it only takes a few minutes to fully recharge her soul

the birds return to feeding in the surf

she heads back to the parking lot

exchanging smiles with the the wet suited surfers heading to the water

on the drive home she passes the first waves of tourists

while the screaming crowds devour their sand encrusted lunch on the Assateague beach

she is home alone reading meditating and enjoying her inner peace

as the sun sets she feels the last of his energy leaving her body

she sleeps soundly dreaming of tomorrows Assateague sunrise

thoughts, tea and action

the sun is not long up

I step outside

the cool air is sweet

early morning stillness

heavy dew on the ground

the bay is flat calm

no breeze yet

everything is quiet

folks having their Saturday morning lie in

even the birds are still sleeping

its my time alone

I am not really alone though

I have my thoughts with me today

they got lost for a while

trapped in a Covid brain fog 

I could hear their distant muffled voices

but could not make out their words

it was not a pleasant experience

especially when combined with fatigue

hopefully that fog has permanently lifted

I missed my thoughts a lot

we have great conversations

sometimes the occasional argument 

today we are chatting calmly

I am wondering what to do on this glorious day

my thoughts jump in with ideas

interesting places to go

fun things to do

good friends to see

getting some long postponed tasks done

paying it forward activities

being nice to others

I agree with all my thought’s suggestions

they are so much wiser than me

its going to be a good day

a thoughtful day

I really appreciate my thoughts

we shall check in on each other

throughout the day

now its time for tea and action

Some days seem destined to be dull

Some days seem destined to be dull, others are full of surprises and spectacular events.

Friday started out quite dull, it was over 90F at 9am and super humid.

I spent most of the day on a routine doctor visit and running errands.

Nothing exciting on the agenda for this dull day.

I came home to tidy up the garden, at the end of the afternoon I saw that the sky was darkening to the West

Maybe we will have rain I thought, a welcome interruption to this dull oppressive heat.

I was putting stuff away from gardening when I saw an alert message on my phone.

Within minutes the sky turned an evil black and big raindrops dotted the driveway, not soaking rain but an aperitif.

The main course soon followed, a torrent of rain, delivered in winds of frightening intensity.

The trees were rocking, garden furniture was skidding about and anything light outside took off in the heavy gusts,

The bay erupted as heavy squalls dashed over the surface.

Hail appeared with a crashing sound on the windows and it was intense for at least 5 minutes. The hail was bouncing off the deck outside.

The ground turned white, rivers of rain flowed down the street.

Lightening flashes accompanied by deafening thunder told us the storm was directly overhead.

Our emotions were mixed, excited by the display but somewhat anxious for the potential damage from this immensely powerful reminder of nature’s strength.

After 30 minutes or so the rain and hail suddenly stopped.

The sun emerged from the parting clouds and the crazy wild wind thankfully subsided .

Nature declared it was time for dessert.

A huge rainbow suddenly appeared over the bay, we could almost touch the end of it from our back yard

The temperature had dropped 20 degrees causing the wet road surface to evaporate in clouds of moisture like a London Fog.

Fortunately we had no damage from the storm and we prepared dinner dinner in awe of what we had just witnessed.

Later we settled down to watch the bay as the clouds lit up in breathtaking colors at sunset.

The previously raging bay was calm now, reflecting the bright orange light from the clouds.

Perhaps the spectacular sunset display was nature’s way of saying sorry for the storm, please forgive me and accept this gift.

Another surprise gift followed at 4 am, Jupiter shining bright in a sky full of stars, Mars and Venus sitting proudly to her left.

Nature gave another gift at sunrise on Saturday with a bright orange ball rising up from the ocean.

The artwork in our home lit up into a flaming inferno.

Of course we forgave nature for unleashing that storm upon us and we graciously accepted all her beautiful gifts.

There shall be no more dull days for us because every day is a wondrous gift in life.

Thanks to the turkey vultures

I stood on my balcony waiting for sunrise

A huge group of turkey vultures were soaring nearby

There must have been more than a hundred

The sky was almost back with them

Huge birds with a six foot wingspan

Playing in the early morning thermals

Taking spiral rides upwards

Breaking off to dive down again

Enjoying the invisible fairground rides

Swooping between buildings

Some came really close to my balcony

So close that we made eye contact

I wondered if they were checking me out 

As a potential food source

I waved to them in defiance

Sorry guys I am not dead yet

The message spread fast and they moved on

Soon the skies were clear again

How odd that it took a bunch of vultures

To remind me that I am still alive and well

Not that I had forgotten about my existence

Its just that I had not been thinking about it recently

Those birds did me a huge favor today

I will cherish every moment that passes

My senses will be super sharp all day

Sunrise came and the clouds lit up bright pink 

The colors seemed much more vibrant than usual

The flavors in my breakfast shake were divine

I can feel the energy flowing through my veins

Time to pump up the tires for a long bike ride

Its going to be one of those banner days

Thanks to the turkey vultures

Carry it well

On this beautiful day

The sun came up

Orange rays of light painted the clouds

Birds lined up to watch

A light breeze gifted playful ripples on the bay

The low sun lit up the ripples with flashes of white light

The fairies were dancing on the water again

Relaxing music filled our home

We prepared our minds and bodies for a day of challenges 

Tapping into the positive energy of the sunrise

Giving thanks for being healthy in both body and mind

Wondering why the same world can be so different for others

Thinking back to my time as a first responder

Remembering the day we rescued a 19 year old girl from a heroin overdose

Her heroin addict roommate had raised the alarm

She had stopped breathing when we arrived

We brought her back to life with drugs and oxygen

She had just been released from rehab

Her world was cheap hotels and selling her body for drugs

She probably overdosed again

One day the sun will rise after she had taken her last breath

Gentle music will be filling our home when the hotel housemaid discovers her dead

The fairies will dance on the bay during her autopsy

Birds will sing while her parents grieve at her funeral

We all share the same light from the sun

I choose to see the beauty it brings

Unfortunately some are unable to see what I see

Either through bad fortune or bad decisions

They see a world full of struggle and despair 

The non-judgmental sun comes up every morning 

He brings you your light

Carry it well