looking ahead and behind

sunrise:  6:51 

One month to go!  I have been up and out for 334 sunrises in a row*  

It was just over 20 degrees F. for my walk this morning.  More and more prep is involved in getting outdoors as winter moves in - fleeces, gloves, hat. If there is a heavy snow I'll be pulling the snowshoes or skis back out, recalling the first days of this blog adventure.  I continue to be amazed by the ability of dogs to tolerate all weather without any change of clothing.

For a long time now I have been looking ahead with great anticipation to the day when I will get to sleep in - no alarm, no dawn rising.  Recently, I find I am having mixed feelings.  In many ways I will miss this routine - the rising in twilight, the walk around a quiet world on the brink of starting the day, the glorious beauty and serenity of pre-dawn, and the lifting of light across the landscape. 

It is an inspirational routine, including the writing that follows.  For months I have been mulling over the possibility of a continuing with a new blog with a less rigid framework.  It will not be a daily blog, perhaps not even weekly, but it will be an extension in some way of the blog journey I have taken during the year 2010.

I'll keep you posted. 

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I took a walk down to the Penobscot River on this brisk and bright morning.  There was a summer rope swing frozen in the water, and the beautiful river at dawn.

Here are two photos that may be interesting to compare.  They are almost identical scenes, but the first was taken 20 minutes before official sunrise, the second was taken about 15 minutes after official sunrise.  The sun became visible to my eye, by the way, at about 6:58, seven minutes after official sunrise.

 pre-dawn

 post-dawn

*(full disclosure - there were a couple of days when I was up and out before dawn, but had to be on an airplane for most of dawn itself).