Early morning magic …

To say that I’m not a morning person is an understatement. I work days (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.) but many mornings it is all I can do to get up, move into the bathroom, wash my face and put mascara on (which requires that my eyes remain open). My preference would be to stay up late and then sleep until 9 or 10 the next morning.

Early morning sun near Deming Park, Terre Haute, Ind. © Photo by Diane Weidenbenner

On those rare occasions when I have woken up early, I have encountered the most amazing things. There is a special kind of magic afoot in the morning hours, whether I am at our house, on the road driving, etc.

One morning my friend, Sandy, and I met at 7:30 a.m. at Java Haute, to plan our garage-sailing strategy. We had no sooner taken off to find the first sale when we discovered the most beautiful sunlight-through-the-trees picture.

God’s creation wakes up early so if I enjoy seeing wildlife (which I do), getting out of bed around sunrise is required.

The last family of single-file geese after crossing the road. © Photo by Diane Weidenbenner

I arrived at work early and three families of geese were crossing from one horse pasture to the other. They were single file: papa goose, then baby 1, baby 2, baby 3 and then mama goose followed up the rear.

Deer are often seen in the woods or crossing the roads on my way to work and I’ve seen a wolf in a nearby shady glen off Barnhart Road. I had to look twice because it stood so still and beautiful, shrouded in the golden field grass and mist. Even song birds at our house are on the morning concert tour, with their chirping, cooing melodies.

Sometimes waking up early means allowing myself extra time to experience something new like stopping by the chicken coop before going into my building at work, to see the new chicks. They are now full-grown, egg-laying hens so this was a time-sensitive opportunity for which I’m grateful.

A cheery, chick-filled start to the day. © Photo by Diane Weidenbenner

I remember when my friend Lilly and I were in college during finals week. Everyone had been up late studying and all we wanted to do the next morning was to sleep in after an arduous semester. To our surprise, and annoyance, someone across the quad opened his window and screamed out to anyone within a half-mile radius, “Wake up! Wake up and see the sunrise!” He then repeated this until most people were looking out their own windows, asking him if he would politely “shut up.” I don’t think he stopped until someone forced his way into his room. Desperate times call for desperate measures, I guess. The guy had the right idea, just the worst timing imaginable.