Glad to be Alive!

  Some mornings are just made for contemplation.  I find that rising before sunrise gives me the opportunity to reflect back on the previous day, give thanks that I awoke after a restful sleep and plan the day ahead.  It is my time.  The few hours before the hubbub of the day begins.  I enjoy hearing the nighttime critters as they prepare for slumber and the daytime critters waking to a new day.  Each sound is different.  Each has its own meaning.  I look forward to the smells of a new day opening.  The scent of the soft dew on the grass, the sweet scent of night-blooming plants, the same of the fresh blossoms springing forth for the day and even the change of tides.  Closing my eyes allows me to take all of this in without interruption.  The sights of a new day are truly inspiring.  From the critters searching for breakfast to the soft outlines of the pines as the sun rises in the east.  Each sight is a blessing.

  This morning, I could hear the soft crunch of the grass under my feet, smell the almost mustiness of the waterlogged ground and feel the cool air that swept in from the north.  The best of all of this sensory overload was the sight of the sunrise itself.  It has been several days since I last witnessed a sunrise and I missed that big, ole ball of red. The heavy, water-laden clouds completely blocked out any light that tried to filter between them for the past few mornings.  Today, however, I was elated to see that the sky was reddening.  

  It was absolutely mesmerizing to watch the ever changing eastern sky. The soft breeze, the sweet song of birds praising the morn and the sunrise made me thankful for another day and for the Bayou.  Life is amazing!