The Silver Morn

  Sometimes, you can tell from the moment you awaken that it is going to be a good day.  Not that I have many other kind of days but a good day is always welcome.  My grandmother-in-law (Momie) used to always say that any day that you were able to get out of bed was a great day and that you are blessed.  Through all of her many years, she proclaimed that "Life is good!" I believe her.  That said, I am up before dawn.  Rising early was learned back on the farm and is a habit that is hard to break.  Rising early gives me an opportunity to have a little peaceful time before beginning the chores for the day.  There is just nothing better than sitting on the pier, sipping on a mug of hot coffee while watching the sunrise.  

  The other morning, Mark and I wound up on the pier after a short stroll around the hillside.  This is our usual stopping place.  We listen to the world as it awakens around us and we watch as all sorts of critters search for breakfast.  That morning, however, it was the sunrise that caught all of our interest.  Clouds from an overnight rain storm lingered on the horizon.  While the rising sun usually bathes the clouds in all sorts of colors, this sunrise was different. The reds, oranges and pinks (with a dabbling of purple) never fails to awe but, on this particular morning, none of that happened.  No bright hues splashed across the sky.  Instead, a study in grays, silvers with a hint of blue greeted us with the sunrise.  Even without the flashy colors, the morning was perfect!  

  Many times, you need the calming effects of muted tones to ease you into the day.  A peaceful morning can set the stage for an easygoing, happy-go-lucky kind of day.  That pretty much describes my entire weekend.  Yep, lots has been accomplished.  The past few days have been busy.  I am tired.  BUT...the serenity of the silver morn has stayed with me through the entirety.  Momie, you were right.  Life is good and I am blessed.

The Silver Lining...Maybe?

  Early this morning, Mark and I headed to the pier to do a bit of fishing. He was actually going to use the small skiff but I was staying behind on the pier.  I want to be able to head to the house if the fish are not biting. There is just far too much to do in the garden to sit lollygagging about if I am not catching lunch.  All was well with the morn.  It was a beautiful day opening and I was enjoying the slight northeast breeze...until...Mark opened the live-well of the boat and found that he had inadvertently left a few menhaden there overnight.  Not good...in fact, bad or even terrible!  The things had died and had become quite rank in the humid air.  Ugh!  It was bad enough that the boat smelled like a garbage heap but, then, he scooped said little dead fishies and tossed them into the water.  UGH to a greater extent!  Now the whole place smelled like a city dump!  STOP!  I called to him.  Move on away from the pier before you toss any more dead things!  He did and I thought all would return to normal.  It did not.  The minnows were quite swollen and they bobbed along the ripples like little buoys.  Each bounce released another malodorous spew of stench into the air. Double ugh!

  At the time I thought that I could not stand the reeking dead fish bobbers any more, a seagull came to my rescue.  Down swooped one bird and it scooped up a mushy, stinking-to-high-heaven minnow.  The bird was the envy of all gulls and terns that eat dead things floating on the surf.  Several squeals later, another gull dove to fetch its own putrid fish.  Well, at least they were cleaning the water (and the air).  One after another, the birds dove after the minnows giving me the perfect opportunity to snap a few closeup photographs.  

  Once I settled down enough to observe the pictures that I had taken, I realized that the stench that ruined my fishing trip was not all bad.  The rising sun as a backdrop and birds diving just a few feet from my camera lens provided a perfect setting for some excellent photographs. The morning turned out well,  I got great pictures and the birds feasted on putrid fish.  Sometimes things we deem as bad do have silver linings.  We just have to look for them.