Wednesday, January 11, 2012

No More Morning Person

There was a time (30+ years ago) when I would get up before the sun so I could irrigate the garden. Great time to be up. It was quiet. Birds were just beginning to move and look for breakfast. Living on a high point, I noted the lights disappearing in the valley below.

The garden was therapy time. Weeding the garden while the water ran through the ditches. Whacking a weed is great therapy when envisioning it as some obstinate staff member or boss. Kind of like voodoo beliefs.

Cool summer morning air on the Front Range of Colorado. Soon the sun would appear on the eastern horizon to cast its first rays on Colorado's Long's Peak and its companion mountains. That was a magical moment as the range took on a red cast. And as the sun rose, the color cast changed to an orange to a pink and eventually there was no color cast but the distant dark blended colors of rock and trees accented with snow fields on those distant slopes. I never grew tired of the view.

As I recall those morning therapy sessions, I can still remember the view and recall the feel of the cool and moist air. Good times.

At my advanced age, I am no longer a morning person. Today on the slopes of the Tucson mountains, morning temperatures are in the mid 30s before the sun rises over the eastern horizon. My response is to pull the covers to my chin to enjoy the warmth for a few minutes longer. Unable to sleep, sometimes I pick up a book.

Eventually, I get up and perform the morning routines and have my breakfast shake. By mid morning, the temperatures have risen over that magical 50 degree number. Time to get out and do some exploring.

By the end of the day, I am looking forward to some clouds in the sky to provide a sunset to wrap up the day. Not too many clouds in recent days. Sometimes, sunsets are over rated. Look to the east to see the setting sun reflect off the hills and -- in this photo -- the saguaro. That is where a range of colors can be found.


Rising early on cold mornings to see a sunrise is over rated. I prefer warmth of the sunset hour.

6 comments:

  1. Excellent header photo. Well done.

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  2. OMG. This is a beautiful written story that brings back so many good memories. Wow.. It sounds like a good opening to a great book. Oh, I almost forgot, your header is awesome. Looks like your standing on the slab of a great red wood tree. The wood grain is great...Mary B.

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  3. If cold is the problem why are you in Tucson in mid-winter? If there is any time of the year when the <1000 foot elevations are justified, this is it.

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  4. AMEN!! I too am not a morning person and don't mind saying so!! I get up when my solar panals start charging and then enjoy a great cup of coffee.

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  5. Could "Happy Hour" have anything to do with your preference for sunsets? :))

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  6. I couldn't agree more! I love sleeping in, and I also love checking the sunset every evening, which, in the desert, is usually a no-brainer photo op. :)

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