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Disclosure: this pre-dawn scene is from Monday. The moon is now a waxing crescent, of course…and the new moon has come and gone.
I thought the shadowy illumination of the”dark” part of the moon was particularly interesting: it’s there, but only suggested – like many things at this time of the day.
The daylilies, so bountiful this year, have been gone for a couple of weeks now – which is why I was so surprised to find these hidden gems. I was actually checking on the progress of ripening elderberries in the towering bush that covers much of the pile when the flash of color caught my eye. Few flowers are orange out here, so I moved some debris and found these. How they survived and bloomed with branches and clippings covering them is a puzzle, but they did…and now, beauty lives in the brush pile, too.
About a half hour before sunrise technically occurs, morning chores begin. In this pre-dawn period, it’s dark, still, and very different from the way the farm feels when it’s light out. Eyes, used to interior lighting, need to adjust to the darkness and sometimes there’s a bit of stumbling around while trying to get bearings.
It’s a special time: wild birds begin stirring, young roosters start to crow, and the landscape is tantalizingly amorphous and mysterious. Sharp edges are softened, noises muted. And as dawn approaches – the glorious, changing colors in the sky, the wondrous event that’s unfolding – it feels like being front-row at a much-anticipated concert…and the star is about to enter the stage. 🌞
A big, buzzing bumblebee was making the rounds among the honeysuckle while I harvested other plants. It visited many flowers, but seemed interested in only a few. A picky bee, it seems!
The forecasted storms have rolled in. We got a brief drenching yesterday afternoon, it definitely rained overnight, and the rain ramped up again this morning. Walking out in the downpour to shut the chicken coop door reminded me why rain is so important, in ways we take for granted.
It’s an oppressively humid day – the kind of day that makes the air, heavy and wet, a presence. It feels like something is building out there, and based on the forecast, it is: thunderstorms. Frankly, it will be a relief if the skies open up and the moisture rains down because it will lower temperatures, cleanse everything in its path, and soak the dry earth. Come on, rain…we’re all waiting.