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My name is the great irony of my life. Don’t get me wrong - I love the dawn; it’s a beautiful and magical time of day (especially if you’ve got a camera in your hand). It’s just that I’m a night owl by nature and mornings don’t come easy for me. My sixteen-year-old son runs cross country, which currently forces me out of bed before 6 a.m. twice a week. I really love walking outdoors in the still of early morning, although I can’t seem to manage it those other five days of my own free will.
Saturday morning we left before sunrise for a cross country meet that was a good distance from home. At 8:30 we joined the runners and a mix of spectators to walk the mile-and-a-half course before the race began. Toward the end, my four-year-old daughter and I lagged behind the pack as we searched for a never-found stick in the bottom of her sandal, and that is when the early morning light began to work its magic and the camera came off of my shoulder.
Old stone chimneys fascinate me, standing in silent tribute of homes and times that are no more. I wonder what stories they would tell if they could speak. As my daughter and I walked, we made our way towards a pair of them, facing each other on the edge of the course. Her questions echoed my own:
What happened to the house?
Who lived here?
This fence ran beside the house and made me think of one of my favorite Robert Frost poems, “Mending Wall”:
Before I built a wall I’d ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offence.
Something there is that doesn’t love a wall…
I was blessed with very sweet one-on-one time with my daughter, some picture-perfect moments, and ideal weather. My son shaved 30 seconds off of his best race time, so the day was quite successful in that regard, too.
I hate waking up early, too. I’m definitely a night owl, and I agree it’s sad because it’s so beautiful in the mornings.
I love the pictures you took. Looks like an amazingly beautiful place.
September 27th, 2007 at 10:07 am
You have an eye for photography! Great great shots!
September 27th, 2007 at 11:18 am
Oh my goodness, these pictures that you’ve posted are FANTASTIC! I really enjoyed looking at them. I’m actually a morning person (always have been) and my son seems to be following in my footsteps. Now my husband, on the other hand, is quite the night owl.
Hey, since you participated last year, I’m stopping by to let you know that I’m hosting a 2nd Edition of my Holiday Cooking, Blogger Style recipe exchange!
I hope you can join me again this year on 5 October. And, would you mind helping me to spread the word by publishing a post about my holiday recipe exchange before next Friday? I’d sure appreciate it! I have the button in my most recent post.
Thanks so much!
September 27th, 2007 at 11:19 am
Those are all beautiful, I love the fence & the little model
September 27th, 2007 at 11:20 am
what a beautiful place! love the pictures.
September 28th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
Those photos are wonderful. You really captured some great shots. Inspiring!
September 28th, 2007 at 6:43 pm
Hey girl…where’s the old string blowing in the wind? Did you edit it out? You trying to give Amber a run for her money? Great picts!
September 30th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
Hey Dawn! I am so impressed by your site, your words and your photos. Thanks for being such an inspiration. I absolutely LOVE the scripture that you chose under your picture. I will have to talk to you about this. I am DEFINITELY interested. See you at co-op!
October 1st, 2007 at 7:07 pm