Saturday, February 8, 2014

EARLY MORNINGS

Amanda Boe. See more of Amanda's photography on her website, here.

Hello, sun in my face.
Hello you who made
the morning and spread
it over fields...
Watch now, how I
spread the day in
happiness, in kindness.

-Mary Oliver



St. Charles Sunrise by Dale Janzen. See more of Dales images here

I love early mornings
before the world awakes
Everything is quiet and fresh
and then slowly
creatures begin to stretch and sing
greetings to the new day



Early Morning Web by Mike Autry. See more of Mike's work on Flickr, here.






"I get the invitation every morning to live a life of complete engagement, a life of whimsy. It's ushered in by a sunrise, the sound of a bird, or the smell of coffee .....  It's the invitation to live, to participate fully in this amazing life for one more day."  -  Bob Goff



Mornings by Billy Collins

Why do we bother with the rest of the day,
the swale of the afternoon,
the sudden dip into evening,

then night with his notorious perfumes,
his many-pointed stars?

This is the best --
throwing off the light covers,
feet on the cold floor,
and buzzing around the house on espresso--

maybe a splash of water on the face,
a palmful of vitamins--
but mostly buzzing around the house on espresso,

dictionary and atlas open on the rug,
the typewriter waiting for the key of the head,
a cello on the radio,

and, if necessary, the windows--
trees fifty, a hundred years old
out there,
heavy clouds on the way
and the lawn steaming like a horse
in the early morning.


I'm watching you by Kim Kocinski (Please don't pin this image... All Rights Reserved). See more of Kim's photography on Flickr, here

for some reason I imagine Billy Collins tapping out poems on an old typewriter



"Is there anything I can do to make myself enlightened?"
"As little as you can do to make the sun rise in the morning."
"Then of what use are the spiritual exercises you prescribe?"
"To make sure you are not asleep when the sun begins to rise."

- One minute wisdom



(Images without links are from pinterest. If anyone knows the name of the photographer please let me know)

62 comments:

  1. The early bird catches the worm. The light in the early hours make the photographic experience a lot more interesting.

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    1. Wim, I take my best photos during the late afternoon.

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  2. i love the rising sun in the morning ' as she sends her light-long nails to seprate the curtains of the night away. Slowly she comes out and every morning wears a new dress of light, to stroll in the sky.
    mirjam

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  3. What beautiful sunrises. I find myself longing for the sun as I'm surrounded by grey skies and snow.

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    1. Kathryn, when we experience too many hot days, I long for your grey skies and snow. It's a pity we can't trade when we need respite.

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  4. I cannot even describe how delighted that tipsy window blind makes me!
    And also, that fine dose of Billy Collins ;>]]

    Robyn, can send you a step-by-step walk through on how to do a reverse image search in order to find the maker, if you like ...

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  5. Sweetpea, I would appreciate step by step instructions, when you have time, thank you.
    The tipsy window blind and the streaming light makes me feel light hearted too.

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    1. I would like to know this too, Robyn...

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    2. I'll forward the information to you Sharmon

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    3. Sent them a few days back ... did you receive, Robyn? May have used wrong addie.

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    4. I did thanks, C. Tried and tested. Hope you got my email.

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  6. chez moi en ce moment..un brouillard dense et une vue 'zero'... merci pour le rayon de soleil!

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    1. I wish I could give you some of our sunshine Elfi.

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  7. Lovely photos and thoughts. I love early mornings

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  8. What a lovely tribute to early mornings...writing as I am at 4:59 am this Sunday morning. Been up since 4 am. Too cold and dark to venture outside to sip my tea on the deck and listen to the birds just yet, but spring will come...eventually...and then I will.

    Until then, I'll be back to visit your early morning post. Enjoy!

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    1. I was up carving outside at dawn this morning. The air was so fresh and what a relief after yesterdays heat wave.

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  9. Hi R - dawn - such a soft and inviting time of the day - offering new opportunities, new life in a subdued way - maybe even saying go gently and slowly and quietly through the day - great to know there are first light folk. B

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    1. I love that first breath of fresh air as I step outside at dawn.

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  10. Great photos....but I LOVE the one-minute wisdom.

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  11. After listening to Mario Patterson's song HAPPY and reading this beautiful post full of sunshine and positive poetry and readings... I am ready to face another gloomy cold winter's day.

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    1. It will be spring before you know it, Lisa..... and I look forward to Autumn

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  12. when we were traveling in South Carolina,all the roadsides in the morning were covered with glistening spider webs, hundreds of them; I suspect unless they were covered with dew they wouldn't have been visible, a whole community of spiders and other creatures one would never suspect.

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    1. We have a lavender bush right outside our bedroom window and it dances with sparkly spider webs early in the morning.

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  13. How gentle and true to start my Sunday morning. Thank you Robyn

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  14. 3:33am is my favourite time of day !

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    1. Yes! It gives one time to hear each creature waking up, one by one. It's still too dark for me to work outside at 3.00 but just before 5.00 I'm usually outside gulping big whiffs of cool air and beginning to carve.

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  15. What lovely photos you have curated for this post! Some of my favorite dog walks have been in the early mornings - fog raising off the river, birds chirping in the trees!

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    1. I think it's the best time for walking the dogs!

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  16. Beautiful, Robyn. Love the last words - One minute wisdom with a lot more longevity than just one minute!!

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    1. It's been a gentle reminder these last few weeks. We've been experiencing a heat wave and dawn is the coolest part of the day. Not to be missed!

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  17. The first thing I did this morning was go outside with my camera, snow was falling...

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    1. How wonderful! I suppose the snow makes it even quieter than usual early in the morning.

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  18. I agree, Robyn; there's nothing as lovely as early morning - the mist, the light, the newness of it. And the pairing of Mary Oliver and Billy Collins with those photos... wonderfully refreshing!

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    1. ... mist draping the forests .... moisture in the air

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  19. I love it all but that web is especially beautiful

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    1. I imagine you see many beautiful webs in the meadows, Pat.

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  20. Morning is fresh, quiet and personal. Thank you again Robyn! I love seeing the world through your eyes!

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    1. It must be pretty cold at dawn in your neck of the woods, Leslie.

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  21. I envy those who get up early to meet the sun and welcome the wakening of the world! It's such a beauty! A real miracle (as I can see and as I've heard!)
    But I just cannot do it!! I am a night bird and adore the quiet and the stillness in the air after midnight. The starry sky or the deep darkness... The hours when there's nearly no sound around and just me, doing something that I like, moving on tip-toes in the house!

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    1. Lol.... I don't think you're the only one Rossichka. When I tip toe around the house when everyone is asleep I am sure to kick something over or stub my toe and wake up the whole household.

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  22. early
    before the moon has gone to bed

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  23. i go to be late and wake early...i have the luxury of watching the sunrise from my pillow [unless of course she is being lazy and getting up late!]

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    1. Being a farm boy my better half has always gone to bed with the fowls and woken in time for the milking.... even though he is no longer on the farm. It's taken me years to get used to going to bed early.

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  24. I always enjoy your "curated" posts so much. The "gokatta" is a jewel of a word, isn't it? I hadn't heard this before.

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    1. A jewel indeed, P.D! Other-wordly.tumblr.com have introduced me to quite a few new words with beautiful meanings.

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  25. Robyn, This is a most beautiful and inspiring post! I am feeling very blessed today with a long hike ahead on a beautiful day and 5 paintings started and calling to me,
    who could ask for more. xoxo

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    1. It sounds like a blissful day ahead of you, Annie

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  26. beautiful series Robyn… and you've quoted some of my favorite poets.

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  27. Mary Oliver always rises to the occasion!

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  28. Replies
    1. After 2 weeks of extreme heat we are having a cool mizzly morning. Love it!

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  29. gorgeous mornings, the favorite part of my day...

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  30. I'm coming in a little late on the conversation, however... beautiful imagery and poetry Robyn. I favour, Early Morning Web by Mike Autry picture - simply beautiful.

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    1. Imagery to soothe..... I'm thinking you must need a quiet morning after all the rushing around, Kim.

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  31. Rumpled beds, morning mist and words by Billy Collins ... ahhhhhh!

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