Good morning

Lately I've been awake earlier and earlier.  Eager to start my day in the last moments of darkness.  I stretch my body, breathe deeply.  Sometimes I put water on for coffee, sometimes I sit quietly in the dark and think.  Initially I organize my day, or how I want today to go, knowing that I will probably not accomplish everything.  And I'm OK with that.  I have to be, because if I let myself obsess about distractions -- all the other moving pieces and parts in my life -- I will distract from my larger life-purpose.  My purpose is to transition to a sustainable lifestyle and share my experiences in order to educate, entertain and empower others who are interested in living a simple and fulfilling lifestyle.  I must take these frequent detours in my day as opportunities for learning, for enhancing the goals I've set for today.  I must learn patience.

It is a good morning, after all.  Morning traffic has begun its daily hum.  Nocturnal creatures poke around in the mulch of leaves for one last snack before bedtime.  Birds sound their day-alarms, each one different.  Perhaps the job of birds is to sing their song for a specific creature?  Cardinals wake up humans but mockingbirds wake up squirrels?  Or maybe, regardless of species, each bird is assigned to an individual creature?  Time to get up, they seem to say.  All of you.  I listen, and I keep writing.  And thinking.  And meditating on filling my heart with love, my mind with creativity, my soul with patience...all before my family hears their bird's song.

More birds are calling their creatures to start their day.  Leaves and tiny drops of condensation  have been pelting our roof for the past hour.  I thought perhaps it was raining, until one of the "raindrops" skidded across the peak of the roof and slid all the way to the ground.  Deer are passing near; I hear the quick bursts of air the bucks use to signal to the herd of possible danger ahead.  They are not sure about us yet, though they will come close enough to eat apples we put out for them about 30 feet from our tent-home.  Now that we have begun planting our garden, I'm sure they will come closer and more frequently.

Creatures inside my home are stirring.  Night-time noises are fading to the background as daytime moves forward.  I still want to write about and post photos of our home.  Time for coffee.  Have yourself a good morning.