Day 139 How Our Days Begin....

My favorite time of day is sunrise. There is something about being awake with the dawn of day that is exhilarating and inspiring. It matters not the lateness of the hour when i lay down for sleep. The soft light of the earliest dawn calls me down from my dreams to witness the day's beginning. I thank the heaven's i am alive the moment i become conscious of my slow and steady breathing. Another opportunity to make good the moments of life that are gifted to me.

I have morning routines. I have seasonal rituals. All of my days begin with coffee. All of my summer days begin out of doors. July hosts the very best of the blooming garden. While the coffee brews i step out my patio door to take stock of the new day.

I make my rounds through the garden, looking for the signs that something has changed. What has grown, bloomed, faded or been visited by one of the menagerie of creatures that tends to prowl the garden during the night hours? I inevitably find some myseterious sign of digging, dirt moving or plant crushing that i ponder over. I am never sure whether i am alone or have a guest who remains to watch me move along the paths. Is that a raccoon who just exited the pond leaving wet prints on the stone? Did the family of deer bite off the last of the rose buds only moments ago? And what about that evil feline who prowls the birdbath...let's go look....

Oregon has it's own weather patterns and the mornings are frequently 20 or so degrees cooler than the daylight hours. So i have my gear for being comfortable. Note the pink pants, heavy socks and green clogs. I am ever the fashionista, morning noon and night. I change my footwear to flip flops the moment my toes no longer turn blue when exposed to the open air.

That is my favorite seating area. I sip my coffee, read e-mail and peruse my schedule for the day.

Then i set up sprinklers for watering and begin the daily ritual of straightening up the beds. I have many varieties of daylilies whose generic name typify exactly what they are like. Each bloom lasts for exactly one day. There can be hundreds of blossoms through July but the spent blooms that hang from the previous day look so forlorn that i go around and remove them. The plants then look pretty, fresh and ready for their day long job of blooming their lovely hearts out.

That about covers the first hours of my mid-summer days. The rituals flow with the season and those that are born in July shift incrementally to match the garden calendar and my own internal rhythms.

What are the the time honored rituals of your midsummer mornings?

XOX Have a peach of a day my friends!

Comments

[Kelly]

Cute flip flops...and nice pedicure! I would love to wake up one morning and find myself in the beauty of Avalon sipping a cup of coffee with my dear friend. Wouldn't that be fun!!!

[Lori]

I love your sitting area - gorgeous! Thanks to people like you, I'm aware of the existence of dawn:) When I wake up, I do enjoy a cup of coffee on the deck - as long as it's cool outside. As a night owl, I do enjoy the peace and quiet of the outdoors in the middle of the night. The wildlife noise is a bit different than during the day.

[Heidi]

RAWR! Sexy little toosties there, Missy R! Me thinks if I lived closer I would be um..."borrowing" those flip-flops! ;-)

My morning? Good lord, since I am not a "morning person" it goes in a different way..if I am not up and out the door for work at 6am, I let the sun wake me ( or a kid or a cat ) and my first thought is something like.."what the hell, I guess I better drag my body out of bed and get this thing started" Or there might be a curse word in there too. I think if I could beat the insomnia thing it might go better.

I loved hearing your routine...you can know for sure that I am thinking about you in the morning ( albeit, 3 hours time zone difference!) You can be my compass in my chaotic filled life!

[Relyn]

Robin,
Your comment on my D Is For... post just cracked me up. That line is one of the worst line in the history of movies, which, of course, makes it great. After I read your comment I was flickring. I found this for you: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24279798@N03/2369231626/

Happy weekend!

[Jeanie]

Greetings to Avalon -- thank you for letting us into your morning ritual! I fear, I shall never have a garden like that, and my space will never be as enchanting, for I fear I lack the discipline (and the urge to rise as early as you do!). But how I love to imagine your sitting in your comfy chair, surrounded by such beauty (is Zippy far behind?) and sipping your coffee.

Alas, for me the morning ritual isn't so tranquil -- at least not at home, when it's pop out of the bed as late as I dare to get ready for work, pop my can of Tab, tend to the Gypsy-boy with his measly allocation of Fancy Feast (What DO they put in that stuff? It's like kitty cocaine). Then off to work.

Now lake mornings are an entirely different story. Well, not entirely, but somewhat. Less frantic. The obligatory Tab and Fancy feeding is certainly part of that day, too. But I'll be more likely to sit down when I drink that Tab, probably on the porch, if it's not too cold; listen to all the birds and watch our resident Duck family as then take their nap on the beach, and read whatever happens to be my current fancy.

I like lake mornings better.

[smithkaichjones]

Robin - stop my blog when you get a chance. There's an award waiting for you there!

:) Debi

[Heather]

Your garden is so lovely! Have you always had a green thumb or is there hope for newbie gardeners such as myself? Today's morning ritual was to water my newly potted plants, admired my few dahlias that have survived my previously poor water habits (oops) and start the sprinkler. And now, sipping coffee and catching up on blogs while my tots watch Curious George. Not a bad start! Thanks for sharing yours:)

[rebekah]

Beautiful setting! I love your seating area - all of it! Dawn is my favorite time as well. I love to get up really early some mornings - like 5 - and go for a long walk. Those are the best mornings.

[Jeanne]

Beautiful and lovely indeed
Blessings

[rhayne]

I just love how you talk about your mornings and your peaceful time spent in that lovely garden of yours.
I saw the picture of the beautiful chair, and teacup full of goodness, and I let out a long soft sigh.
What a beautiful way to start the day. I wish I could sit there as the sun rises happily into the morning sky.
I will think of you enjoying your time in this tranquil space as I trek up my mountain tomorrow morning.
You have such cute little toes!
:)

[Relyn]

Somehow, I did not know that you lived in Oregon. I feel ridiculously pleased by that fact. We lived in Oregon before we moved to Missouri and I still miss it every day. I just love that wonderful state. Now I know another reason why your blog feels like visiting an old girlfriend and sitting in her lovely garden for a nice long chat.

[Annie]

Thanks for sharing your morning with us, it was just lovely. Your garden is stunning! I can see why you start your day there :-).

[debi]

Well, Robin, you ARE an early bird. I just read your post & looked at your lovely, lovely (did I say lovely?) photos & I just began to relax. What an incredible way to begin your day, pink sweats & all (you girly girl, you!). I have such an opposite beginning to my days. I feel rushed, no matter how much sleep I've gotten, and OH! I would just LOVE to sleep for just 10 more minutes . . . but I eventually MUST be out of bed, feeding the wonderful Miss Maggie. Lately walking across the street & looking for owls with whom I share a morning's meditation, if only for a few minutes, has become my new ritual. I am hoping (fingers crossed!) to be able to continue that not-thinking-just-being standing meditation when they are gone.

:) Debi

[Peggy]

love those pretty painted toes. I am afraid that with school out and little one all over the house, I have no summer routine. lol Every day is something new and crazy. I am always on his schedule.....doing whatever strikes his fancy from moment to moment.

[High Desert Diva]

Gotta say...I like the looks of the flips better than the socks/clogs. Although, admittedly, my morning footwear is remarkably similar.

[darlene]

your garden is so breathtaking ... it is what my fledgling garden aspires to be someday :) i love your july morning routine which is not that different than mine, only after a walk through and check of my flowers and plants, i am off to the pool for a swim or the valley for a run and then back home for a quick bite before hopping on my bike to be at work by 8:00 am ... it sounds rushed but it is all strangely relaxing. i miss mornings when winter snow and darkness crowds in so i cherish these long summer days of activity :)