Sunrise

Morning is when I am awake and there is a dawn in me.

Henry David Thoreau

gorgonian branches reaching for sunlight

the sun rises dripping from the ocean

a stranded man-o-war dressed in blue and gold

humans interact with the elements in beautiful and curious ways (man standing on a stack of beach loungers, flying a drone)

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread.

John Muir

Rising before dawn

I hear morning calling me-

with a seagull’s voice.

One thing I really love about being in Miami is going down to the ocean to watch the sun rise every day. This week the sky has been spectacular. I hesitate to share sunrise photos sometimes, because someone once told me sunrise/sunset photos are cliches. So - here’s to celebrating a beautiful cliche. Hope you can get out to see one in person wherever you are.

Thank you so much for being here. See you next week!

A great egret spreads his wings in the park. I wonder if he knows how beautiful he is. Time to fly.

Seagulls at Sunrise - a pictorial haiku

The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it.

Richard Bach

Two lonely seagulls

landing at sunrise, stand, gazing-

and find - each other.

In the end there is no desire so deep as the simple desire for companionship.

Graham Greene

I saw one seagull standing alone first and took out my camera, liking the way the sun was illuminating his feathers. Then another one approached and began grooming itself. They both lifted their heads, turned in the same direction, and walked off together. It was an unexpectedly sweet moment, only caught because my camera was in continuous shooting mode. I use that a lot when I’m trying to capture animals, because unexpected things do happen, and I would hate to miss it just because I’m not fast enough to take the next few shots manually. Even if you aren’t taking a picture, it can be fun to watch individual animals for more than just a moment. Sometimes they do surprising things.

I have decided to continue blogging regularly - some may be a little shorter, but I really enjoy connecting with you this way, so I’m sticking with it. Thank you so much for being here. I will see you next week!

The Welcome Party

Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way.

John Muir

A female boat-tailed grackle in the park where I walked, singing or screeching (depending on your point of view)

hopping around,

and looking for little scraps of food. She was unbothered by my camera and fun to watch.

The first iguana I saw since arriving in Miami Beach- ran up a palm tree beside my balcony. If I hadn’t seen him do it, I might not have seen him at all. His colors blend so well with the tree.

A fish crow contemplates the grass at South Point Park.

A little iguana I’m calling Ignatius perched himself on the top of a palm branch right next to my balcony - he’s been keeping me quiet company almost since I got here.

A beautiful little starling landed on the peak of a house across the alley, singing its heart out.

Ignatius pokes his head from the palm leaves yesterday - giving me a curious (or suspicious) look.

Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast.

William Shakespeare

I am always a little nervous about what I’ll find when I come back to Miami. I worry that the people I know won’t be here or that construction projects may have altered the places I know and love. I am sometimes afraid that I won’t find anything new to photograph, and that my photos will become repetitious. This time was no different, but the first morning, when I walked out to watch sunrise, I saw a friend. Then on the beach, I saw another friend. Then, I took my camera out and started noticing the animals. I felt like they were welcoming me, too. I hope you enjoy the photos. I enjoyed taking them!

Thank you so much for being here!

P.S. My technical problems were mostly resolved thanks to my husband, Tom. The new hard drive that I’m storing my photos on got corrupted and he recovered everything and repaired the drive; so… whew!

It has been surprisingly overcast and rainy most of the time I’ve been here so far, but on Tuesday this week we had a beautiful sunrise. This picture was taken overlooking the jetty next to South Point Pier, where some native plants are growing in a protected area.