Day 28: Pysche!

Peters Hill, Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, 6:35am-7:30am
UMass Research Building parking lot, 7:35am-7:45am
moist and misty, comfortable temp, small distant clouds on horizon

Let's talk about total sunrises versus basic sunrises.

In my ideal world, the total sunrise is the FULL transition from complete night-darkness to sun-drenched light.

I have mostly been catching basic sunrises: the 15-30 minutes before the actual sun emerges, which means the sky is already pretty light by the time I get in place. But it's not my ideal..

Today got closer to complete. I left my house under a night sky, and when I arrived at the Arboretum, it was just barely becoming more blue than black.

I love this bi-chromatic period of the day.

Everything looks different by this (lack of) light. I am struck by the towering height of trees forming a tunnel over the path. The etchings of black branches are sharp against the blue-black sky.

It is awesome (in the original sense of the word).

Today's bird is again a White Throated Sparrow. I heard at least three different ones around the hill this morning. Forgive the uninvited guests: lots of dog-walkers, and morning traffic in full swing.


Mr. Bird bumps it up a notch when the chickadees start to warm up; I like his variation here:


Even when the sun itself is blocked by clouds, as it was this morning, there is no end of interest and variety in what dawn can look like. I am getting well-trained in Sun-less Dawn Appreciation.

A single smear of cloud became brilliant golden-pink, while the sun stays hidden by a mix of dense clouds and smoky mist.

Satisfied by that visual treat, I made my way home. As I neared my street, I discovered that I had been duped! ...A patch of clouds on the horizon began to glow golden-white and I could see that there would be a sun-emerging performance today after all.

Luckily I know just the spot- parking lot of the UMass Research Labs.
It was a gorgeous, if belated sunrise.

And I had been so sure that today was a sunrise-less dawn. Nature keeps teaching me that I don't know nothin' yet.