A Morning Progression

   Yesterday, up early and on my way to put on the coffee for church, I realized that sunrise was not till 7AM, and, if I got in and did the coffee thing right then, I could catch a colorful moment in the area behind the church property. So I did.

   It was still night and fairly dark when I arrived.

   The birds were singing like it was Spring, the air was still and the gnats were not up and about yet. In the midst of waiting for the sky to lighten, I sensed movement off to my left side. I had my camera on the tripod, so I quickly altered my position on the viewing platform, pointed the camera toward the north and shot. I knew that if there was something out there, I might be able to lighten the scene in the computer and see it close up.

   I figured it was one of the fallow deer that lived in the area around the church. Sure enough, I saw a brown shadow coming out of the marsh and making his way toward the middle of the lot about 100 yards away. A close inspection of this dark shot will show a brown male deer close to the middle of the picture.

   Although the shot did not turn out too well, here is what I had seen.

   Then as the deer moved back into the marsh area, the sun began to peek over Sea Island, and the real day was beginning.

   What a morning to be alive!

   There is an older hymn that I recalled: When Morning Guilds the Skies, beginning like this:

  When morning gilds the skies

 my heart awakening cries:  
 May Jesus Christ be praised! 

   What a way for a Sunday, or any day, to begin.

   Thankful to be alive.