Morning Sun

Sunny days are with us again, and green is slowly covering the landscape of Juneau in Spring.
Early Monday mornings have become my favorite part of the week. Quinn goes off to work and I am left at home with Greta on my day off, busily cleaning house and preparing for the next week. But before we start our morning chores, Greta and I always go down to the flats for a nice walk.

I have taken to bringing Quinn's trusty camera with me on our early morning walks, for it's times like these that the birds sing to welcome the glorious morning, allowing me to take their photos if I'm quick enough. These eagles are often hanging around at my favorite spot, and I've had several chances to sing to them (which I'm not sure they approved of from their haughty glances).

"No, no. You were flat that time, lets try it again from the top and this time stand up and sing from your diaphragm." Oh dear, the last thing I need is an eagle telling me how to sing, haha! Don't they look rather judgmental to you as well?

Greta explores the flats while I sit on my favorite bench and sing songs to the Lord along with the birds, welcoming the start of a brand new week. Sunrises on the tidal flats are simply divine! 

(A spider web blows in the breeze)

Greta loves running around the flats chasing birds and streams along the sandy banks. She's always quite muddy when we're done, but thanks to the dewy grass of the backyard she doesn't stay that way for long! Melissa's flower beds have exploded with colors and beauty, making for lovely backdrops of sparkling sunlight.

On my way up the driveway I heard a tap-tap-tapping and I glanced up to see this woodpecker, tapping away at a sitka spruce. He was very kind and held very still while I took his portrait. Doesn't he look fine and handsome (and also maybe a bit startled, oops!)? If you look really closely you can see his holes from past trips to the very same tree.

Back up in the yard, Greta and Lupin play together. Lupin is still to scared to go down stairs by herself - though she can go up them just fine. This poses a problem when Greta runs up with Lupin behind her, one of them gets stuck coming down...
When she's not getting stuck on the stairs, Lupin is off 'helping' dad with his daily chores. Well, at least she thinks she's helping.

While the puppies run around and play a big raven calls from a tree overhead, fluffing his feathers in the morning sunshine. In the stillness of the morning buzzing can be heard going back and forth among the roses bushes, humming birds go to and fro, bright spots of orange or green. And in the back yard where Greta and Lupin play, stellar jays hop this way and that looking for tasty things in the grass, often scared away by the puppies cries and yelps. Such a perfect morning, wouldn't you agree?

(I took this photo right as the seller jay was hopping.)

It's mornings like this that make me sad when afternoon rolls around, haha! Isn't that silly? Oh well, I am a morning person, I guess it stands to reason that morning would be my favorite time of day - especially when the sun shines over the mountains. There's just something magical in the air that makes me want to sing "How great Thou art, how great Thou art!"