There's a bright golden haze on the meadow...

Sky at sunrise, August 19, 2008

I follow a pretty well-defined schedule in the morning. Breakfast by 6:00 AM. Lunch assembled by 6:15. In the shower by 6:20, all ready to roll no problem by 6:50. In the shower by 6:40, rushing to get out by 7:10.

Today I was a little behind schedule. I was just assembling the fruit and vegetable component of my lunch (celery, grape tomatoes - crap, forgot to buy those today! - blueberries, and cherries) when I glanced out the window over the sink and saw that the world was glowing golden.

Don't do this you don't have time you'll be late you'll be rushing don't do this

I hastily put the rest of my lunch together in the bag and grabbed my camera. The time was 6:20.
The world was glowing golden because the sky was glowing golden. The sun was hidden, somewhere, but the reflected light from the clouds was bathing everything in a remarkable light. I quickly fiddled with the settings on my camera to Sunrise/Sunset to optimize the CCD for the light intensity of the morning sky.

The clouds almost looked ominous, threatening. Were those mammatus clouds off to the north? The TV weatherman - an honest-to-goodness meteorologist - had called for a beautiful day, and I was inclined to believe him.

Turned out he was right. Today, at least.


Three years ago today my father had the fall that would lead to his death in less than a week.


TITLE REFERENCE: Opening line of "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! - which I only know because it was once used in a MAD Magazine musical parody of the comics - Rex Morgan, M.D. if I recall correctly.