Sunrise at the Ocean

Just before dawn I was lying in bed thinking about how much I love waking up early. I even love getting up early. It was the getting outside early that had become all too infrequent. I had forgotten how much I love it. Until this morning. Lying there, I soon realized there was a big event happening right outside my door and I needed to attend. It's called sunrise. The colors coming through my window caught my attention. Time was of the essence. I scrambled for my clothes and almost ran out the door, down the steps and onto the beach. I got there just in time. Things were happening quickly, as they are wont to do when we're talking light. I started snapping and kept on snapping, stopping only long enough to try to take it all in at the same time. The orange and pink and lavender were creating quite a show.  The sun rose, the colors changed, the light on the water danced in time to the silent music playing overhead. 

Then I saw what was happening at my feet. It was creating a beautiful postlude.

 

The light on the wet sand and the waves rolling in and receding left quite an impression. It helped me understand more fully why the Impressionists were so smitten by their approach to painting. Life is impressionistic. Pointillists, who found a way to capture a scene, a moment in time, with small dots of color and light, certainly knew this. Neo-impressionist, Georges Seurat, was a master of this method. His painting "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grand Jatte," is considered a perfect example.

The light on the water was creating just such a moment. It was all about the water and the light. The necessities of Life.

It was also easy to see this morning why many aboriginal and indigenous tribes, living in the world today, still worship the sun. It's easy to identify it as God, as Source, Ra. I didn't want to turn my back on it to return home. Then, in making the turn towards home, I realized the sunshine was on my shoulder and John Denver's song instantly came to mind. I quietly sang it to myself. Here is a video of John singing it accompanied by some pretty fine images. I especially love the opening scenes, taken from space.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zx27dP1mTg

I walked on the beach for a few minutes and then came in to make my morning coffee. Watching the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean is pretty spectacular. I'm so blessed to be present to it. But, the sun rising anywhere, on any day, is something to behold. We forget, we take it for granted. This morning, I'm grateful to be reminded of its beauty and its place in our lives. Source, The Light. Life itself.

Note: I do not have photoshop, only a windows program which allows for some minor adjustments. These photos, however, are exactly as I shot them, no adjustments made. The light was that amazing.