My three Schnoodles and I have been missing our early morning walks without a flashlight. While the vast majority of folks seem to dread returning to standard time, those of us who are of the Benjamin Franklin persuasion – early to bed, early to rise – are grateful for the benefits of better sleep. We fall asleep faster, sleep more deeply with fewer overnight wake-ups in the colder months once we get warm and snug (we leave a window cracked and it’s sheer heaven), and admire the daylight before work.
I took several photos of the boys walking toward the sunrise yesterday. They love getting out and taking in the world through their noses. The scent of leaf and shrub smoke wafted through the air, and it added all those layers of autumn life in the country to our experience to start the day. I learned later yesterday that a 100-acre controlled burn was happening about 25 miles to our south. I wrote a nonet about our walk for this morning’s blog.
we love early morning driveway walks
even more now that the time changed
birds singing in bright sunrise
roosters waking the dead
leaves falling from trees
the scent of smoke
fills the air
country
life
Common Threads 
Love the poem! Curoius if it just occurred or if lots of revision was needed to get the right number of words per line. IFor me, it is more powerful to have country on a line and then life on the last line and not country life together in a line. You remind me how the writer gets to make these choices and I, as your reader, like this choice that you made. Personally, I am fine with the time change. However, last week when in Portugal, they more the clocks back. Then I returned and keep awaking as if I’m on Portugal time. Then Sunday, I awoke early again. Wondering when I’ll sleep past 4am?!!
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Sally, nonets are 9 lines in ascending or descending order, with that numbered line’s number of syllables on the line. They’re fun – try one and enjoy the writing! I do have to revise, but nothing like a far more challenging form. When you talk about the time change from a different time zone on top of the zone change too, it really puts sleep in a different perspective! Raising a mug of chamomile tea, friend.
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Kim,
Of course I love seeing happy fur babies celebrated in prose, poetry, and photography. It sounds as though your crew has adjusted better than most critters, including mine. Monday morning Stanley stood up in bed and would not stop until someone got up. Standing is his way of saying he wants food or a snack. DST confuses our bodies. I want the world, or at least my state, to pick a lane (a time) and stick w/ it. Arizona doesn’t have DST. I miss that consistency.
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Glenda, Stanley sounds like he is one determined dog. He’s a good communicator – – I would stand and beg for snacks, too. I vote with you to stay on standard time. Two less changes throughout the year would be a blessing.
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This is lovely, and poignant for me recently without my four-legged walking buddy. I love, “They love getting out and taking in the world through their noses.” What a wonderful photo capturing them doing just that. All that enthusiasm for dimensions that we can’t appreciate nearly as powerfully as they do.”Life” indeed. (Enjoy your mornings. I’m a Franklin fan myself.)
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Trish, I’m so sorry for the loss of your buddy. I’ve often thought of their different dimensions of taking in the world – – and breaking down every single smell separately.
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I too have been loving the daylight in the mornings. In my opinion, I would prefer to have it that way all year long. It gives me more pep in my step to start the day. “Roosters waking the dead” was a line that struck me from your nonet.
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I’m glad to have a fellow standard time friend! More pep in our steps is a great way to put it. Thanks for reading today!
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I had a smoky walk this morning, too. I’m not sure what was burning because I heard they are holding off on burning the cane fields because of the drought. I sure miss having Charlie with me on walks. But I don’t know how you do it with 3 dogs!
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Margaret, the morning walks are definitely lively and spirited – I’ve often said that if I got a pair of skis or a sled, these boys would pull me all around like a team of Alaskan huskies. They remind me I’m not as strong as I used to be.
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This is a divine outing, I think – “walking toward the sunrise.” What a beautiful experience to have so regularly with your ‘boys’! Love this. I am a big fan of this time change – it’s the spring one that gets me. The earlier, darker evenings make for such a wonderful snuggling time.
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Maureen, I’m glad you like standard time too! Great point – more snuggling time. I like the relaxed pace after work.
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Kim, such a peaceful nonet. I love the line “roosters waking the dead” The photo is perfect–walking toward the sunrise. Enjoy your better sleeps this cool season!
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Thank you, Denise! I’m glad you didn’t get hurt on your bike ride. I’m still thinking about that – – thrilled that you are alright.
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Oh, Kim – I took fall photos too this week – but I don’t have any Schnoodles to keep me company and lead the way! Wonderful post. Thank you!
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