Sunday November 6, 2016 715 am PDT 615 am PST 55 degrees
I see an orange stripe rising in the sky on the east side of my front porch. I drive through Fair Oaks Village and park at the curb a few yards from the bridge entrance so I don’t miss the coming sunrise. Colors last at most 20 minutes before fading to gray.
I miss the rooster’s morning concert and run to the bridge in time to see the sunrise in its full glory of orange glowing behind the clouds – gray streaks woven with bright orange.
This is a very warm morning by comparison with last Thursday. Today is a warm 55 degrees. Now I am fully awake. Two women walkers pass me and we all enjoy the warm weather and glow of the sunrise together. Our reward for rising early. Moments later a man dressed in tattered clothes walks past me asking for change.
The air is still. Not a hint of breeze. Salmon are jumping up out of the water and fall back in again. No fisherman to disturb them. I hear the soft quacks from ducks in the distance. Some already swimming. After this glorious sunrise, the sky is tinted with shades of pale blue-gray. Any hint of sun is completely covered by clouds.
Every minute another salmon jumps. The river’s resident egret returns to the boat launch ramp and begins its morning walk along the riverbank looking for breakfast. I see the Egret taking each step with care, as I would when walking over smooth stones wearing open and loose sandals. It continues walking under the bridge and farther west another 50 yards until it rise and flies away.
Seagulls land on a distant shore to the east and I hear their characteristic call. Odd to hear seagulls so far from the ocean. One flies over me and disappears in the cloudy sky to the west.
A dozen ducks have come out to swim near the boat launch ramp. The Egret has returned and stands in its usual place about 50 yards east of the bridge opposite the boat launch ramp. Tiny birds fly in unseen and begin their morning chatter. Six Canada Geese fly over the bridge heading west. The river is quiet once again.