Another New Dawn

Today’s Daily Post’s daily writing prompt asks: How often do you get to (or have to) be awake for sunrise? Tell us about what happened the last time you were up so early (or late…).

Just this morning I was up before the Sun rose. I often can’t sleep and it’s a relief to get up out of bed and quit trying. Everyone else was asleep and I blundered into the kitchen, tripping over a dog toy and stepping barefoot on dog kibble inevitably strewn in my  path, cursing and half-hopping down the hallway. Nothing wakes my roommate and her teenage son. A nuclear bomb could go off and they wouldn’t wake up. Setting up the coffee maker, my cane fell on the floor with a “smack”. It must always fall on the floor at least three times each day. I tried to get out the sliding glass doors but they were giving me a hard time. “Smack”, my cane is thrown on the floor and I used two hands, gritted my teeth and managed to force open the door. I sat out on the patio, listening to the rustlings of my neighbors as the Sun came up, waiting to hear that familiar sound of the coffee maker when it’s finished filling the carafe.

Finally, after wrestling with the door again, with coffee mug in one hand and my cigarette in the other, I looked around for the usual suspects who also enjoy the patio area: brown anoles, gray squirrels…the woodpecker tapping away at “mostly dead” tree and a myriad of other birds beginning their new day. The potted banana plants next to the patio have grown so large with huge, elegant leaves–they give off so much moisture that the immediate area is quite humid. Their leaves were dripping wet and, when added to the usual Florida humidity, I am dripping with sweat. The cloud of moisture hanging over the patio got the attention of mosquitoes passing by. They stopped in and bit the hell out of me. Sweating and itching, I struggled again with the door. “Smack” went my cane and I spilled hot coffee on my bare foot. Finally inside I grumble and stumble back to my room to apply cream to the bites–cursing bugs of all kinds. Still itching I took a Benadryl and fell asleep writing this piece.

That’s “dawn” at my house. Nothing “new” about it, though.  By the way, that’s the Amazon Rain Forest in the photo.  I used to live there, too.  Mosquitoes the size of Volkswagens.

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Photo credit:  perubirdingtours.wordpress.com