The Silence of the Morning

My in-laws live in the middle of nowhere. They built a gorgeous house on 60 acres of land in central southern Florida. Their property is about 15 miles outside Sebring in Highlands County. They have "neighbors" but not in the way you or I do. At home, I can see a neighbor's house looking out the window from pretty much any room. Here, there are valances that decorate the windows, but no need for real curtains. The back of the house has a wonderful screen porch. The deck that leads off it was designed with no railing so that there is nothing to disturb the view of the woodsy backyard and the creatures that visit there. The Princess decided that 5:30 was a good time to wake up this morning. I don't know if it was a bad dream or the need to pee, but she started making noise and then took herself off to the potty. Her bed was suddenly no longer acceptable, so I brought her into ours and hoped for some more sleep. Unfortunately, my brain clicked on and there I was......Wide awake. Before 6 AM. I layed quietly and thought peaceful thoughts, but really it was a fantasy that my mind would settle back down and let my body sleep. So I got out of bed. And went out to the porch. One of my very favorite times of the day is when I wake and get up before Thea does. Even if it's only 15 minutes, it's MY time. It's time where I can sit quietly and think of whatever I want. Part of what makes this time special is that it doesn't happen every day. More often than not, my alarm clock is in the form of a 3 year old girl. So on the days that I wake before she does, and am afforded enough time for a quiet, uninterrupted cup of coffee, those 10 or 20 minutes are precious. This morning, I spent those precious minutes on the porch. It was just 6 AM and pitch black outside. The only light is what spilled through the window from the Christmas tree. Beyond the screens was utter blackness. And it was filled with life. Bushes rustled, cows mooed, a rooster crowed. Literally. There is a great deal of farmland out here. The land is flat and the sounds carry. I was hoping that the Princess would fall back to sleep and let me watch the sunrise out there. Maybe see the deer passing through, or some wild turkeys, some raccoons. No such luck. Thea emerged from the bedroom within 15 minutes or so and the day was begun. But it began with some precious time, listening to noise-filled silence of the morning.