I wake up early, 4:30. Breakfast in bed in the guest bedroom, facing the hills to the north. Then I hear them, a soft little twitter at first, then stronger, as the house finches begin their morning song.
Other birds, nesting in the junipers, wake up and join the choir. The sky turns red behind our hills. I get up and take my camera outside.
In our yard, four baby rabbits chase each other around and around. A large Jack rabbit looks at me and continues to calmly chew his breakfast. Quail make their way, foraging around the playful rabbits, clucking their contented sounds, truly the chickens of our backyard.
I click away at the wondrous sky, and let go of my worries as a new day begins. Then I open the door and let Samson outside........
