Company in the dawn

An early morning buck does his own New Year’s Day polar plunge.

I didn’t have to work today, so I made it out in the field at dawn (which is 8:00 this time of year). I saw more bucks than usual—they tend to lay low during the day. These winter dawns are not spectacular. Heavy overcast, so I couldn’t even tell when the sun did come up. I could just tell it was getting lighter. No color. It was 28° which is warm for January.

I saw a couple of eagles and several hawks, as well as a lot of geese and ducks. I was wearing ear buds to listen to an audio book, Ancient Civilizations of North America by Edwin Barnhart, and I wondered whether that was the right way to experience the morning. I decided he was good company. We don’t know the real history of this place, and I’m grateful for people who are working on that.