Since we have been in lockdown, I have taken to doing my permitted exercise very early in the morning. Many of you won’t know but I am a long distance runner; mainly road marathons, some coast path running and currently in training for my first Ultra Marathon later on this year.
Since the roads have been a lot quieter I have been able to explore all the country lanes around where I live, it’s been rather an adventure, and as I see no one at just after 6am in the morning it’s just me, wildlife and the beautiful landscape.
I’m going to try and persuade you that during this time it really is worth the effort to experience this time of day. I know some people are not Larks, but going out at this time just the once will convince you that it was worth that very early alarm call.
The air is so crisp and cool, and unsullied! You will feel that you are the first person out there conquering the day. You will experience the dawn chorus, your own personal musical concert, the woodpecker hammering industriously, and spot those beautiful buzzards circling high in the sky.
As I trot along in the quiet, the pheasant’s raw cry can be heard and their heads pop up in the field they are hiding in, what an amazing plumage they have. The rabbits are playful and watch you for a while before slipping under hedges. As well as all the wonderful sounds of nature you will hear before humans awake, there is the fresh fragrance of all our spring flowers in all their rich colours- it is a splendid time of year.
On Easter Sunday in the soft first light I came across a deer- goosebumps at seeing such a timid creature, a soft fawn colour, gentling trotting down the road and then into a field before slipping through the foliage. I stopped for a while to watch, what an honour to see such wildlife.
So my last persuading tactic for an early rise is to be there before the sun comes up; it makes you feel quite small and humble to see the rise of this fiery majestic ball into the sky and the change of colours that happens with it, this incredible star has the power to warm the earth and waters.
During this time when our world has become smaller, there is still much to see and experience locally. This is a perfect time for us to embrace the landscape we live in and all that it offers, explore it, feel it, hear it and enjoy the serenity it brings very simply to our lives.
