Dawn comes early in farm country during the summer months…
Partly due to the busy times before harvest, getting all the equipment ready etc. and then once harvest begins, it is from sun up to sundown.
I have two reasons for being up in the middle of the night…the first one is due to the “Queen of Birds” as she feels it is her nagging bird duty to wake us all up. She begins about 3:05 every morning in the dark…she chirps and chatters periodically for about 15 minutes and slowly one by one all the other birds finally jump in on the chattering part…by 3:30 it is bird central outside our bedroom windows. I usually get up and shut them hoping we can go back to sleep a few more hours but by 3:30 to 4:00 I am up and wide awake…which is good for my second reason:)
Which is this view…watching the miracle of a brand new day begin with each beautiful sunrise! It is one of God’s greatest gifts to us as we can watch one of His daily miracles unfold before us…as only God could arrange how the earth maneuvers in relationship to the sun and the moon. I don’t want to miss a second of our summer months while summer is here with my camera…there is so much to photograph and to experience!
There is something holy about watching the sunrise…maybe it is due to it being a brand new day with renewed hope and a clean slate or maybe it is one of those incredible God moments that you can not explain. For me, watching the sunrise and the sunset in summer gives me beauty filled with miracles that inspires me with a sense of awe and wonderment…and even in the early darkness of dawn, it is usually barefoot nice outside…I love the warm nights as the rest of the year, I am cold.
And this particular sunrise was well worth being up for!
The camera caught the rays of light…which I love seeing as it is what I saw…beautiful huh?
And with each passing second, the light and colors change! I love this time of year here…the magical ever changing light, the colors that knock your socks off and the solitude that brings peace to your soul…it all comes together…feeding your heart with creativity…old memories, good times and new adventures…and the ever presence of heaven on earth for a few short months here in Juniper Canyon.
Wheat harvest is in full swing this week…and once the sun is barely up, the semi trucks that haul the wheat are back to hauling wheat, while the farmers are headed back out to the fields with their crew, and another day of harvest begins…
The semi trucks can run around the clock, hauling wheat day and night to keep the elevators empty for each new day of crop to come into their bins.
The wheat is headed to the Columbia River about 35 miles from here, where it will be loaded onto barges that will make the 200 mile trip down the Columbia River to Portland, Oregon, where it will be shipped overseas.
One last glorious sunrise photo…this one was on a different day…incredible colors and light!
Sunrise
In the early morning hours as I rise from slumbers sweet
I search the dark and black horizon
Longing for my eyes to meet,
The morning with its subtle dawning, the colors stretching as they wake
Greeting me with glorious splendor, bidding me my prayers to make
Oh my precious Lord and Master, How I wonder at your plan
Who am I to share this beauty? Who am I, but mortal man?
Such a gift you’ve given freely, colors bursting from the sky
Wonders of your vast creation,
How can man your love deny?
There is hope within each sunrise
Hope to face the brand new day
Gone are yesterday’s demises
Hope replaces my dismay
Like the promise of the rainbow that you hung across the sky,
Sunrise stirs the love within me,
Thinking how you bled and died,
Thinking how you suffered for me,
Passed through hell so I could live,
Live to see each morning’s sunrise
And your hope to others give
(Not sure who wrote this, but I found it this week and thought it fit)
And just for you…one sunset picture too! The mountain (click on the picture) you see in the picture is Mt. Hood, 200 miles away from us. In the summer months, I ride my horse out into the fields around our house…we climb the steepest hill in the back of the field to watch the sunset…most nights it is clear like this and you often can see three mountains in your view…all of them are over 200 miles away from us!
Wellll, it’s a deep subject:) Hee-hee…one of WB’s silly lines…and because its Marvelous Monday, I had to say it:) Wishing you a wonderful week wherever you are! HRC over and out for now:)
Hot Rod Cowgirl 
Aug 05, 2013 @ 17:32:31
Although we are very busy,we must always remember God.OK….
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Aug 05, 2013 @ 17:35:48
Many thanks…..
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Aug 05, 2013 @ 23:06:00
Amen and I agree:) He is always with us and for us:)
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Aug 07, 2013 @ 07:44:42
You’re right.We can’t live without him.
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Aug 07, 2013 @ 08:28:15
🙂
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Aug 05, 2013 @ 14:37:58
Love this post!
My sister who lives in NYC, just e-mailed me a gorgeous sunrise shot of the city! It’s gorgeous!!! She said God woke her up early to see it! It was like God was saying, “Good morning, My child!!! Have a great day!! I’ll be taking care of everything for you today! See. I’ve started with the sky above you!!” He’s awesome!!!
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Aug 05, 2013 @ 23:03:22
Thank you so much for your kind words and also for sharing:) I totally agree and huge amen:) God is so incredible and how He speaks to us if we just listen and look around at His glorious world:) I would love to see your sister’s sunrise shot too as it sounds beautiful. I feel that way about both the sunrise and the sunset as truly God loves us so much:) God Bless you and also your sister:) Hugs:)
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Aug 06, 2013 @ 03:07:08
You’re so welcome! Thanks! Yup, I’m gonna post that photo…God is always with us!! And showing Himself Mighty!! Amen!!
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Aug 06, 2013 @ 05:25:33
I can’t wait to see the photo:) I enjoy your blog as I know I will find an encouraging word and positive hope:):):) Our world has become so different and times have changed…God is consistent and always with us even when everything else is out of control! I can not imagine not having God in my life!
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Aug 06, 2013 @ 16:55:08
So true!! What do people do without Him to turn to???? I guess they just wing it, and try to figure it all out themselves…to me that’s scary stuff, for sure!! I love knowing we can trust Jesus…Our Rock!! Amen!
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Aug 06, 2013 @ 20:56:47
Amen:) May God bless your night with a peaceful gentle sleep that can only come from Jesus:)
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Aug 07, 2013 @ 10:33:17
Amen!!
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Jul 27, 2013 @ 09:50:36
I related to the clouds and photographs. I am constantly taking my cell phone and lifting it up to the skies. I think Heaven is captured in your photos and some of mine, too!
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Jul 28, 2013 @ 18:13:42
Thank you so much:) I also find myself looking up as the skies are incredibly filled with God’s glory. As a photographer, we never run out of things to photograph here in our world as God created such a beautiful world for us to live in:)
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Jul 24, 2013 @ 12:02:44
I believe that God has given us heaven on earth through these most magical skyscapes. I just love them, too! XOXO-Kasey
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Jul 25, 2013 @ 00:01:08
🙂 They can be incredible here and I love them, but when we do get to heaven, think the sunsets or sunrises we see now times 10 for colors with depth:) Wowzers for sure! I am always thankful when I look out and see God’s glory in His sky and His world. Thank you for stopping by:) Hugs and Blessings being sent your way for you and your daughter:):):)
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Jul 23, 2013 @ 03:46:40
As always glorious photos……you and your cowboy are surrounded by such incredible beauty every single day….thanks for sharing some of it with us – it takes my breath away.
Love, Pam (and Sam)
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Jul 23, 2013 @ 07:51:19
Thank you so much Pam and (Sam)…you always say the nicest sweetest things:) Yes I feel so very blessed to live here and I love capturing the beauty that I see in order to share with you…it is easy for me to do as I love capturing the photos and having them show the colors, light and etc. always gives me joy…then Minnie and I do the happy dance:) Wow Sam will be 14 this year, he is like Minnie as he does not look it at all and seems very healthy. Minnie is doing well, she gets upset easier over me going to town or something where I will be gone…and she moves more fragile now…but she is still her sweet Minnie self and she will be 19 in May…I worry over her all the time…she is our baby and both WB and I love her lots! Oh Minnie says “Hi Sammy, I would do the same thing if I had a Tuesday Teaser, make it hard for people to guess where it is and then I would snicker at them too:)” Hugs, HRCG and Minnie
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Jul 22, 2013 @ 22:10:04
These are magnificent captures and I love the poem..so fitting to your post…
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Jul 22, 2013 @ 22:21:20
Thank you so much:) I am so blessed to live here and I love the sunrise…and sunsets too. The colors and light are always so incredible and my camera is always in my hand…I am always thrilled to capture the images of life here so that I can share them with you:) I loved finding the poem too, it truly fit and is so true!
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Jul 22, 2013 @ 19:06:46
You are correct, there is something holy about watching the sun rise. It’s like you’re a kid again, and have the privilege of sitting with God who says, “Look at all this. How can you not be awed?”
MJ
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Jul 22, 2013 @ 21:52:09
Right on MJ and I love them:) I love your analogy as it is so true, I have felt like that often! God is so good to us and He gave us such an awesome world, I feel so blessed to capture different parts of it…it always gives me an uplift to see the new day dawn…and also the sunsetting too…but the dawn of a new day is incredible and such a miracle. It is nice to see you and as always thank you for stopping by…big hugs:)
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Jul 22, 2013 @ 19:02:39
Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
YYYYAAAAWWWWNNNN!!!!! BUT WORTH CATCHING WITH A CAMERA!!!
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Jul 22, 2013 @ 21:46:49
Thank you so much for the reblogging:)
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Jul 22, 2013 @ 19:01:46
BUT WORTH THE VIEW!!!! 🙂
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Jul 22, 2013 @ 21:46:10
Yes so very very worth it:)
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Jul 22, 2013 @ 18:59:42
Gorgeous pictures. The colors are especially amazing!
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Jul 22, 2013 @ 21:45:33
Thank you so much:) It was so exciting to be up taking pictures of an incredible sunrise! I love the dawn of a new day and I love the sunsets too…we live in such a beautiful world…with my camera I never run out of fun things to take photos of:)
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Jul 22, 2013 @ 16:59:32
Nothing better than dawn in the country…although sunset rivals it…Nope, dawn – it’s all a new day and energy is there , not spent.
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Jul 22, 2013 @ 21:43:34
I totally agree on the brand new day…sunsets are beautiful too…I just came in from hiking up the hill hoping to capture a few new pictures of the sunset and the full moon…moon shots are tough…I tried a new thing so I am hoping they turn out to share:)
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Jul 22, 2013 @ 16:52:48
So beautiful and peaceful to see your sunrise, and sunset. Very nice post, Cowgirl.
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Jul 22, 2013 @ 21:41:31
Thank you so much…good to hear from you:)
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Jul 22, 2013 @ 16:39:51
I love sunrise. Iy’s the most beautiful time of any day. I don’t always like being up at that hour, but then the sky makes it worthwhile.
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Jul 22, 2013 @ 21:40:53
Yes it truly does…I love being outside at both dawn and dusk with the incredible light and colors, the beauty is all around us:)
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Jul 22, 2013 @ 15:36:48
Those images are stunning! They are like liquid gold! What eagle eyes you have!
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Jul 22, 2013 @ 21:39:08
Thank you so much:) I truly appreciate your kind words and that you stopped to say Hi:)
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Jul 22, 2013 @ 15:36:13
I love sunrises and these are gorgeous. Is it a scrub jay that wakes you? We have one that sits on our railing outside our window and taunts our kitties. So between the two of them, there is no sleep to be had.
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Jul 22, 2013 @ 21:38:01
Thank you for much:) I am not sure if it is a Scrub Jay or a Western Bluebird? But is acts like a Scrub Jay with being the first one to chip and chatter, alerting everyone that morning is here and time to get up! If Minnie, our 18 year old kitty, was younger she would be having quite the discussion with any bird…she used to sleep in the window all night when she was younger. In summer months life is full of everything that is good and wonderful around you if you look and listen. I love how each day is full of newness:)
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