The coldest part of the day is just before the sun rises when the first rays of the sun are gently warming the upper atmosphere. Two sweatshirts, a wind breaker and gloves weren’t enough to fully fend off the cold on this the sub freezing morning. We watched the eastern sky brighten, searching the horizon for the first orange speck that would soon grow into the fiery, life giving orb that would sail across our sky.

It finally arrived and the day creatures started their appointed rounds. As the light gathered, a lone black bird shared this moment from what must have been a breathtaking perch.