Trelawnyd Dawn

A single light through the graveyard
In winter, there is one small perk you can hold on to when looking after a ragtag group of animals on a village field, and that is they dont generally wake up and need caring for until dawn.
Dawn presently does not rear it's ugly head until 8 ish, so me and the terriers have gotten use to a small, warm lie in with no interruptions!
Things now have changed. 
With Chris and I sharing the car, I do have to drag my sorry arse out of bed at some ungodly hour to take him to the station, so at 6.45am  I was back in a darkened village twiddling my thumbs before "Reveille"

All over the village lights are on and people can be seen getting ready for work. There is little to no employment in the village itself (Only one villager actually works in the school), so the morning commute out is a common one. Traffic is already brusk on London road, and a steady stream of lights snake along the A5151 towards the A55...the only major road out of North Wales.

It's still pitch black when I walk the sleepy terriers around the village. The lights are on in Auntie Glad's kitchen and I suspect the aga is already boiling water for her first tea of the day, but I can't see her as I pass
Mrs Trellis and her excitable sheepdog dart up High Street and thankfully out of our way and someone waves at me from a car pulling out of Maes Offa,, but without my glasses I don't have a clue who it is , so I wave back vaguely.

By the time we return to the cottage, dawn is just peeping through the clouds beyond the rectory.
The  animals are still silent, the pigs are asleep still in their hut.
As we pass, the three guinea fowl chirp gently from their advantage point high above the field. On sentry duty, they recognise me and William stands for a moment trying to locate where their almost inaudible calls are coming from.

Another day


Look carefully, the three guinea fowl roosting quietly


32 comments:

  1. One of my favourite things about working nights (many years ago) was seeing the sun come up and driving home while everyone else was headed in the opposite direction.

    There's something nicely old-fashioned and more magical about these generally less-used parts of the day.

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  2. I wake up most mornings at just before 5 and since I cannot go back to sleep I get up for breakfast and love to watch the BBC business news (the one time of day when I do not have to suffer interminable interruptions from He Who Knows All About Money ;-)I find this time of day very quiet and peaceful. A few weeks ago we were visiting relatives in St. Albans and had to drive my son to the airport -- leaving the house at 4.00 am. I was astounded to find endless streams of traffic with endless beams of headlights on the motorways -- all the way home to Merseyside! The retired life has many idyllic things to recommend it!

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  3. At 7.30 I let the chickens out of their coop (they make a terrible noise), and took the dogs for their first walk of the day. This morning I returned with about 2 kgs of Cèpes. What a strange year it's been!

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  4. I love that time of day...before the world has really got going. If only I could motivate myself to get out of bed! Do you ever say "Thanks" to Chris for giving you that opportunity :-)

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  5. That's the worst bit about winter for me.

    The days are just too short and mentally, I've had enough when it starts to go dark at night, and it feels like midday before it gets properly light enough to do anything constructive.

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  6. Are you sure those aren't gargoyles roosting up in the tree?
    I have been imagining you keeping gargoyles since I found your comment today: administering their antibiotics, clipping their wings maybe, determining their diet (they might prefer fresh poultry to grain and stale bread) and keeping the peace between them. I suspect they would be creatures of the night and enjoying your shorter days.

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  7. Love sitting in the garden in the early morning (even in winter. I take my sheepskin walker's seat).

    When Elsie and I go to early morning car boot sales there's always a camaraderie between the early morning risers. It's nice.

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  8. I do despair of Wales' road system. The A483, which is a main road through Wales becomes little more than a country lane in places. I am thankful I don't have to commute any more.

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  9. Well, John you certainly made this early hour interesting to all who read your post. I've also walked dogs in the pre-dawn dark and they love it! Have a great day in that quaint village of yours. Jo

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  10. Dawn is just magic isn't it? Such a shame we have to get up to early to see it.

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  11. Your camera takes great pictures. It's actually easy to make out the guineas.
    Have a good day, John.

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  12. John, how come the guinea hens roost in trees and don't make a cozy nest? Will they stay there all Winter?

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  13. I hate having to get up in the dark - and this morning was almost totally black. There was just a glow of pink appearing over the horizon as I joined the M1 on my 19mile drive to work. How different (proper) country life is.

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  14. razz
    now there's a tale
    the guine fowl are the survivors of badger attack a couple of years ago.
    They were youngsters in their own run, 5 were killed the survivors managed to escape and flew up into the trees....
    naturally guineas prefer trees, so they stayed wind , rain or shine

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  15. Anonymous1:26 pm

    I have always been an early riser. Nothing like a cup of coffee while you watch the rest of the world come alive and struggle off to work.

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  16. Good heavens! You sound almost poetic in this post - like William Wordsworth frolicking along, waxing lyrical about the start of a new day. But as Les Dawson once said, "There's nowt wrong wi' poetry".

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  17. Anonymous2:20 pm

    Surely you should write a book John, The Trelawnyd Tales perhaps! Your post today reads as poetic prose...very enjoyable!

    I've always liked dawn...I once rose at the crack of dawn, drove to downtown Norfolk, sat on a bench in a little park, absorbing the freshness of a city coming to life!

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  18. Sounds pretty idyllic to me, although not the getting up early bit.

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  19. Beautifully written John, the peace of it just comes right off the screen and into my being. Thank you for that. I am ever grateful that I do not have to spend hours in the car to and from work. I am an early riser, 0500 or earlier. I love the peace of the predawn hours. Too bad it has to be so damn cold sometimes- LOL!
    We have a 4-day weekend here, so I will wish you a wonderful weekend!

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  20. Thanks for sharing your morining John...it is my most favourite time of the day. I happily get out of bed anytime between 5 and 6...I love the dark, the silence, the gentleness of that time.

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  21. Early morning is my favorite time of day. LOVE that first picture. Great job capturing the pre-dawn feeling.

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  22. I forgot that Wales is further north than Nova Scotia. In winter dawn occurs between 6:30 and 7 A.M. Now get this one....my sister lives further north than you in Edmonton, Alberta.....their days are really short, it gets dark just after 3 P.M. and lasts till around 10 A.M. the next day! I'd be taking tons of Vitamin D if I lived there!

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  23. I lve these glimpses into your day John.

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  24. I'm at work by the time the sun makes its presence known..an unfortunate thing as I am a big fan of the morning sky!

    I'm glad you are able to enjoy these simple pleasures...take nothing for granted!

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  25. Another great post, John. I'm not a morning person, either, but there is something magical in early morning stillness. When i worked nights, i sometimes also stayed up to see the dawn before heading to bed. Easier than getting up to watch it!

    I awoke to snow this morning, the heavy, wet kind. It took two hours of shovelling to get the most important bits done, and i've more to shovel yet.

    No guinea fowls near me, but a few chickadees chirped their thanks as i removed snow from evergreen branches then refilled the bird feeder.

    megan

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  26. Can only make out two of those guinea fowl John but I will take your word for it.

    Still four weeks to go to the shortest day - just a little thought to cheer you up!

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  27. What a delightful post. It ALMOST makes me want to get up early !!
    Cheers

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  28. thank you helsie
    you are so sweet!

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  29. Something nice about getting up very early though. Maybe not every day of course :) I love to see the dawn. But surely people don't commute to London from your village?

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  30. You have managed to make an early, undoubtedly chill morning sound enviably beautiful.

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  31. What a delightful vision of winter. I look forward to more.

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