© 2013 Aaron Atkinson

Morning Chorus

Last night…

Laura: I just set my alarm for 7:30 tomorrow. I can’t wait to sleep in!

Me: That’ll be nice. I’ll try to be quiet when I get up at 6:15.

This morning…

The quiet stillness of dawn can be raucously loud.

It’s six a.m. From her crate on the main level Lola’s awake and ready to play. Quietly at first and then growing louder, she starts barking. She wakes Indie from her slumber next to our bed. She stands, stretches and let’s out a contented groan. She walks through the bathroom and into the closet. As she does, her toenails click on the tile floor.

Lola hears Indie and really start a rhythmic, every-four-second-bark intended to rouse us from our warm bed.

Blended into the barking, a cardinal in the oak tree outside of our bedroom window starts to sing his clear morning song. A dove chimes it from the peak of our roofing, adding a mournful undertone to the cardinal’s chipper call.

The furnace fires up at 6:10, adding a gusty white-noise to the chorus. At about the same time a passing shower drums a percussive rain against our bedroom window.

And then they stop.

The shower, as quickly as it came, passes on. The furnace has met its heat quota and takes a break. The dove and the cardinal have taken flight and their music ceases. Indie has snuggled into her cave amongst the hanging sweatshirts at the back of our closet. And even Lola has stopped her bar….

No there she goes again.

It’s twelve past six in the morning, and from her create on the main level, Lola’s awake and ready to play.

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