Sunrise

Morning is my favourite time of the day. Sunrise is even better. There's something about the clarity of a fresh new day that offers a release, and a chance for a different beginning, no matter how tough the day or night before has been. This month the mornings have been particularly beautiful, with cold, crisp breezes and bright blue skies that herald the true start of spring. The sunrises have blazed majestically at times, with deep hues of ochre and burnt orange smeared across the sky. Other times, the pale pastel pinks and peaches have softened the early morning lines.

Nothing makes a sunrise more beautiful than a Lincolnshire skyline, and the silhouettes of trees have featured heavily in these early morning vistas across the rolling Wolds. I've been capturing images most days: sometimes with my phone stuck far out my back bedroom window, sometimes braving the elements in the garden, clasping the camera with my dressing gown on still and the dog circling my feet, wondering what's going out.

Somehow a sunrise seems even more sublime at this time of year, as the fingers of branches stretch far across the sky, itching to break out and unfurl. The melodic sound of birdsong accompanies these moments of solitude and punctuates the otherwise deadly silence. The world is still. Life is about to awaken, and so is the day. I can take my time, because I know that most others are still curled up in bed, curtains closed and trying to ignore their alarms. A cup of lemon and ginger tea, a hot bath and a moment to breathe are all I need, for there will be no other time for these during the hectic day ahead.

Do you get up early to see the sunrise? What do you like to do on early mornings?