The LORD provided us with our heart's desire this past year: a home still in the city of Boston, where we've lived all our married life, yet one surrounded by wildlife.  (God can do ANYthing!)

With a week off work recently as we prepare for the birth of little Geffken #6, my husband fulfilled another desire: he and the children woke one morning around 4am and quietly set off to see the sunrise from one of the hills in the Arboretum behind our home.  Having interviewed everyone involved over a pancake breakfast afterwards, I compiled the following eyewitness report ...

The first faint stirrings of the dawn chorus could be heard as they headed out, flashlight swinging to and fro along our street.  In it's light was caught the dew on the grass and the frozen flight of an early bird.  Eerily, a neighbor's giant purple flag irises shone with a lunar glow.  And mist hung over the city of Boston.

At the iron-gated entrance, a rabbit ran across the path and paused to glance at the children before hopping into the half light.  Then they climbed Peter's Hill, past our favorite blossom tree fragrant and still in bloom though dulled by the darkness.    They could just make out two bats fluttering in a crazy pattern overhead, searching out the morning bugs.  Rummaging about near a bush on the path's edge, a petite wren gave away her presence. 

As they climbed, the color in the sky rose until at the peak of the hill, layer upon layer of rich ruby to pale pink streaks of mist melted away towards the ocean.  And spread out below were 250 acres of rising dense birdsong: varied, rich; rare, common; migrant, resident ... like the city itself.  A car alarm -- subdued and distant -- told that the sounds of the city were waking too.

After silently taking in the changing scene, they turned and descended, running, for the joy of moving.  And halted.  There was the wren near the path still foraging and busy and bats restlessly skitting home via their dot-to-dot of last morsels.

My family emerged into the world of the stirring city as the last of the glow dispersed and it was a new day.

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Jun. 10, 2006 - Untitled Comment

Posted by hsmomof2

Beautiful! I love being up early when no one is out and about. It's so calm and the birds are so energetic! Thanks for stopping by my blog the other day, took me a while to stop in here. I'm sorry it did - the reading challenge looks interesting and I'm heading over there now just to see what's up.

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Jun. 12, 2006 - Thanks for commenting!

Posted by YesYouCanPublications

I've been enjoying your blog. Thanks for stopping by!
Michelle

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