I love the mornings. I am an early riser, usually up before the sun. That's easier in the darker days of winter but even now that it's spring I love to experience the dawning of the day.

I can't see the sun rising directly from my little studio as I face west towards the open ocean. However I do see the rosey glow as it hits Cnocnatsionnach the mountain to our backs. The mountain of the foxes with its reddy colour from the all the bracken, before it takes on the green mantle of Summer or its purple cloak of Autumn heather.

The sun also catches the wild gorse with all the golden flowers & smelling of coconut! They say it is the time when Irish girls kiss when the gorse is in flower. It maybe worth a note that we have two varieties of gorse common here in Ireland. The low growing native gorse found high up on the mountain & the larger gorse bush in amongst the stone walls and the corners of a field. They flower at different times of year, so there's a very long kissing season 🤭

I can just make out the familiar shape & colour of a hare grazing in the field beyond & in amongst the trees there are so many birds chattering away after a night of roosting. The blackbird is so distinctive but there's a wren & a robin too adding to the chorus & intertwining melody.

I can also hear other tunes most mornings as Kate practices her penny whistle over on the other side of the house. Traditional tunes played for hundreds of years, hornpipes, reels & jigs. Of course there are the sad laments & mournful airs but they don't appear to be for the morning time.

I can smell the coffee & toast now & there's sheets hung out to dry. Looks like we might have a fine day ahead of us. They make a flapping sound as there is a gentle breeze but not enough to stir the trees. A few seagulls are high above commuting out to sea by the look of it, strangely silent, no screech or cries today. There's the croak of a pheasant but I'd say he's some distant away. Maybe he'll visit us later today.

Anyway, I better get back to my stitching or the morning will be gone. It's so easy to get lost out there & let time slip through my fingers.