dawn at Lake Ella

4/16/2020

Some work stress combined with ongoing fandom wank made for a melancholy morning walk. We were out by 5:45 am and it was refreshingly cool, in the mid 50°F range, so aside from my mood it was lovely.

Perhaps my outlook was dark but it seemed the cottages around Lake Ella were particularly hollow. I usually only see them like this, though — empty and closed. In that regard nothing has changed that I can tell. Some have closed signs, some don’t. I actually have no idea what traffic is like around here during the day.

We keep to our route, and there is a set familiarity with that which is calming. I was asked recently why I seem so unable to just toss up my entire schedule to make room for other things, things I genuinely have interest in, and it was very enlightening to realize the amount of comfort I take in the sameness of everyday life. Upheaval in my life has rarely leaned toward “improvement” and so I get jittery about it.

This pandemic, though, is nothing but upheaval, even for those of us cocooned at home.

So I take my morning with coffee and cream, and dark quiet walks around an empty part, and my dog’s generally laid back mien.

One interesting thing about being home day after day is realizing what a set schedule she has as well. Today’s picture is not from the walk obviously but it is where she goes immediately after her breakfast: back to bed.

Here she lies flat as a pancake for almost exactly two hours, before getting up and acting cute for a mid-morning snack.

Joy in the simple, easy things is today’s lesson, I guess.