Sunrise at the Lake

I've mentioned before that we live within walking distance of the lake. That's Lake St. Clair, to be exact. It's not one of the Great Lakes, but it's still large enough that one can't see the other side, giving the illusion of an ocean rather than a lake.

The other morning I woke up at the wee hours to enjoy the sunrise. Growing up on the western shore of the beautiful peninsula of Michigan, I enjoyed hundreds upon hundreds of breathtaking sunsets. These glorious sunsets were such a commonplace sight that I'm rather afraid I took them for granted.

Now that we live on the eastern shore of our state, I decided it was high time to start enjoying some sunrises, even if it means getting up far earlier than my body would like.

The early morning sky enticed me along to the lake front:

The colors in this photo weren't edited whatsoever--promise! It was incredible...

 And then I arrived at the lake. The forcast was right: partly cloudy. Yet the glorious golden rays of the sunrise still had a tiny chance to make an appearance...

There is little else in this world that soothes my soul the way majestic waters can. Whether it be mighty, white-capped waves, or smooth, quiet ripples--no matter what the circumstances of life may be, I gaze upon the waters and my heart instantly becomes at peace.

And then--to my utter delight--a large family {of fifteen!!} swam by:

They were soon followed by a much smaller family of five:

I enjoyed many moments of repose, seated at a picnic table, scribbling down thoughts in my journal.

I was the only soul at the waterfront. Oh, how I love solitude.

The walk home was also magically empty...

...empty, and enchanting.

I couldn't think of a more perfect way to start the day.