Dawn II

The Wisconsin Dells - near Baraboo - June 3, 2009

Dawn around here starts earlier than you would expect. By 4:30am, at least an hour and a half before the sun makes its appearance, the first signs of daylight begin just above the treeline, and just to the north of due east. The pale blue light begins to stretch itself out to the north and south and upwards, and the still black silhouette of trees becomes more well defined. The last few remaining stars momentarily brighten dramatically as if to leave one last brief signature of the night sky before departing. Before the sun breaks the horizon, its light begins to hit the few wispy streaks of clouds overhead, and casts them in a faint orange glow. The rest of the visible sky is the purest azure I can imagine. It's an odd feeling; the sky should not begin to brighten this time of day.

Once the first upper arc of the sun appears above the trees, rays of light begin to creep across the landscape and define many of the features. With the increasing light, you can begin to see dull silver-gray blankets of fog or mist, four to five feet thick, that seem to hover just a foot or so above the ponds and marshy areas that are mixed in with the the stands of trees, grassy patches, and other forms of leafy vegetation. As more of the sun becomes visible, the light works its way down through the trees, and when it hits the foggy areas, it begins to burn the mist off in irregular streaks and patches. Occasionally, bits and wisps of the fog patches drift upward from the main mass and dissipate immediately once they emerge above the shadows. Before long, the fog is gone completely, and everything is very lush and very green.

By 6:15am the sun is above the horizon by a few degrees. It seems larger than reality and because of the low angle and the distant morning haze, for a few minutes you can look directly at it without hurting your eyes. You can almost feel its intensity building as it rises a few more degrees and turns from deep, vibrant orange into the blinding yellow we know best. Finally you are forced to look away and dawn gives way to morning.

Wisconsin wears Spring very well.