Sunrise + Deer Swimming

This morning I was remembering back to when I read 'Life In The Woods' by Thoreau and how much he loved sunrises; he didn't miss one of them.

There's a certain magic in being awake at dawn and being outside in nature. It's a time to marvel at the quiet and fleeting beauty. 

With the hottest days of summer upon us, Charlie and I are walking early in the morning now instead of our normal evening walks. It's still warm and humid in the morning, but much more manageable.

This morning, as we made our way down to the River Edge Parkway on the Wisconsin River, I kept turning back to look at the gorgeous sunrise behind me. It was such a still and peaceful morning and the houses glowed pinkish-orange, reflecting the color of the sky above.

As we neared the trail, I spotted a doe on the path near the water's edge. It quickly darted into the trees before Charlie saw it and I figured it was making a fast retreat along the riverbank away from us.

But as I got closer to the river, I noticed ripples expanding in an ever-growing ring out in the water.

The deer was swimming away from us toward the island in the middle of the river!

Charlie and I sat on the riverbank watching its progression toward the shallows of the lily beds. It slowly emerged from the water and looked back to watch us as it moved into the woods on the other side.

Charlie just sat quietly watching and then quickly lost interest and started playing in the water, searching for sticks for me to throw for her.

Such a lovely treat to have a beautiful sunrise and watch a deer swimming on our Friday morning. You never know what you'll see when you make time to get outside.