Early Bird

It was soooooo dark this morning at 5:30, and my bed was sooooo warm.  Even at 5:45, and at 6, it was nighttime dark.  I grouched while putting on my shoes and my windpants.  Wouldn't a nice nap make more sense than going out into the chilly darkness?  Housemate was just motivated enough that she didn't cave easily, and I wasn't tired or lazy enough to try to persuade.  So we walked briskly.  It wasn't that cold.  There were big puddles on the gravel from yesterday's stormy rain, and we leapt over them when they crossed our path.  The tide was low so the cove was mostly mudflats, with just a channel or two from a feeder stream winding its silver way out to the ocean.  As the day got light I looked at one of those channels.  It was crowded with ducks, two dozen or more.