Donovan Kelly

First light is my favorite part of the day. It carries the hope that today I just might get something done, sweetened by the knowledge that I don’t have to do it quite yet.

Plus, at first light I'm a step ahead of all my neighbors who are still sleeping. Kinda like that old joke about the hungry bear chasing you and another guy. You don’t have to outrun the bear, just as long as you can outrun the other guy. Shoot, at first light, I'm probably two steps ahead of the other guy.

Maybe all that is the same as saying I enjoy the promise a new day brings. But I don't put much stock in promises. So, I’ll stick to that good feeling that comes with the first light and the first cup of coffee. That feeling that I haven’t screwed up yet, and so far, I’m a step ahead of everybody else, including the hungry bear.

An early morning walk also helps put off failure. Can’t really get around to screwing up anything until the walk is over.

My morning walk usually takes me past a crazy tree. At least somebody in authority thought the tree was crazy, because they gave it electroshock treatment back last summer.

Except for the zig-zag scar left by the lightning bolt, the tree looks normal enough, like nothing much had ever happened. I’d ask the tree how it was doing, but you know how oaks are. As quiet and stubborn as a fence post, which they are probably first cousin to anyway.

Sometimes when I come back from my walk, the birdfeeder sits real quiet. Could be there are no birds at the feeder because a hawk is lying by. That’s when the chickadees finally stop chattering and the woodpecker press up tight against the feeder tree like it was his new best friend. Or maybe there are no birds because they are somewhere else. It's hard to tell one kind of "are no" time at the birdfeeder from the other.

Only thing to do is to ask the chickadees, because if anybody will tell you what the heck is going on, it's a chickadee.

Problem is, just about when I start chattering with the chickadees about hawks and the crazy oak tree, my neighbors are waking up and watching me. I can see their curtains shaking with laughter. Soon they'll be picking up the phone and calling my wife. There goes the day. Can’t wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow will be better, at least at first.

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