Last night I groused and grumbled about trash detail in the morning. After two weeks of accumulation, and days of sun interspersed with rain, and yesterday’s downpours, it would be an unpleasant task. Compounding the effects of time and nature, a feral cat has been visiting us lately. He(?) has enjoyed exploring our trash by eviscerating trash bags and consuming tasty tidbits and he does not clean up after himself. With the cat in residence, putting the trash out at night was not a possibility, so I faced an unpleasant early morning duty and I was not happy about it.

This morning I woke early to sunshine and birdsong and knew I needed to get going—the trash truck waits for no man! So, after my first sip of coffee, I headed out, determined, boots on my feet, trash tags in my hand. About 15 minutes later I was done–disgusted, but done. I had picked up sodden cat-strewn tidbits, dodged maggots, rebagged hole-y trash bags, avoided gargantuan slugs, and hefted water-logged bags into the back of the truck. Satisfied with my hard work, I drove to the end of the driveway and deposited the bags in a haphazard pyramid of waste. Cross that off my list!

I was headed back toward the truck and up to my second sip of coffee when a flash of light behind me caught my eye. I turned and stopped. The morning sunlight streaked in golden rays across the road as it simultaneously peeked through the trees, dappling the road below. What a beautiful light display!

That brief glimpse snared me and swiftly and sweetly channeled me from determination to wonder. I returned to the house, but not for coffee, for my camera. With it in hand, and my eyes awakened, I wandered through our yard, soaking in the splendor of the morning.

How thankful I am that  a burst of sunlight shifted my focus and opened my eyes to the beauty around me.