Coffee in the Sun

There is something so perfectly peaceful about having a cup of coffee in the sun on your porch on a beautiful spring morning. Its like a meditation of warmth and delight. Spring is in full force around here now. All the trees have suddenly exploded with leaves, the sun feels warm, the breeze is mild, and the birds are singing a beautiful chorus for the day. I find myself drawn out here to sit a while, watching the cats attempt the stay awake in the sun beam they have found. Sunbeams are a cats worst enemy.
The only thing that rivals this wonderful morning is that first cup of coffee around last nights fire at camp. Everyone crawling out of their tents looking ragged from the night before, dragging themselves up to the coffee pot, and pulling up a chair to stare into space a while until the mood strikes to actually do something. Or at least until breakfast is ready. Someone asked me once what my favorite part of camp was and I replied that it was that first moment of the day. Before everyone has wandered off to do whatever it is they have in mind to get to that day, before breakfast, just after the coffee has finished perking. The time when we all gather together to sit in the morning sun, laugh about the fun we had the night before, and quietly enjoy each others company and the smell of breakfast beginning to cook.
Although I don't usually have to be awake early at camp I tend to find myself one of the first ones up. The rising sun and chirping birdsong making me decide to greet the day with a groggy hello! Although some days its the intense heat that seems to build up far earlier then you would imagine in my tent that forces me out of bed sooner then I would wish.
Camp mornings are like a strange time bender. I would find myself awake having coffee and making breakfast and think it was almost afternoon. Out of curiosity I would check the time and find it to only be 8 or 9am and I would be horrified thinking "just how early was I awake!? Why can't I sleep in even on vacation?!". Then again when you are at camp there is always time for a nap.
Very soon I will find myself immersed in this wonderful, healing meditation of camp mornings. For now I will just sit and enjoy the moment of a cup of coffee on the porch in the sun with some sleepy cats.

Today I will leave you with a picture of myself cooking camp breakfast. Yes, I always look that crazed when I make breakfast.