First day of Autumn

It is another three am wakening and I'm glad for the dampening effect of the heavy rain outside as my daughter runs around the house squealing. I actually don’t mind these early mornings as it gives me guilt free time to read or write for, as far as I’m concerned, the clock doesn’t start until six am. I also love sitting at my desk at this time of night, watching the first blush of morning creep across the sky through the window, that delicious crispness of foredawn, and that earthy new day smell that is hard to describe but which is so full of promise. Occasionally my daughter wanders up to me, patting my leg as she curiously looks up at the computer screen. I pick her up giving her an enormous bear hug, breathing in the earthy notes of the avocado and calendula conditioner I liberally apply to her beautiful long hair each night. After a while she squirms out of my arms and goes back to her toys, which she has managed to spread throughout the entire lounge room. A frog croaks loudly in the drain pipe just outside my window soon joined by a cacophony of calls and whistles of birds as the sun struggles to break through the thick rains clouds. I glance at the clock and realise that it is the first day of autumn. What a wonderful way to welcome the dawn of a new season.