I'm a morning person.

Even without an alarm, it's the rare day that finds me sleeping past 6:00 a.m, though I often look at the time and roll back over for a little while.

I do love to snuggle down into my covers. But, my body (mind?) won't let me stay long, except when it's winter cold. It's a little tricky getting enough sleep sometimes, since I never seem able to get into bed much before 11 - there's always so much to get done.

And I love to read - love to read.

So almost no matter what time I find myself crawling into bed, it's almost impossible to make myself turn off the light before I've read for a half-hour or more, though lately I find my eyes closing and my head drooping before I've made it to the half-hour mark.

If you read this blog regularly, you know I have my crazy-ass dog, Jack Bauer (Bauer for short) who simply must be walked every morning. He must. He needs at least 45 minutes of walking a day, and so do I.

Atlanta is so stinkin' hot in the summer that the only feasible time to walk without burning the little stinker's paws is around 6:30 a.m. Yep. But, the truth is, I love being out with Bauer as the sun gently waves his magic wand across the sky to bring on the day.

Sometimes I feel like it's a closely-guarded secret, those beautiful sunrises.

There are definitely a lot of people on their way to work at that time, but they don't seem to be paying much attention.

Sunrises are sunsets on the opposite side of the sky, but they don't have the glamorous reputation of their nighttime counterparts.

I was sitting on the porch steps strapping on my tennis shoes last Monday morning while Bauer sniffed around waiting on me, and I looked at the sky.

It was still dark, but something about the clouds alerted me. "It's going to be a pretty one, Bauer," I said.

He looked at me with that sweet canine tilt of the head, ears alert, as if he couldn't agree more. "Hang on, boy," I said as I darted back into the house. I grabbed my camera and made sure the battery was juiced. I slung the camera over my neck and one shoulder, leashed up Bauer, and away we went. As we walked South, the light had that gloaming sunset feel.

But by the time we turned the corner and headed East, the sky was glowing luscious oranges, yellows and pinks.

It took my breath away.

As we approached Jake's Ice Cream, I told Bauer he'd need to be patient for a few. He didn't get it, and he kept tugging. I put his leash on the ground and stepped on it, so he couldn't go anywhere.

I captured a few shots by Jake's and the Beltline and then quick had to grab Bauer as another early-morning dog walker loomed into view.

A few seconds later, Bauer gave his dog-being-killed scream while the other dog's human gave me a look of horror.

Sigh.

Honestly, if I knew how to stop it I would.

On the same walk, we got the hysterical laughter look, the pitying head shake, and the nice lady who always stops and talks to me as if Bauer isn't screaming his head off and lunging at her sweet lab.

I like her.

She understands early-morning difficult dogs and sunrises.

And no...there was no thunder, but the clouds seemed like thunder themselves willing me to wake up to the beauty of the world around me.

And I did.