Contentment by design - Living - Places photo #1119

Predawn splendor! When I went out to hang the bird feeders this morning, the clouds in the northeast sky were lit bright red by the predawn sun. By the time I got my phone out to take a picture, the clouds that were lit up had shifted to the southeast sky, and moments after I took this photo, the light show had faded away.

(Why am I still taking in the bird feeders in the evening in December? Previously, the bears hibernated by the end of October, but I guess climate warming is changing even fundamental behaviors like that. A couple weeks ago toward the end of November, I was awakened in the middle of the night by a tremendous crash on the deck outside our bedroom. When I jumped up and looked out, I saw a bear had torn down one of the bird feeders. I don't know who was more scared, me facing a big ole bear across the deck, or the bear seeing a crazed, disheveled madman in his bathrobe waving his arms wildly and shouting. Fortunately, the bear decided it wasn't worth it and left. Luckily, I had a spare feeder to replace the destroyed feeder the next morning, but now I don't know when I can trust that the bears have actually hibernated, so I'm still taking the feeders in every evening.)