Waiting for the Good Light

Hello trail buddies,

When I think back about my early years, I remember quite vividly, any one of my adventures with what few diehards I knew, off backpacking to remote places such as South Manitou Island on Lake Michigan, Isle Royal, an island located out in Lake Superior, the Porcupine Mountains, located on the west side in Upper Michigan, as well as many other places we would trek off to. Having great trail buddies who shared such enthusiasm and passion for the great outdoors are a rare find. Though we did all these trips and had a lot of good memories as well as laughs, I always found one small difference amongst us - I was the early riser out of the bunch. Wouldn't matter if we stayed up late around the fire sharing wonderful memories from our trips we had taken both together and separate. I would rise early and be off down the trail persuing some adventure within the adventure. Finding myself at the edge of a lake waiting for sunrise. Looking for and watching wildlife - sitting and observing. Others would rise and ask where the heck is Buford now? You got to know Buford, he's off looking for something before sunrise. While others were rising at a normal time, I was just coming in from my morning trek.
Sharing with others my great finds over breakfast and what I witnessed while they slept in was always a treat. Better yet, when pictures were passed around later of our trip and the reactions to what was missed by sleeping in! Now years later and many of us scatterd to other parts of the U.S. , I find I am still the early riser. Getting out before sunrise to some remote location and waiting for the "good light." Taking in the sights and sounds of the wildlife I encounter early in the morning; sharing with those who would seem interested and weren't as energetic as I. Though the pictures would always later be shared with envy from the ones that didn't come along. I would hope to any of you early morning risers, that you would take a moment and share with other family members or trail buds those special moments they missed while they decided to sleep in. That's OK, the early morning rise isn't for everyone. It is for Buford, a quiet moment standing alongside a pond watching and waiting for the good light, as seen here in my picture.

Enjoy!

Hey see you down the trail somewhere,

Buford T. Porcupine