There's an an energy in the early morning that feels palpable to me. Like something I can absorb and that stays with me all day, protecting me from too many jumbled thoughts and urges.

Brian - great list for a perfect morning.

I, too, am a very early riser... I guess it all started back in high school when I had to get up about 4 o'clock each day and drive to Aiken, SC (17 miles away) to exercise steeplechase horses ... oh, to be out on the track in that cool morning air!

And some years later, I was the chef for a gourmet coffee house in Ridgefield, CT (this was pre-Starbucks) and again I woke at 4 to head the few miles to town and start the day's coffee and bake scones, muffins & croissants before the commuters stopped by at 7AM.

I truly believe that the best part of the day is the quite of the dawn.

I get up at the crack of dawn anyway (kids) but sometimes I get up even earlier because I've found that the more I can pack into the day pre-noon, the more productive I become overall...I must admit, lately, it's also just nice to have some alone time.

I am up and about very early also. I too have seldom used an alarm clock. I love the quiet, watching the sky readying itself for the day. And several cups of strong, black, hot coffee is the perfect start.

My mom always said I got up early as a kid because I was nosy and didn't want to miss anything. That might be true! I just like the solitude, the quiet and knowing I've got a head-start on a brand new day!

I have always been an early morning type. AND have never been a late nighter. I just love the mornings...the sunrise, the birds, the calm. It's just part of who I am. Mornings are optimistic.

Timely post for me, as I'm up at 9 a.m. on a Sunday, after lying awake for thirty minutes in bed. Pretty early for me. But it is nice, the quiet house, just me and the kitties puttering around the house, waiting for the coffee to brew.

Brian, I loved the list, great post. I too am an earlier riser, hardly ever need an alarm clock. I love the quiet of the dawn, peacefulness of the house. The uninterrupted moments when the world is still sleeping. The drives by the lake to watch the sun come over the horizon and mirror off the water. My thoughts are more clear and creative that earlier in the morning. There is nothing like sitting on your front porch in your rode drinking a cup of hot tea (I dont do coffee) watching the sun rise coloring the sky, listening the nature waking up.
I used to be a night person, because I worked nights. But became an earlier rise when I had to start going into work earlier at 6am instead of 8am in order to get the things done and after my girls had moved out (house was never quiet with they there).
Thank you for a wonderful post.

I get up at 3:30 to 4:00 Am , everyday. I go to bed at 11 pm. I work at home,and I find that ime between 4 and 8 am is when I'm my most creative. I don't even own an alarm clock. I hate to feel I missed any of the day.I'm reminded of a John Wayne line in a movie, "Get up! You're burnin' daylight!"

I go to bed late and get up early. Not good. I do love the sky streaking tropical pink and orange over the bay in the big windows across from my bed. It is most gorgeous right before the sun comes out. Sometimes the clouds are dark streaks against the vibrant color and it seems like an overture to the day.

Yes, this morning I awoke and began sorting through 2 years worth of holiday recordings I had put off shelving for, I guess, 2 years. Finished in just under two hours. Early mornings are the best.

Eeennnnhhh, "What's up doc?" Any Bugs Bunny fan is a friend of mine. Now it's off to Al-b-ker-kay.

Good morning Brian! I'm usually not a morning person by choice (quite often forced to be by Husky - hard to sleep while a 50lb dog does kickturns on my chest!)

I do however enjoy having that feeling of "free time" that usually only comes early in the morning (on non work days) or late at night.

wow1 lots of comments early, while I was catching up on what carolineinTO calls 'workity work'.

juliet captured it well, as she usually does.
gmgaston - welcome to my blog, my world
k1mjage...yeah, the alone time, although, as alpha noted, the critters are nice company - we have one cat which used to hide from me (all cause i stepped on it as a kitten). these days, as I watch the today show, she lies beside me, purring, wanting her belly rubbed.
YF: you touch nicely on the universality of what I localize.
Pam: I too would hate to miss anything
gracielou: yeah, i shoulda coulda mentioned the birds, but they aren't in season here.
fireyes: I lost the deck when i moved...maybe time to build a new one, but i have a lovely table under a tree...
T_Bucket: your John Wayne impersonation made me larf.
Lea: yes, dawn can set the mood for the day here too.
Rich: ugh...sorting. I'm a clutter guy, got lots to sort 8sigh*
grif: life IS Looney Tunes

I woke up late today and therefore have little credibility here. But when I do get up before dawn, I love the sounds of the birds waking up, which sounds completely unlike their daytime songs. And of course, the sunrise.

You're number one and two resonated the most with me. I can be a depressive sort at times (hello understatement) but mornings, I'm ready go, mind open, eager.

Plus, after years of having to weed myself of many not-so-good things, I have resolutely refused to give up my coffee. Coffee makes me happy. Period. And now I'm spoiled and grind my own beans and put my coffee through a press so its the world's most delicious.

On a bad day, coffee gives me a reason to get up...so it stays!

Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.

I too feel better rising early. If I sleep in late, I'm sluggish all day long. I do more work before noon than most of the people I work with. I do believe that we are at our most alert and focused early after waking, and I am like you in that I enjoy the quiet of the morning.

rated
G

Brian, I can relate..I lost the front porch along with the country living when I moved. It is time for me to find another front porch, and a house in the country,I miss it. Shit! I got a new porch swing big enough for at least three people for Christmas 07 and never got to hang up and swing. SUCKS! Going to hang it in my garage when I take breaks from woodworking for now.

One of the things you said captured what I like about mornings: "...the companionable hum of the computer fan, the boiler, the refrigerator..." I like that imagery very much. I like the quiet of the morning and thinking that everyone (in town) is just padding around in their slippers, making coffee, getting the paper... the energy of the day hasn't quite geared up. However, I also like late night, around 1am when everything has quieted down and I'm in bed reading - no voices, a nice stillness. Sometimes, if I can't sleep, I've learned to just give in to that: to turn on the light and start reading, and that can be nice too (as long as I don't have to get up in the morning!).

Well, since the Kid was born, my early mornings are slightly more torturous as I haven't caught up on sleep in over two years. BUT, that said, I love getting more stuff done by being up earlier. If I wake up at 8, I'm certain I'd feel as if the whole day was already wasted! By getting up at 5:30, I get so much more done, some of it nice and relaxing.

I like your list.

The change between youth and maturity was when I stopped staying up late and started getting up early...

It's quiet, I'm the only one up. Shave and shower after feeding the cats (if I know what's good for me), pack lunches, start breakfast. Crucial preparation time. Trying to wake up at six and stage the morning and the day was a disaster, gives me a headache to think about it.

I wish Trader Joe's was open at seven in the morning. That seems like the middle of the morning to me.

Excellent list, excellent reasons. I add the ability to watch the sun rise from my office (sample photo at the bottom of my post at http://open.salon.com/content.php?cid=71940 )

It is great to be amongst all these morning-lovers. I must bookmark your post, to remember who are my soulmates.

I'm with Gordon as well, wishing for an early opening of Trader Joe's my favorite store, but even more I am wishing for Trader Joe to hurry up and OPEN a store here in Miami. I have to get by Joe fixes when I travel North, like DC or Michigan.

Favorite morning scenario:

Waking up reeeally awake, clear headed, around 6 a.m., sitting down to my Morning Pages when it's just a little quieter outside than it will be in 30 minutes, sucking down a perfect cup-o-java with my tootsies up on the coffee table, able to hear my fountain pen nib scratching along the paper.

I guess I like the morning, too. :)

Ardee...its the spirit that counts
Beth... coffee is an addiction almost as worth it as OS.
Greg: health yes, wealth in family, yes. wise? maybe
fireeyes: in my case, the tradeoff was all positive. the backyard here is like a park.
dcvd: @ 1 am, my teens rule the night...
odette: I'd love a post about how "the kid" changed everything
gordon: I canned shaving 26 years ago. the 24 hour Walmart is often my first stop.
O'K: "soulmate"? I'm a-blushin'

#1, #3, #5, #7 ... and I'll throw in #9 ... jsut to stay ODD!!!

Love your lists, Brian!!!

There is nothing like the day's first few sips of coffee. NOTHING. But I can't seem to get up before my 4 year old anymore, so I miss this alone time terribly. I am so jealous of you! I used to love writing first thing in the morning, when my mind is fresh (with coffee). It is such a joy, thanks for sharing this.

Bees, Moms, pal...welcome to the club.
Moms...in our case, it's an odd club for sure.
palindrome...4 year olds bring their own joys.

I'm jealous. I'd love to be an early riser. I think I'd get a lot done, but first I have to get my eight-month-old to sleep by herself through the night. zzzzzz....urrrrgh.

There's something about early morning quiet that is better than dead of night quiet. It's like the whole day's potential is in front of you and you have time to take it in.

Like them all; laughed at #10. I've always been a night person by nature, but I've been getting up early these days to write. I like that too, but night is when my muse has always been up and around, so mornings are bringing something different. This post, as all of your posts, is so positive and optimistic. Joy of life in the moment, captured. Thanks for sharing your positive energy.

I have been a very early riser since childhood. I was the oldest child in our family, and when I was a kid, I was a worrier. I felt that simply everything was my responsibility, even though it wasn't, of course. Maybe that's why one of my favorite things was to wake up early and quietly stay in bed, listening to my parents start their day. The sounds of coffee being put on to brew, kitchen chairs pulled back on the linoleum floor, lunch boxes being packed, and quiet adult conversation around the kitchen table meant that all was well, and peaceful, and harmonious. No worries.

By noon, we would all be busy at work or school. For adults, the work place can offer fresh hells nearly every day. I doubt that I need to elaborate on that for anyone in Opensalonland. For kids, a day at school might mean crabby, harassed teachers threatening soul-numbing retaliation for assignments not completed correctly. A school yard bully might steal the twinkie out of your lunch box, or pick a fight with your little brother. If that happened, then of course I had to step in and redeem my responsibilities as a big sister, and it was all downhill from there. Or, on the other hand, there might have been a classroom birthday party, with cupcakes all round. You just never knew. And not knowing made me worry.

By nighttime, the toll of the day's disappointments for we kids as well as our parents would begin to add up. Any number of things might have gone wrong. Broken toys, calls from unpaid creditors, losing a job, a suspension from school, drunken arguments ... anything. If there is an emotional bill to be paid for a day's work, it will come due in the evening as soon as dinner is through.

But in the early mornings, life was safe and predictable and cozy. I still love that time of day.

Brian, at least you got a good trade in.Doesn't every yard in the city look like a park. I get to see a little country where I am now. Just not nothing.

::blink:: ::blink::

::yawn::

I'll, uh, write a rebuttal after my third cup of coffee. I've only been up for a few minutes and my head is kinda foggy.

JJ: an 8 month old is a whole 'nother story... any sleep is a treasure, I'm sure.
Rick: I love how you capture the textures of the night...blue, blacks, greys...
freethinker: mmm...cupcakes. Not to denigrate from a great comment. just you made my mouth water.
fireeyes...I might be biased, but I think my yard is extra special - mature trees, sloping land, flower beds, birdbaths.... not the postage stamp grenspace of McMansions
VR...bring it on!!! we're a full pot of coffee ahead of you!

Brian, you are probably and what a wonderful thing it is to have a yard that is so extra special. All that matters is that you are happy with your back yard.

Night person here. Late riser too. Always have been. I live in Philly and my inner clock works best when I'm in LA. There's something about circadian rythmns that I'll have to look up. And of course now I need to write a rebuttal.

Love your list, vicariously.

only like waking up early in mid summer, when it's already warm and bright light at 6 AM. in winter, early morning is for staying in bed and trying to keep warm! :)

Sally...looking forward to your rebuttal
sc.... staying abed keeping warm is another thing to love about waking up early, especially if you have someone to share it with.

Here you go, Brian, thanks for the inspiration... 10 Things I Love About Late.

been there, thumbed that Sally...

I love the hours before and after dawn the best, too. (I like to see them from the other side, but they are the most magical time of day)
11-3am is when I'm most functionally productive. Not sure why, but I've always been this way, and my biological dad is, too. That may mean nothing :) but I've always blamed it on genetics.

It took me a while to get to this post because I figured I'd be reading 10 things that I didn't get at all. I was right. I enjoyed the post because I like seeing how the other half lives but I just don't get it. I do, however, feel particularly bad for turning my husband from the "don't need an alarm" person to my brand of "hit snooze until the cat gets pissed and gets you up". I read Sally's reply to this and found myself a kindred sister. So, we shall remain two ships, passing at, well....around 3 am, right?

I've never understood snooze alarms kat...who are you trying to kid? set it for when you plan to get up, then get up....
Umbrellakinises... hope they give you internet access
hyblean: wave at my kids as you go by...

yk: I'd actually sorta not mind if Heidi Klum did show up to scold me....if you know what I mean ;)

Usually I am up at 5 for work, but the habit carries into the weekends. My idea of sleeping in is getting up at 7:30.
I fill the bird feeder, make coffee, get some writing done and head out for a run. By 9 or 10, when the real world is unfurling around me, I feel a little bit ahead.

For me it always depends. I'm a night person and a morning person, but I tend to alternate between the two. Sometimes I stay up all night and then hate to get up in the morning. Then other times, I'll wake up at 5 in the morning and get a lot of things done. But, yeah, it depends on what mood I'm in and what day of the week it it.

Again, another great list. And I'm a early riser myself and I just LOVE it. Even while it's still a little dark, it's great. Thanks for these reminders Brian...I really resonate with them. Rated.

DP: In a few months, I can add the bird feeders to my list...
Deija...I smiled at 5 am being the time to get lots done.
maryt: thanks as always. Here, this time of year, even late risers get a little darkness. I got to work @ 9 am, and the sun was just past the roof of the house across the river.

Brilliant theme... I LOVE getting up early, and have done it all my life! I was the only one in the family who always got up and never needed an alarm clock!
The earlier the better too...
I might give this some thought and write my own '10 things to love about getting up early..'!

I love early mornings too but the trouble is that when it comes to waking up to enjpy them, I chicken out. I love sleeping in.

For the first time in many years, I pulled an early teaching schedule this semester, and will be getting up at 5:30 every morning. I needed some reminders of how this can be a good thing, so thank you. And wish me luck.

nahatsu... welcome to the club.
Moana....its roosters, not chickens, that are up with the dawn.
siobhan....good luck. Just think, after that early class, you still have a whole day to enjoy!

I don't understand voluntarily waking up early. I used to catch a 5:45 bus to work and the best thing I could say about it is that I was never subjected to unwelcome small talk because, honestly, no one taking the bus at that hour speaks English.

Sunrises are quite nice, as is dewy grass. But my biology refuses to find these arguments compelling. My greatest hours of productivity are generally between three and eleven pm. For the longest time, I thought I had an insomnia problem, but it turns out I have a going to bed early problem.

well, around 3 pm, my body is asking me to nnap, if I'm not up to a stimulating activity...

another point... if I sleep in (like today), I feel rushed & agitated all day.