06/10/2026
My alarm watch began vibrating against my wrist at 3:50 AM. It was not easy to get out of bed at that hour, but I had a feeling that it was going to be a colorful morning. So I peeled myself out of bed and hopped in the shower. As I headed over the mountain, the clouds didn’t teally look like anything special but I know it’s always better to go and see what happens anyway. So that’s what I did. I arrived at the Cobleskill Reservoir about a half an hour before sunrise. As I got out of my car, I was overwhelmed by the sound of insects and birds and frogs all singing their songs. As I walked through thick bushes and came upon the water, I saw a beaver hop into the water and swim from the shore and then slap his tail to warn all his friends that a visitor had arrived. I started looking around for a place to set up my camera. There’s always quite a few different spots at the reservoir. I started taking pictures next to the shoreline, but it just didn’t seem like the best viewpoint. So I began to look around and I saw a patch of daisies off in the bushes and a broken branch. I knew instantly that was where I wanted to be. The air was thick and warm. I began sweating almost instantly, but the grass was dry, and the sunrise was getting colorful. So I knelt down in the grass, set up my camera and started shooting away. It was a beautiful sight. After I shot the sunrise, I walked along the shoreline and ran into a beautiful mother snapping turtle digging in preparation for her young. Then I saw numerous families of geese with their young waddling behind them and a beaver lodge with a beaver circling in the water just nearby. Getting up at 4am is no easy task, but man is it rewarding. The place was so alive and magical and I’m so glad that I was there to witness it. What makes it even more special is that today is my wife’s birthday. The one is dedicated to you my love!
