I woke up early this morning. Early enough that when I’d finished my usual morning routines, it was still dark outside. Sophie was patiently waiting, though, so I decided we’d go for an early walk. And then I decided we’d get even more adventurous and go for an early golf cart ride.

She was, as she always is, ridiculously cute. Once she realized what was happening, she bounced up onto the golf cart seat and waited patiently while I opened the gate. We muddled our way down to the waterfront (because the golf cart is not allowed on the busy roads that I usually use to drive there), parked on First St. and started walking.

It was crowded. I was so confused!

A pre-dawn walk on the waterfront — not enormously pre-dawn, but before the sun is officially up — usually means running into two or three people at most. It’s very quiet and peaceful. Not today. Today there were dozens of people walking already and a crowd gathering under the pavilions in the park.

It took me… I don’t know, more than an instant but less than a while… to remember that today was Easter Sunday. The gathering was a Methodist sunrise service with live music. Free Easter cupcakes from the Methodist Men’s group, too, which is how I know it was a Methodist service.

Sophie and I did not actually go to the service, but listened while we walked down to the end of the road. The lawn at the very end had two Sandhill cranes stalking their way across the grass, Sophie’s first time getting to see them up-close. Well, sort of up-close, we didn’t go near enough for anyone to get overly interested and/or worried.

A surprisingly large number of people were waiting on the grassy verge of the water for the actual moment of sunrise. I didn’t become one of them: Sophie and I just kept walking. But the not-quite sunrise was extremely lovely.

The weather’s already getting hotter. It’s been in the 80s quite a lot recently. But the early morning was about 65 according to the weather app, so just on the edge of cool and mostly perfectly comfortable.

I felt glad to be here, glad to be alive, and so grateful for my cute golf cart, cute dog, and a beautiful day. Happy Easter if you celebrate, happy reminder that spring always comes if you don’t!