Nice to have a sunrise again.

Many thanks to Jim Gray of Culberson, NC for sending in this excellent shot of a sunrise over Brasstown Bald. We only get so many in a lifetime, and they're not always this beautiful. When I see something like this it makes me wonder how many I've missed by sleeping late.

My best sunrise? Probably one seen in the early morning chill while canoe camping in Quetico Provincial Park, Canada.

We had camped near a waterfall on the Maligne River. The day before we had an excellent day of paddle trolling for walleye in the swift water. Just about every trip upstream would yield a sizeable and fiesty fish. About the time you'd get him in the canoe it was time to start paddling for all you were worth, or over the falls you'd go. That night after a satisfying meal of freshly caught and filleted walleye, a few of us were up watching the last of the coals from the fire starting to fade. I looked up but instead of millions of stars I saw a dazzling display of the Northern Lights. The colors were vivid, and seemed to be gently swirling across the night sky. We woke everyone up so everyone could enjoy this spectacular show.

So the next morning as the first birds were beginning to sing their pre-dawn songs, I got up early to see if the light show was still going on. It wasn't. But the skim of fog just skating above the water was illuminated by the rose hues of another day in the North Woods. This wasn't the prettiest I've seen. In fact Jim's sunrise is a lot more picturesque. But I'll always remember the feeling of that morning's chill, the scent of pine needles, and the morning sky framed by tall trees and ancient granite.

Make sure you click on Jim's picture to see it full sized.

Nice to have a sunrise here this morning again after all the dreary weather since last Friday night. We should see a lot of sun the next couple of mornings. But you'll know it's January again the next few mornings. A clipper system moves out of (Quetico) Canada and into the Great Lakes today and tonight, pushing a front through the Tennessee Valley. This one goes through without any precipitation, but it will usher in some colder air. But only slightly colder. After lows in the 20s Thursday and Friday mornings, highs will climb back to near 60 by Friday afternoon. There's another chance of rain heading our way late Saturday. And if the models are right this morning, we'll have a very wet Sunday again.