I bought a new cup-sized thermos in anticipation of an upcoming trip to the mountains. On the morning of the trip, by 5:15 AM I had showered and gotten ready to go. I charged my new thermos with scalding hot water while the tea brewed. I mixed a little honey with the tea, emptied the thermos, now already warm inside, and poured the hot English Breakfast Tea with honey into it. Time to head for Bald Rock Mountain.
Most of the drive was in the dark, but the twilight began as I turned off Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway 11 and headed up the curvy mountain road. Arriving at the parking area, I grabbed my camera, tucked my new thermos inside my coat and headed toward the rock. Though I was amply dressed for the weather, some hot tea was going to come in handy.
I walked up across the mountaintop and then down the side for 100 feet or so, finding a place to sit down and watch the sunrise. It was a quiet morning, no other visitors yet. A couple of crows flew across the sky, calling out to each other. No other sound. Sitting on hard rock, with my camera laying beside me, I opened the thermos. The aroma was subtle but inviting, as steam rose out of the hot liquid.
I took a few sips, its sweet warmth comforting me in the cold air.
The sky began to grow brighter, with a hint of pink right at the horizon. The pink color turned darker as it rose above misty rolling hills. A yellow light began to appear in one tiny spot, slowly growing brighter and bigger. I took another sip of the tea and put it back down on the rock beside me. Then, as the reddish pink portion of the sky grew, and that yellow spot streaked across the horizon, a white-hot center began to breach those beautiful colors. I grabbed my camera.