In the quiet of the morning, just before sunrise, there is a time called the false dawn. This is a time of stillness. This is the time when one feels the the life in the ground, on the ground and all around.

The Earth breaths deep breaths. The creepy-crawlers pulse with life and the earth is shifted and groomed. All the Plant People shake their leaves and the dew is lifted to the surface of the plant. The colors of the rainbow come alive with the shimmering covering on the plants, radiating that first light. Slight mist forms here and there. It may be the Elementals checking on their charges. Or, it is the Spirits that guard the Earth gathering up a quick morning drink.

The birds begin chirping, singing, and by acclimation of their song, salute the new dawn. The activity rises as the birds shake out their feathers and greet one another. Slowly they move from their nests and roosts. They perform some limbering stretches as they get ready to fly with the first full rays of sun. It is their way. And as the sunbeams begin to shine, they exhuberantly leave the perch. Their day has begun.

The last owl glides silently into a tree and settles down for its sleep. With a few quiet whooo's, the owl moves into slumber. A small group of bats also is hanging from a branch that looks mostly dead. The branch is well protected by other overhanging branches. No sun will reach these sleepers today.

And what of the Furred Ones? For some, dawn signals a time of withdrawal. It is time to rest and replenish through the sun time. These Furred People are already heading for holes, caves, and nests where they will spend the next twelve hours. They move quickly and silently. One sees the last flick of a tail that disappears into the bush.

Other Furred Ones are cautiously emerging from their resting places. One never knows if it is the hunter or the hunted. The rabbits hop out to a small patch of clover. One big buck seems to be watching for any movement. The gophers run out to eat and play. A doe and fawn join the breakfast scene. It is serene. Even with all the movement and noise, there is a stillness. The stillness soothes.