Am I crazy?

[stevee]

Is it normal to turn up at my local woods at 4:00 in the morning, light a fire in my usual place and wait for it to get light? And before anyone asks why so early, I couldn't get back so sleep, so I thought sod it!

 

[Peter_t]

are you crazy? YES but that sounds like the kinda thing i would do

pete

 

[Goatboy]

Hey Stevee,
If you're crazy you're only as crazy as me. Never slept much and always felt that lying in bed was a bit of a waste of time. It's wonderful to be out doing something different at strange times... Animals don't expect to see you, people aren't about, you achieve more... even if its only having a brew up with the sun up, wouldn't change it for the world.
Goatboy.

 

[Iona]

Sounds like a lovely way to start your day, and if you're not sleeping anyway, why not?

I used to do a lot of random outings at odd hours before I had my son. Single parenting makes it hard, but if you suffer with insomnia, my logic was always that I might as well be awake somewhere beautiful and coated with a slick of pre-dawn magic, as staring at the ceiling...

 

[stevee]

Yeah, I've done it twice now, and its quiet creepy hearing the owls, foxes, and other wildlife making a racket!

 

[rik_uk3]

I'm working nights so my sleep pattern is shafted, but so long as you sleep getting there at four, seeing the dawn is no problem, so long as you do sleeep. That said, you can tend to miss the day.

 

[Barney]

Is it normal to turn up at my local woods at 4:00 in the morning, light a fire in my usual place and wait for it to get light? And before anyone asks why so early, I couldn't get back so sleep, so I thought sod it!

Expect a good few on here would consider that perfectly acceptable behavior, I know I do. Often as possible. Always ensure at least half a dozen dawns a year, its getting a tad more difficult now that summers on its way.. Summer solstice:wow1: its hardly worth going to bed on a good year. I stayed up all night in Pokhra one year waiting for the dawn to light up the mountains then bathed in the lake before breakfast.

Thanks for this post not bad at all brought back some great memories for me

 

[Wayland]

Of course you're crazy......why didn't you take a camera with you?

 

[stevee]

Yeah, I have to take a picture of the sunrise next time!

 

[Barn Owl]

Nope,
That's when you get the dawn chorus in all its beauty.

 

[merrylegs]

i couldn't think of a nicer way to start the day whilst on your own

 

[Broch]

No definitely not crazy - or else we all are!

 

[climberslacker]

"Sanity isn't statistical"

-Winston Smith
1984

 

[lostagain]

Crazy? No.

Shifts / kids and other stuff has stopped me wandering off at 3am when i can't sleep. However when i do escape for a nights camping i often set my alarm for 4am just to wake up, have a brew and see whats about. Then back to my hammock for 5 and a few hours more sleep (I do like my sleep - otherwise I'd just get up and stay up).

 

[Piglet]

yes you are

 

[Walks with dogs]

But in a good way.

 

[landyandy]

we all are ,can you blame us tho..

 

[Justin Time]

This is the best time of year to be in the woods so early, Dawn Chorus is at it's peak in May. I have a vivid memory of staying up all night a few Mays ago in the local forest, getting growled at by a fox who really didn't expect a human to be sitting by his path. At about 03.15 I heard the last hoot from the Tawny, a few minutes later the first tweedle from a Robin let me know that the day shift was taking over, and of course there was just the faintest glimmer of light in the sky. Next up was the Blackbird, gradually other individuals and species joined in, until it was impossible to pick out a single song from the symphony. This is an old welsh oak woodland, so rich in all the possible woodland species and I lived only ten minutes walk from it, what a joy to spend time there. Guess what I'll be doing tomorrow...

 

[featherstick]

I'll often get to the allotment at 6, do a load of work, have a natter with the other early riser, and get back before SWMBO and little fella are out of bed. Great way to start the day.

 

[SimonM]

Nope,
That's when you get the dawn chorus in all its beauty.

The first time my daughter heard the dawn chorus she asked me to turn the alarm clock off! I guess she has my sense of humour too ...

It was her first night in a hammock too.