Morning Light

I look forward to this time of the year because the Gettysburg battlefield opens at 6am...but the sun doesn't come up until 6:45ish. What this means, is that I am on the field in the complete darkness...and can watch the sun rise above the fields.

The best thing about hitting the fields in the early morning, is that there is no one around. Last week I was parked at the top of Devil's Den....right near the sharpshooter's den....and was up there for over an hour and never saw another car, nor another person. I like the solitude of the battlefield in the early morning.

As I stand on the field in complete darkness, I can hear the birds singing (is it just me or are the birds louder right before sunrise???) and calling back and forth to one another. I hear the woodpeckers pecking away at a branch on a tree. I can hear wildlife moving back and forth through the weeds. And its just me....listening. While I stand out on the fields in the darkness, I imagine myself as a soldier....what were they thinking, what were they doing, how were they feeling...before the sun rises and starts a new day....a new day of fighting and death?

I truly don't know if I could do the things that these guys did. They put their lives on the line every single day. Could I do that? Could I stand out in the open, marching across a field, shooting another human? These are the thoughts that cross my mind as I stand waiting for the sun to rise. Fortunately, its really cold this morning and I need to keep moving in order to keep my body warm. So I concentrate on that instead of meditating on the soldiers.

Suddenly I look to the east, and I see the sky starting to lighten. The sun isn't awake yet....but it's trying. I sit and listen....waiting....still, no other people around. I love this time of the day! I wait....and wait....and wait and suddenly a little bit of sun appears. As I wait, more and more of the sun rises above the horizon. Its now time for the world to awaken. I hear more cars out on Emmitsburg Road....still nothing in the park. More and more critters are stirring and moving around. I see a rabbit run across the road. The birds are still calling to one another. And the day is starting.

One of the most amazing things to see in the early morning light is how the sun illuminates the monuments. There's something about the sun right after it rises that causes things on the monuments to shine that you wouldn't see at any other time of the day. The redness of the light and the position of the sun, makes the bas relief pictures on the monuments jump to life. Pictures of these pictures are almost in 3-D. Its an amazing thing to see.

As I walk along, taking pictures and listening to the sounds, I think about the battle. I try to picture the soldiers....the smoke....the sounds. It's hard for me to imagine it because I have never experienced it, but I get a picture in my head...and its not pretty.

Suddenly, a car appears and its heading towards me. It's at this point that I know the spell has been broken and I need to head out. Even if the car stops right where it is and I don't see the people, the spell is broken. Someone has invaded my space...and its time to go. BUT I'll be back....the next morning.