Sunrise 7:00 am: Early morning community

The Dawn Joggers usually spend about five months of the year running in the dark. Valentine's Day is traditionally the turning point to lightness with the sun rising at 7:00.

One of the great things about our meeting the dawn together is the way a community gets formed. Saw Paul this morning and his Aussie, Patches, purchased, we must add, due to his acquaintance with our Aussie, Cassie. We've also been running into a young Bernese and his master frequently. And then there's the Stanford facilities guys who evidently meet for a early morning coffee break at Lake Lagunita, home to ducks and geese when there's water.

It's amazing the bonds that form from these frequent encounters with the same people - we've celebrated successes, mourned deaths, shared challenges - all with a group we rarely encounter outside the early AM. Many grace-filled moments.