The first one up

The clock said 6:37 when Otto let it be known he wanted out. Rising that early on a Sunday to let the dog do his business wouldn't be my first choice but I have to say, it's not all bad.

As the first one up, I get to take in the silence and solitude that are so elusive during the week. The neighborhood is still asleep and Mother Nature has taken a brief respite from the near-constant rain of the past week. It's peaceful and I hope to carry that feeling with me throughout the day and as far into the week as I can. Listening to some classic Joni Mitchell while I type only reinforces the feeling of mellowness.

As the first one up, I also get dibs on the papers delivered to our front door. And here's something worth sharing: A lovely piece by our Metro columnist, Steve Duin, on the first-ever prom at North Portland's Rosemary Anderson, "an alternative high school previously known as the collection basket for castaways, false starts and broken promises."

Read the piece here: "As advertised, a night of 1,000 dreams"

May each of these kids (above) find their way in a world that too often rewards family connections over individual pluck and persistence.

Photograph by Motoya Nakamura, The Oregonian