Pre-Dawn in Almonte

I pulled up across the street from the old post office—now the Café Postino—and checked the time. It wasn't quite 4:30 but already I could see light blue in the eastern sky. The streets were dark, lit only by warm lamps, but soon there would be enough daylight to see into the shadowy alleys.

I thought I might make a video about my adventure, create something for The Brown Knowser vlog. I had my new smartphone and a selfie stick, so it wouldn't be hard to do. All I had to do was think of something to say.

I made a brief recording from inside the Niro, explaining that I was in Almonte, in Mississippi Mills, to capture the sunrise as it rose over the falls that take up the centre of the small town. I recorded my feet as I exited the car and made my way to the back, where my camera gear was secured under the cargo area's netting.

As I took time-lapse photos of the old post office with my still camera, I captured the 'action' with video. I continued to record as I made my way down Mill Street, to Almonte Street, where a bridge spans the Mississippi River. While the odd pickup truck passed by, I felt for the most part completely alone.

I photographed the falls while I video-recorded myself taking photos. I wandered to the opposite side of Almonte Street, photographing the mill and the road that heads back up to where I started. I photographed the power station. By 5:00, the sky was in a full state of dawn, and in less than 30 minutes the sun would rise above the horizon. The sky was a pale blue, and it was at this point that I realized that I was done with the waterfall.

I worked my way back up Mill Street, stopping a couple of times to take photos. As I rounded the bend, where the Niro was parked, I came upon a young woman, standing on the sidewalk, looking like she was about to start a run. She saw me at the same time, and seeing my arms full of camera equipment, deemed I wasn't a threat. In unison, we said "Good morning," and continued about our business.

I took one last photo of the post office building before getting back into my car. I wasn't ready to go home yet: I still wanted to capture sunrise. Only, I no longer wanted to do it in Almonte.

I pulled out of my parking spot, made a three-point turn, and headed back down Mill Street, turning left, onto Almonte Street, and heading toward Route 29.

If luck served me well, I could still make the sunrise.

To be continued...