A pair of creaky knees coming down the stairs. The jingle of a dog's collar. The squeak of the back door as the dog is let out. The early wild birds waking with plaintive chirps.
And then there are the water noises: the filling of the kettle, the tea water coming to a boil.
I often keep them covered for a while because they're so noisy, but they know when the day begins. They don't doubt or second-guess themselves.
If only I could say the same.
(Sid and Dominique in 2012. Rest in peace, Sid, gone almost a year now. Instead of Sid there is ... Alfie. And he's another story altogether.)