49.6

There were 15 of us at Thomas Moulton's barn that early morning - 13 with the tour and a couple of independents - and the eastern sunrise was blocked by dense clouds. We had worked the scene from different angles for almost 30 minutes and were hoping that we'd be rewarded by nature.

The overcast sky was not that promising, but there was a small break just above the eastern horizon and we kept watching it to see if the sun would give us the moment we were hoping for .... the reason we had left the hotel at 5:15 a.m.

I was pacing back and forth and reminding the group that we might only have a few seconds of pure sunlight. I've seen it happen before and wanted to be sure we didn't miss it.

And then the light slowly hit the hundred year old wood and I yelled out without thinking:

"Here it comes". I remember distinctly that my adrenaline actually surged.

And I heard a dozen shutters click simultaneously as those red hewn timbers lit up like they had embers beneath them.

The small crowd was together as one...focused on the light and the moment with nothing else to cloud the brain. A couple of people said "unbelievable" and the clicks continued unabated.

And then it was gone. Less than a minute of pure light at the right angle and the right time.

But we all had a chance to experience the magic - and I doubt that any of us will ever forget that moment....