The Clock
Sleep this night was interrupted by animals crashing around on the roof. They sounded much too heavy for cats, so they could have been raccoons. I maintained alertness while partially asleep for some time to hear any trouble at the dove shack. There was none, so I returned to sleep.
I was aware of a number of dreams, including a good coherent one, between going to sleep and getting up, but it was lost. It is hard to tend to these things on a workday morning, as just looking at the clock to find the time can drop everything.
The only fragment remaining is a tiny bit from a sequence where a woman companion and I were rolling a large stump or rock, while trying to avoid lumps of gooey dogshit adhering to it.
An aside, I have observed that if I wake up, even if I make a trip to the bathroom and then the kitchen for water, I can usually return immediately to sleep, unless I look at the clock. On the other hand, on the very rare occasions where I can't sleep during the morning, looking at the clock and noting it is nearly time to get up will put me instantly to sleep.
2022: Things are a little different now. Starting in 1984, I had my own business, and it was a home based business, so I have not needed to get up at any particular time. In the last few years, I often awaken at about 3:30 or 4:00 am and have some trouble getting back to sleep. Then, eventually comes the dawn, bringing some light to the bedroom. At this time I fall asleep and will sleep another hour to hour and a half.