Pile of Beasts at My Feet – Photo: L. Weikel
Getting Out the Door
Karl and I took a walk this evening. I realize this is not, in itself, “BREAKING NEWS,” especially since we’ve managed a walk every single day that it hasn’t rained so far this year. It’s a solid start to the decade.
Anyway, it was around 6:30 p.m. when we made it out the door tonight, so darkness was ‘full-on.’
Let me be clear: tonight was one of those nights when we just barely made it out the door. Neither one of us was inclined to brave the cold, probably because it’s been so mild up to this point. Hearing the wind pick up and blow the front door open made it seem even colder than it was.
Indeed, I think we were each hoping the other would just boldly back out or at the very least express a sincere, compelling, and justifiable desire to remain home.
Alas, whining about how cold we were before we’d even gone outside failed to meet that threshold. Whining that we were sore, or just plain tired and cranky didn’t work either. Whining, while routinely attempted, rarely if ever wins the day in this household.
We did, however, cut Sheila some slack. We allowed her to remain asleep, snuggled in her blankets, snoring rhythmically. She’s been under the weather recently. She’s on antibiotics for what seems like a low-grade infection in a couple of places. But she’s also experiencing some other age-related issues, and we don’t want to stress her.
She may drag her heels when we start out on a walk, but regardless of whether we go two or four miles, once she’s warmed to the idea, she’s all in. (Spartacus, on the other hand, is always game.)
Blue Light
As soon as we started walking up the road this evening, we were enchanted. The moon was rising, and had climbed to about a third of the way up into the sky. Puffy clouds were in the sky, and the moon’s reflection was so distinctly brilliant, it bounced off the clouds and it almost looked like a very overcast day.
Yet everything was tinged in a distinctly blue light. For the most part, the sky was astonishingly clear (especially given how cloudy it had been late this afternoon when snow squalls threatened), which only made the distinct ease of viewing the cumulus clouds even more stunning.
All the way around (yes, we only did the ‘walk-around’ of 2.2 miles), we kept marveling at the brightness illuminating the fields, filtering through the leafless branches of the woods, and the blue tinge to absolutely everything.
Is It Cheating?
We walked a long chunk of the distance in silence. Discussing politics, especially recent events, felt like we were fouling the environment. Talk of work was far too mundane to bring out into the blue light.
Was it cheating to deliberately wait until we stood a good chance of hearing the Great Horned Owls and the Screech Owls we’d heard a few nights ago, calling to each other across the ravine slashed into the earth by the Tohickon?
Who cares? We both needed a restorative dose of Mother Earth. And I have to tell you: it was more than worth the effort to bundle up!
If you have a chance, take in that stunning moon that’s so very close to fullness. Look at the world through cornflower blue lenses. I guarantee you won’t regret it.
(T-688)