Friday, December 08, 2006

December Nights

While I've been pushing more snow out of the driveway than I care to this time of year, I'm so appreciative of that same snow during these nights of the full moon. Full moon nights are beautiful no matter the time of year. And the additional brightness caused by the snow's reflection makes sleep seem inappropriate. I'm called to move outside in the middle of the night and chase shadows in the snow.

Both December and night are often used as metaphors to describe the end; usually, the end of one's life. After last night, I'm no longer sure the metaphor fits. The woods around my house at 2:00 a.m. on a December, full-moon night is very much alive. The bright moon reflecting off the new snow allowed me to see that there's a lot going on at night in December.

The animal tracks alone were amazing, from the tiniest of mouse tracks to the bigger tracks of the deer and coyote. These tracks were crossing each others’ paths with such seeming purpose that I felt there was some sort of sophisticated traffic pattern I was not privy to. In the open field near my home, I found the wing tracks of what was likely an owl that had swooped down to pluck a rabbit.

In the bright stillness, I could hear every grunt, groan, snap and crack. All my senses were turned up a notch. And I was excited to perhaps see what might emerge from the shadows rather than fearful of what was lurking within them. So that's the full-moon, December night metaphor I'd rather embrace. Enjoy all your Decembers and all your nights.
 
See you on the flip side of the New Year.
Love
Deb
“There will come a time when you think everything is finished. That will be the beginning.” ~ Louis L’Amour