The other night I was a little later than usual rolling out my garbage can for the morning collection, so I took a flashlight along. My road is small town/rural, with no sidewalks and only a couple of streets lights, both of which are situated too far from my place to shed any light. I stopped to listen to the crickets, their chirps and buzzes running together in the night air until they formed a seamless vibration, like the music of the constellations turning overhead. Heading back to the house I noticed black ants racing along the edge of my front walkway, and a few black beetles, too, still burning the midnight oil. What did they make of my golden beam briefly illuminating their cover of darkness? On the wooden stoop, I found a glistening slug making its way from somewhere to somewhere. As I watched it move across the Jovian glow of my red step, I realized I have no idea if it will bury itself and sleep over winter, or leave that to its larval offspring. Whole existences are living here in ways I know nothing about. Entire cycles of nameless beings that perhaps don’t even have a Latin name. Nor need one, really. There is so much to wonder about, be amazed at. I looked up into the star- sky just as a winking satellite moved noiselessly through Cassiopeia
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14 comments:
nature is a wondrous thing! you have expressed it so beautifully!
Nature always most amazes (and mystifies) in its smallest details, you're right!
Oh, wow. Beautiful. I thought of all those night creatures sending their music out as an antiphon to the music of the cosmos. I love the image you created.
Just this morning I was wondering about all the life we don't know about. How humbling to realize that universe is too big to name.
yes! one of the things i love most about your blog is the fact you take the time to absorb the natural world around you and share it with the rest of us in such a beautiful way. nature is -- to me, life saving with it's beauty and all you have to do is take the time to look, to open your eyes, to observe.
thanks for the reminder -- once again!
sylvia
I wonder that, too - what do they think when we go by? Are we as interesting to those we share the planet with as they are to us?
The tiny creatures of the night! I imagine that they must think we are giant monsters. I wonder if they feel fear when we tower over them? I hope not.
its' a complex world allright. i noticed the crickets songs-in the mountains-i think they are trying to mate but i really know little about them.
we live in an incredible and wonderful world. You say it all so well! Happy Weekend!
You know there is so much to wonder about, and when thinking about it all, it makes it all the more apparent how little I really know.
There's just no telling what one will see when walking outdoors at night. We have lots of night critters here.. Sometimes the smell of a skunk will even wake us up.... Yuk!!!!
Hugs,
Betsy
I love this post, Deb. How can anyone be bored,when there is so much to see and hear out there? There was a time, mid-life, when I spent hours awake each night. At first, I dreaded the night coming, but after a while felt deep peace in the hours I spent listening to night sounds, and watching the stars twinkle and the satellites swing across the sky. I miss that connection with the night. So glad to read of someone else responding to that same call.
I like the way your mind works...
You have such a wonderful eye and way to express what you see -- in the smallest of creatures or from the largest of the expanse above.
Sometimes, you just need to stop and take in the sights and sounds. You have done so masterfully and created a cool blog post as a result. Thanks for sharing.
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