night walk

First a note about the son, who decided to lose the long hair after having it for many years. I like long hair just fine, but I think he looks very handsome in this new do. More importantly, he reports that it's gotten rave reviews from actual girls. And he got the braces off, so life is good. Maybe it's just a mom-thing but I'm very proud of him lately. He's a really good guy.

Back on topic, I took my daily walk fairly late the other night. It was nearly dark when I left. I lingered a little longer at the small lake and walked a little slower than usual, trying to drag out my time till darkness really set in. I like being outside in the dark and, as an adult, I don't do it nearly enough, even though I can anytime I want to. I remember being a very young kid in the summer when my bedtime would not be adjusted for daylight savings time. Or maybe it was adjusted and that was the problem. But I remember times when I was sent to bed while it was still light out, which seemed like a crime for which my parents should've done some jail time. Small me, lying there, with the sun not yet set, not a chance of sleep, and vowing that someday I would stay up on summer evenings until way after dark. It's important that I remember to take advantage of this adult freedom when I can.

Summer nights are so different than the days. The thinner, more breathable air, and the animals, their close and distant sounds, and the stars--I love it all. On my late evening walk this week, the geese were squawking, flying to their night resting places. The bats were out and flittering and swooping across my path. The small crescent of a moon glowed orange at the edges where it met the blue-black sky. I could feel the state of the season more accurately--very late summer with a hint of fall--than when the sun is pounding and blinding and washing the color out of everything. I'm going to make a point to be out more in the nighttime, spend more time looking at the stars, build more fires, listen for owls.