"I dream of a hard and brutal mysticism in which the naked self merges with the nonhuman world and somehow survives...Paradox and bedrock."-Edward Abbey

23 December 2018

Mountain Moonlight

There is something about a full moon night in the mountains in winter; the silence, the way the refracted light illuminates in the countenance of diamonds in dragon's hoard. I stood out back to look at the moon. There was someone I once knew whom of which we'd excitedly call each other over the state of the moon we were seeing, but that was long, long ago. Another story for another time.
And perhaps a bottle of whiskey...
I looked at the moon through a set of ancient binoculars my father got for us to see Halley's Comet, back when I was thirteen, some fifteen hundred years back now. The view of the moon was as good as through my telescope without the time of set up, scope, and focus. Even here, away from city lights, there were few stars this night.
There was a breeze. Gales, up higher. Looking to the high peaks, glowing phantasmal in the moonlight, were the snow devils; their orographic bones being blown across the ridge lines. I smiled silently at the zen excellence of it all.
If you ever need to ask me why I love it here, you'll never know...

2 comments:

  1. Hey Robbie
    Good to hear from you, hope you've been well and happy.
    On another subject are you having the same weird warmish little snow winter we are? It was 46 here the other day, and only had maybe 5 days where it went below zero. Great Falls, 100 miles north was 52 a week ago. And it hasn't snowed any accumulation in a month. We got a foot or so in early Nov, it's now settled to about 6", and southern-facing lawns are bare.
    Not much news from me, spent a month in Seattle for thanksgiving and the girl's b'day. I haven't had a coat on since coming back.
    Take care,
    Mike

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey back!

      We are currently at ninety-four percent of average statewide for snowpack, so better than last year. Today I snowshoed, which I was barely able to do last winter because of the lack of snow. We're still in a drought, but I remain hopeful.

      Things have been well. Working on trying to figure out having time in the tropics and keep our home here in the mountains because Colorado is in my bones. Again, I am hopeful.

      You take care...

      Delete