Night And Day

The tent was up. The gear was arranged. The dogs were fed and laying low. My work was done. What else was there to do on a humid, Saturday night in July? The way I saw it, I had two choices; drive over to the Marina’s bar, try to meet new people in a noisy establishment, or stay put and figure out something else to do. Weighing the decision, I walked out to the lake, and sat on the end of a dock.

The sun is quickly sinking somewhere behind me, the trees and the clouds, taking with it the days light. I remain focused on looking out across the water and watch evening transform across the sky. Slowly, the moon and stars break out from the clouds in front of me, as the sky turns from light blue to dark. Watching the day evaporate away takes time–about 30 minutes. The waters are still, outside of a couple of fish splashes. A couple of stray coots are floating by, and we have a great conversation as they cautiously pass. The air is warm, the moon is full, and except for the bar noise traveling across the water, it is a perfect evening to reflect on how fortunate I am despite so much of what I see in my travels. How lucky I am to have the life I do. I wouldn’t change a thing.

As I lay there on the dock and watch shooting stars for hours, the gentle lapping of the water lulls me to total relaxation. I think to myself, “Self? This is a pretty cool place we found. Let’s get up early and watch the sun rise, too”.

So I did.

At 4:45 a.m. I sneak back down to that dock in my jammies to witness the birth of a new day. The water is still like glass. There isn’t even a hint of a breeze. All is silent as I watch an amazing show— the eastern sky transitioning from a slate blue black curtain to muted pinks and orange and yellow blended bands…one lone star hangs in the sky (I think it’s a satellite) and after a bit, a light smoky mist starts to roll across the water from both sides of me out to the middle of the lake. Then, a thin blade of electric pink appears between the center of the blue black curtain and the lightest pinkish hue of the skyline, and in slow motion the blade transforms into a glowing globe that rises up and melts away the dark sky and warms me like a great cup of coffee–which I am really wishing I had at the moment. What a spectacular way to spend the first minutes of the day.

Now, I suppose things could have turned out far differently if I would have gone to that bar instead. But I’m not that girl, and I have no regrets.