Night Life

'Stay at home moon' or 'go out and sit on a rock at the top of the woods moon'? What do you reckon?

One of the books I was gifted for Christmas was Night Life by John Lewis-Stempel.

It reminded me of a fortune cookie from last year and made me chuckle.

Anyway, he inspired me with his descriptions of his nocturnal walks in nature. So with the moon full and the Quadrantid meteor shower in force we set off on our own adventure, out into the late night dark and up to the rock at the top of the Crags.

In the book he talks about silence and describes how, the owl flies on silent wings and the fox pads softly on muffling, furred feet and that the trick, if you wanted to see any wildlife of the night, was to be silent yourself. Well, heading down Midgehole road towards the woods we were anything but silent. Dean was rustling in his fluorescent workman's coat and I was rustling in my thermal trousers. The flask was sloshing in my back pack. Our shoes were stomping along the road. We were night walk novices. All the creatures must have heard us coming a mile off! 

But the trees didn't run away!

They became, 'twisted liquorice spiralling skywards' as Dean so poetically  whispered under his breath like a witchy incantation, and they loomed over us painting the woodland floor with their gnarly shadows as we climbed up the hill. This patch of woodland, so familiar by day was a whole new world at night. We didn't need a torch at all, the moon lit a silvery path through the shadowy woods. I don't think I've ever been as deep into the woods at night and it was a bit exhilarating. At one point I stopped. 'Listen!" I thought I had heard deer hooves but I laughed when I realised it was just my own beating heart!

When we reached the rock, a flat platform, level with the tops of the trees, it was sparkling in the moonlight, the crystal in the gritstone catching the night rays. What an incredible spot to lie back on our blanket and enjoy the sky. Oh my.

Have you ever tried to describe the colour of the night sky in words? It seemed to be a whole spectrum - certainly not black or blue. 

And the sounds? A deep quiet and stillness. White noise of the distant river. The occasional dried leaf tickling the rock as a breeze blew through, or maybe it was a tiny creature snuffling through the leaves behind us? The night can leave your imagination WIDE OPEN!

After some time lying there hoping to both see a shooting star at the same time, the cold started to creep into our bones so we sat back up and shared a flask of tea and some of Suzi's Christmas cake.

Then the owls started up, so close by.

"Did you say froohoohoohoot cake?"

I wish we'd saved a few crumbs as an offering. I'd love to say we'd eaten fruit cake with a tawny owl.

I felt SO much gratitude lying on that rock under the stars with my fellow adventurer. Earlier, when we were cosy at home it was hard to imagine getting out of the door and going out into the cold night when we would usually be going to bed but it was worth it. Worth stepping out of my comfort zone for. Worth rustling my tired legs along the road for.

We get to do THIS. There are STARS and TREES and full moons. And OWLS.  I mean WOW.  I mean LIFE!

As I was packing up the flask we both saw a huge meteor streaking across the sky, from right to left burning up at the end. It was so close to the horizon it looked like it could have landed in one of the farms on Widdop Road! High five!

A big star means a big wish!

I made a one for the new year ahead. I won't share it. That would be telling! x