Moonlight

And so, when she was ready

She moved out from beneath the shadow

The shadow she created

To dance alone

To dance free

It is her light that guides many

Her splendor which renders them mad

Rituals inspired by her phases

A mystery is her darkness

Good Night Moon

As I do every night, I stepped out onto the deck to whisper down to the boys in the dry lot my wishes for a good night sleep, safety and good health.  While much of the country is suffering frigid temperatures, it's 45 degrees here at midnight.

The patchy clouds are doing their best to obscure the waxing moon; determined, she'll have none of that.  The storms from the Pacific Northwest are blowing across, committed to a duel with the Cascades; maybe they make it over the mountains to bring us moisture on the eastern side, maybe they don't.

Staring up to find the roadway of millions of stars called the Milky Way, I was mesmerized by the constellation Orion as it appeared to be drifting, detaching from its place high in the southern sky this time of night.  The sky started rotating, twirling, floating.  The satellites in orbit joined in the play, steadily moving in one direction while the billowy clouds moved opposite.

Unplugged.

The Sweetest Kiss

My right arm over Hy Note's back, my left arm cradling his chest, I am resting my head on his withers.

  

As he chews hay out of the feed cart, I gaze up.  

The night is perfectly adorned with magnificent stars dancing around the waxing moon.  

Quiet. Pure. Precious.  

Holding him tight, dreaming I disappear into his nobility.

I inhale deeply, the corners of my mouth turned up, 

so glad that I know the earthy candy-like smell of a horse.  

Holding him tighter to move with his breath, I close my eyes.

This is my sweetest kiss goodnight.

Full Buck Moon

July is the Full Buck Moon.  It is said July is the month in which the new antlers of the bucks start to push out of their foreheads, velvety, anew.

The White-Tailed Bucks shed their antlers after rutting season, sometime in the early months of the year.  They can be without their antlers during these months because they are not fighting for territory or the affection of does.

I could be a buck. Ready to grow new antlers which emerge covered in what seems like velvet.  This "velvet" is full of blood vessels that feed the antlers the vitamins and minerals they need to grow strong and healthy.  I am a buck.

Just before walking to the barn tonight, my sister Laurie sent me a thoughtful pre-sleep text message.  In response, I told her I would catch a star and send it to her; it would light up her dreams.

The barn is east.  Walking east, I saw what is left of the Buck Moon rising.

It seemed to be exactly half of the moon, like a generous slice of watermelon.  It isn't coincidence that brought me out to see this momentary slice of wonder.  I am a buck.  This is my moon.

Calling Me Back

The snow covered mountains glowing under the moonlight on a clear crisp night is magical.  I witness this luminosity every turn of the calendar page as the moon waxes full.

I squint and stretch my neck forward, wondering if I'm really seeing

These rugged heaps of rock and earth

Light up like beacons

Guiding me back to the serenity of my animals.

Celestial Wardrobe

Tonight's moonless sky

 like a rhinestone-studded

soft

black satin dress

 adorned

with a blazing sash

of the spiral Milky Way

no beginning

and

no end.

Moonlit Sky

Just a moment in ranch life...

Driving down a quiet winding country road keeping an eye out for the deer who travel at dusk, catching a glimpse of a spotted fawn grazing on her preferred tidbits with momma just beyond curled up on the pillow of grass under a tree, the road lined by tall pines and junipers seeming like prison bars along the sides wanting to keep me present with nature and protecting me from an escape to worries beyond, the path guided by the soft yet stark brightness of the full moon, two happy ranch dogs in the back one with his nose propped on the edge of the open window taking in all the scents of outdoor life.

...The Great

I was playing the five videos I had unknowingly uploaded onto my ipod. They are of Yo-Yo Ma recording holiday songs with other artists. As I watched two videos in particular, I was so moved by the greatness of the musicians. It got me thinking...who or what do I think is just great? I mean, stand-out, gotta admire, can't deny their contribution despite politics, personal preferences or otherwise. But just pretty great.

My incomplete list will begin with Mr. Ma:

Yo-Yo Ma
James Taylor
Ayn Rand
Tiger Woods
Tim Russert
The Dictionary

Buddha
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Ken Burns
Eleanor Roosevelt

Albert Einstein
Cribbage
Ella Fitzgerald
Miles Davis

Frederic Chopin
Confucius
Meditation
Mother Teresa
Frances Perkins

Johann Sebastian Bach
Oscar Wilde
Albert Einstein
Maps

Dreaming in another language
Being in touch with my godmother
Dalai Lama
Blue Moon
Laughter of a Child
Heat

Check it out. Let your mind wander while you create your list and feel the inspiration. It's pretty cool.