Moonlight early morning
I watched the beauty of this morning's moonshine, clutching my sweater. It's strange because we associate the morning with the sun and the night with the moon. I stood before my tent to fill my lungs with the purest air available and to see the sunrise. This quiet time was disturbed by passing aircraft, gliding up the skies. I felt like deja vu because several aircraft passed through the same air route. The clouds were blue, safe from the whitish trail made by passing aircraft. Birds were already awake and their songs were always-eloquent. My critter nurseries were nowhere around. Funny enough, I hear their taptap footsteps past midnight, on my wooden tent deck. I think they had a long night or the chill morning air kept them lazy and glued to their grassy beds. I heard the resident owl soft hooting, somewhere in the treelines. The oak trees forming an irregular rectangle line stood a look away, like sentinels guarding the small community. The tree leaves struggle in the morning element, dancing to their heartfelt, song only they can hear. Their branches are like the arms of masquerades, pointing to different locations. It's chilly and I have no one to blame but the moon up there.
I count myself lucky to live in this beautiful landscape. I like that I don't have to have life as fast-paced as it is in the cities and that I can pay more attention to nature. My tent sits a few seconds away from magnificent views. I am closer to the wild, and every time I hear the birds or quadruplets. On my first night in the tent, I heard the coyotes yelping. Being my first time, it was scary. I could mistake them for wolves. However, night after night, I got used to it. It's strange hearing the coyotes and the owls, at the same time, early morning. Sometime last week, during the evening, I saw a lone coyote near the treeline. I think that there is a coyote den nearby. The bush behind my tent is a hub of activities. I can't count how many times, the birds came into my tent, stayed a bit, picked pieces of food from the tent floor, and flew off. A squirrel always climbs up the office window, noontime, to investigate the office. I see it sniff the air and I wonder what is going on in its mind. A lone bobcat hunts around the campus and a black salamander was seen crawling out of a ground hole. Of course, I encounter bugs, spiders, ants, and many other insects. I find the flies most annoying because they follow you everywhere.
In no time, the chilly morning gave way to the hot sun. The moon stayed a while even when the sun came out. The two entities appeared with their elements, the moon with the chilly air, and the sun with the fiery heat. I thought about the classical anecdote about two people/entities existing at the same time without dimming each other's lights. You see even the moon and sun can share, haha. 'No need to fight, no need for drama, just shine on, over there, and I do the same over here.' Tolerance is key to growth. I hope the world can find a way to live together, to shine together. Living on a mountain can teach one a lot. It also offers a great experience. However, all of nature's elements can be at their worst up here. It can get very hot during the day and it can get very cold at night. It's a given. So ladies and lads, get your hats for the morning! Get your blankets ready for the night!
Reflecting on this morning's experience, I realized the need to pay attention to the times and seasons. To be aware of the happenings around my environment and to appreciate the beauty that many have taken for granted. I have learned to take the time to look up at the skies, sniff the fresh air and the smell of freshly cut grass, and just forget everything else and live in the moment. Live a second at a time and appreciate the flowers that grow by the roadside. I appreciate the birds that sing me a lullaby and the ones that play around my tent. I appreciate the moon that keeps the path and fields lighted at night and the sun that wakes during the day to continue from where the moon stopped. Little things such as gratitude, matter. I don't want to get used to it. I will never get used to it.
Good night my friends.
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