November is when the wind—a cold wind, comes roaring across the prairie. A sudden gust of wind rattles the windows and makes the house groan and creak. The remaining leaves are making a last ditch stand against the wind, but its a losing battle, as they are torn from their home in the trees and go tumbling across the ground in search of a final resting place. The cold wind reminds us that winter isn’t far behind. Before long, a blinding snowstorm will come riding in on those winds.
November is when we know that fall is over. The bright colors are gone in most places, replaced by dull browns and rust-colored leaves on those trees that still have leaves. November can be a dreary, dark month as the nights get longer and the days get shorter. It’s a depressing time for many people.
Even though it’s colder and the wind is often biting, I still like to get out and walk, or hike might be a better word for what I do. It’s my way to get in touch with the nature around me and find the solitude I need. I know many people who can’t do any activity without other people around them. That’s not me. I cherish the solitude I find, whether walking, skiing, or snowshoeing. It was that way back in my running days too. It’s my time to think, without a lot of distractions around me. You could call it a moving meditation process. It also gives me ideas for stories as I experience the world around me.
Now that Daylight Savings Time is over, I’ll have to spend time walking in the dark. It’s just getting light when I go to work and dark when I get home. As long as the moon and stars are out you can still find your way and some of my most memorable walks have been in the dark. If you do walk or run in the dark, be safe and be seen. I just purchased new, red LED, blinking armbands from Blue Dog Cycle in Viroqua. They work great. If someone hits me with those on, they were trying to hit me, not because they didn’t see me.
When we lived in Madison, I did a lot of hiking in the 1,260 acre UW-Arboretum where there were over 20 miles of hiking trails. I made use of all of them. We lived close enough that I could walk or run there from our house. It’s what kept me sane while living in the city all those years. I know it wasn’t the smartest thing to go walking alone in the dark, especially in a wooded, isolated area. There were some reports of people being robbed or assaulted, but I was never afraid. I loved and needed the solitude I found there.
An Arboretum stream that I crossed during my walks.
I often encountered deer, raccoons, squirrels, turkeys, and a few owls that made their home in the Arboretum.
One evening as I left the peacefulness of a secluded pond behind, I followed the trail into a heavily wooded area called Gallistel Woods. Even though the moon was rising, many trees were still covered with leaves and allowed very little light to penetrate. Darkness surrounded me. I could hear animals scampering through the leaves and brush along the trail and was startled by a deer as it ran across the path in front of me.
I followed the trail up a hill toward a parking lot. I could hear two owls calling to each other in the dark woods to my right. It was a haunting sound.
As I approached the top of the hill, I saw the full moon coming up over the treetops. It was very bright and appeared so large, I expected to see the flag flying on Tranquility Base!
In the sky opposite the moon, was a very bright star. I knew it wasn’t a star, but a planet. Even so, I couldn’t help repeat the old saying, “Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, wish I may, wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight!”
I continued my walk along the side of a road running through the Arboretum. It was peaceful and the moonlight bathed everything with shadows, but not scary shadows. I was suddenly aware of a large, winged form gliding silently over me. I looked up as it settled into the branches of a tree just ahead. I walked slowly toward the tree before stopping. I could tell from its dark silhouette against the moonlit sky that it must be a large Barred Owl. I called to it several times before it finally answered back. It sounded like, “Whoo, whoo, who cooks for you?” It was a Barred Owl! We talked to each other for a while, although I haven’t the slightest idea what we were talking about, and imagine the owl was a little confused too! He finally lifted his great wings and glided off into the darkness in search of better conversation. I continued on my walk, feeling richer for having just communicated with an owl.
When I reached the parking lot, I stood there for a while, savoring the moment. I hated to leave that solitude and peacefulness behind. I headed home with my spirit refreshed.
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