Starting Today: A Story

January 4, 2012

A Story

Today I stopped to watch a regiment of tentacled lake goblins march back into their aqueous lair...

They must have had a long and exhausting night of mischievous rollicking, for not a one turned from its tired path to face me as I observed their slithery slog into the depths...

I looked around and saw more bands of the creatures tramping away further up the beach, and shivered with delight to have been allowed to witness such a rare pilgrimage...

A few paused for one final peek at the horizon. I glanced down at my watch...7:18...somewhere behind those clouds, the sun was coming up.

I could almost hear them sigh as the last of their heads bobbed beneath the gentle surf and disappeared...

1 comment:

Iffer MitchellJanuary 4, 2012 at 7:12 PM
THAT must have been weird to watch! I never heard of such things. You have a truly charmed life.
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Great Books I've Recently Read

If you are looking for an "astronomical" read, Tyler Nordgren's "Stars Above, Earth Below" Is a great place to start. Nordgren explores a wide array of astronomical subjects by relating them to the processes, landscapes, history, culture, and dark skies that are so beautifully on display in our National Parks: solar system volcanism alongside Yellowstone National Park; Cosmology, Deep Time, and Deep Space alongside the Grand Canyon; Climate Change and the "Goldilocks Zone" alongside Glacier National Park; the life cycles of stars, and archeoastronomy alongside Chaco Canyon...and many more. The book is loaded with beautiful images and illustrations, and Nordgren's conversational storytelling makes complex ideas both accessible and memorable. The ideas in this book have enriched my own experience of observing, and I recommend it to others with two big thumbs up!

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A beautifully written book that illuminates one of the most quietly pressing issues of our time: the slow advancement of light pollution into our night sky. True darkness, and the natural light it permits, has been a source of inspiration for creative thinkers throughout history. It is crucial to our physical and mental health, personal safety, and continuing connection to the world around us. Its gradual disappearance behind a fog of orange skyglow is a tragedy that many around the world are working hard to prevent. Provocative, subtle, practical, and poetic, "The End of Night" reminds us that we need not fear the dark, but should instead embrace and protect its wonders so that future generations will still know first-hand the arc of the Milky Way sweeping across a deep sky.

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Starting Today

January 4, 2012

A Story

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Black River Astronomical Society

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