The morning brought interesting moments. It’s always full-on dark when I cross the west deck and head out for my daily run-today was no different. Except that I heard a flock of geese high overhead moving south. We hear them here, but usually during the day light. Then, with the light of the setting moon, I spotted the tell-tale dark shape of a skunk in my path. It froze, tail straight up and decided that I was not worthy to pass. We had words, and I went on my way.

Listening to The Hobbit again, because I’d finished my new book the day before and had forgotten to load a new one, I was on the dirt road, but running through elf territory. Surprised by the bright orange light lining the whole of the eastern horizon, I couldn’t figure out if it was the sun deciding that the full moon had enough of the spotlight, or maybe it was later than I’d thought. It wasn’t.

When I stopped to check the electric fencer, the light along the barbed wire was glowing in that coming sun and I started thinking about a vortex in space and what it’d be like to travel through one. Deciding that if it was lined in velvet, it might be a nice ride, my thoughts wandered off to things I’d follow: any horse if I was lost and couldn’t find my way to shelter, a rainbow, the scent of fresh-baked bread, footprints in the snow, a giant in a wind storm, elf tracks, and the faint glow of sparkling lights off in the distance.