Monday, November 23, 2009

Hello Jupiter


He's right there in the sky, just under the crescent moon tonight. I don't fully understand the movements of the heavenly bodies, or why the moon is so much higher in the sky tonight and a very different color. Last night it was lower, bigger and very yellow. Tonight it's higher, smaller and silvery white. I spend a lot of time outside on the farm, carrying buckets here and there, waiting for the White Boys to come back from their run, and I find myself staring up at the sky a good bit of the time. I lived most of my life in a place where glare from lights obscured the stars, and air pollution made the sky hazy. Not here in upstate New York. The skies are lovely and clear, with the planets glowing in colors and the milky way a streak of white across the sky. I used to be afraid of the dark, but four years on the farm has cured me finally. I can walk around a pitch black hay mow, with my headlight on, and walk up the hill on a moonless night. That's a lot of fun, as the kitties come out of the barn and follow me on my walk, flitting about independently, yet keeping me company. Lizzie usually jumps on my shoulder from behind, giving me a start at first, to hitch a ride. I bumped into my neighbor Chris the other day, who asked if I met any of the ghosts yet. I said no, but I'm waiting for them to show themselves. He said I surely must "feel" them, and I said no again, worried that I might be disappointing him. Chris told me where they usually hang out in the barn and I'm not sure I wanted to know that because it's a place that's hard to avoid. My Swedish Opa told me about ghost encounters in the old country, like the time he was outside walking and a cold blast of wind nearly knocked him down on it's way past him. I loved and adored my Opa and if he believed in ghosts then surely they must exist. I'm not sure I want to share my farm with them. I like it the way it is now, peaceful and quiet co-existance. In the meantime, I have other things to worry about, like my instincts telling me I'll have two twin lamb births this weekend. I'm not sure I'd bet money on it, but I have two ewes bagged up and real big. I bought my iodine for cord dipping today. I need a lot more than that...

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