By the light of a silvery moon

By the Light of the Silvery Moon

Our back property under the light of a full moon

When preparing to retire for bed one evening last week, I noticed the glow of the moon as it became a warm blanket illuminated covering shining throughout the room.

Over the course of several evenings it continued to visit, offering a beacon of light throughout the back of our property, even so far as lighting the way along the base of the snowy ground underneath the entire thick cluster of trees growing there.

"It was late one night,

long past my bedtime,

when Pa and I went owling.

There was no wind.

The trees stood still as giant statues.

And the moon was so bright

the sky seemed to shine.

Somewhere behind us a train whistle blew,

long and low, like a sad, sad song."

At one point while laying in my bed basking in its light, I remembered a beloved book from our wonderful experiences long ago while using the FIAR (Five in a Row) curriculum. I thought about "Owl Moon" by; Jane Yolen and felt a sudden impulse to wake the children in the late hours of the night to don our warmest clothing followed by an outdoor walk in the moonlight, to hunt for owls.

We do have both a barred and a snowy owl living on our back property, so it would be fitting to attempt this some time. The actual night I thought of this possibility however, my bed felt so much warmer and cosier than heading outdoors, when our thermometer noted the drop to freezing cold temperatures, much too cold for such an night time adventure.

"We walked on.

I could feel the cold

as if someone's icy hand

was palm-down on my back.

And my nose and the tops of my cheeks

felt cold and hot at the same time.

But I never said a word.

If you go owling you have to be quiet

and make your own heat."

As snow accumulations continue to accelerate from unusual Arctic storms passing over us, the moonlight guided ambience became reminiscent of a beautiful painting one would expect from a winter wonderland somewhere in our big wide world. But this time it was real and in my little corner of the world, right outside my bedroom window at that! It was almost surreal to be able to fall asleep to the light of the moon, tucking me in and offering blessings for each of those exquisite and wonder filled silvery moon nights.

"Then we came to a clearing

in the dark woods.

The moon was high above us.

It seemed to fit exactly,

over the center of the clearing

and the snow below

it was whiter than

the milk in a cereal bowl."

With thoughts of this beloved book still on my mind and in my heart, I know the missed opportunity will grow to haunt me until I actually revel in the fulfillment of the childhood guided temptation offered in the pages of the sweet story.

What a fun walk back in time to the days I sat with little children curled up on either side of me while I read this story for five days in a row, followed by plenty of owl activities.