Joyfully into the darkness
The first week or two of tours after the summer always have a surreal feeling. They are the first drives where again the highways are dark and headlights become automatic. It feels strange and looks unfamiliar. The love of these dark nights, clear sky chases, and mystery around the aurora all come rushing back at once and it is an overwhelming love.
For long periods these first few nights, distant loons, a few passing clouds and the autumn Milky Way were our best company. Faint arcs of aurora appeared, disappeared, and reappeared low on the horizon to the discerning eye. But for now, we reacquainted ourselves with some other heavenly wonders, like the Andromeda Galaxy among others.
Long, late nights into twilight before sunrise appeared assured from the beginning.
Finally, as twilight emerged in the northeast, out of nowhere, curtains of purple and green lit up the sky. After hours of a steady, gentle arc across the north, it was chaos - the absolute best kind.
“What do you call that? Piano keys?”
For more than an hour, the aurora danced over half of the sky, piano keys and all. The relief, joy, excitement and wonder in myself must have for sure been palpable. There couldn’t have been a better way to end my first few nights of the season.
It’s just so good to have her back.
