Good Morning, Afternoon, or Evening!

Today is the last morning of February, 2010.

At 6:00 AM. I glanced out my window and saw a big golden full moon not to high in the western sky. The sun wouldn't be seen for at least a half hour. I thought I might be lucky enough to see my second moonset. I put on my woollies, filled an insulated cup with hot coffee and headed out to the beach.

I walked north while the moon slowly dropped toward the Gulf. The eastern sky had ever so slight a hint that the sun was working its way up. As I walked I sensed a race between the two. Would the sun come up before the moon reached the horizon and cast enough light to obscure the setting moon from my view? I got a feeling that time was irrelevant for a while. It was both day and night all rolled into one. It was beautiful. The moon was a bright ball in the west above the Gulf, just like the sun gets when it sets in the evening.

It looked like the moon would get to melt into the water before the sun was high enough. I felt so lucky. Then, Oh No! Unexpectedly, the moon only fifteen feet above the water (or so it seemed), suddenly got flat on the bottom. Oh No! It was slipping into a slice in the sky and disappearing. I couldn't see any clouds, but the moon was now only half a moon, then only the top quarter of it could be seen and I was so disappointed. And just when it was about to disappear all together, the bottom of it slipped out from another slice and it caught my breath. There was still enough sky at the horizon for whole moon to sit. Maybe! It was still dark enough, although barely. The eastern sky was beginning to get pink. I held my breath. There it was...the bottom half of the moon! Moving toward the water. Then... another shadow, another cloud, the moon once again getting flat on the bottom but not yet at the water line. At one point the moon was a rectangle in the sky before it disappeared completely no more than a foot above the horizon. Drat! I didn't get to see it set into the Gulf. Double drat!

As I walked home a very bright yellow sun popped up. Another day had begun. It was 6:40AM.

Although living alone has it definite advantages, one of the disadvantages is that when something interesting happens, like almost experiencing my second moonset, there is no one to tell. By the time I got this computer up and running, the awesome feeling I had of being out on the dark beach watching the sun and moon vie for the sky was waining a little. I thought I'd gotten lucky and then it was over. But all in all, it was a great way to start the day. It's seven:19 on a lovely morning. 50 degrees. Light blue sky. I hope your day will be, is, or has been fantastic. Mine is looking good.

Twenty ten twice!

Two months into 2010.....already! TWO MONTHS GONE. Yikes! I have so many things I want to do this year. So here's an idea I have. When January 1, 2011 comes along, let's all pretend that it is 2010 (again) and make 2010 two years long. We could then maybe have time to actually get something done this year. I bet most people would go along. We have ten months to think about it.

Besides much of this year has been lost due to the weather, and that seems to be the case no matter where you live in continental USA. The cold has made us sluggish. It has confused us. We are off kilter. How can we ever be expected to accomplish anything while hunched and huddled trying to keep warm.

While traveling last summer, I had hoped to have chance encounters with cool people, but it really didn't happen in any significant memorable way. But yesterday right here in my own backyard (a figure of speech), a gal stopped into my gallery and we got to talking. While I was traveling last summer so was she, touring the USA by herself, camping and staying occasionally in hotels. We had been to many of the same places doing many of the same things, each of us by ourselves. Any new subject raised in our conversation came with smile and a seriously shared understanding. We were so much alike it was spooky and wonderful. I felt like I'd met a younger me. She is in her mid forties. She had been recently laid off from a long time job and took the opportunity to travel. I was recently divorced taking the same opportunity. I hope we can get together again and share wine and stories. (She mentioned that when she was on the road and in a new place and feeling lonely, she had to put herself out there to meet people. You know, walk up and say 'Hi." I gave her my number. I hope she calls and says "Hi.")

Often in life, we get what we ask for, but it happens a bit differently than we expected it to. I think its true that our thoughts become the things and events in our lives. Ask, believe and be patience. Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be.

Which leads me to thinking about 2010 again. I better get busy.