Night Owls

Ellie spent the night with me Saturday night. It was a short but fun visit. I would have loved to be able to go sleep over at my Mimi's or Aunt's house on a regular old weekend! Growing up 600 miles away from your extended family has its pros and its cons, one of which is not spending as much time with them as you'd like.
(Then again I wasn't complaining when Mimi & Pop got divorced; that was a time to hit the deck!)
Here is the little Angel still groggy on Sunday morning. She takes my breath away, I wish the photo quality was better.
That sweet smile, gentle brown eyes, alabaster skin and thick mane; she won't know how gorgeous she is now until she is all grown up. We seldom do, do we?


She absently pets Roxi while comparing her to Roxi's brother Angus, who is her dog! Ellie is a talker, she has alot to say and she will say it. No time for an awkward silence with this girl! A cheerful chatterer, she makes good company for all who she meets. I love spending time with Ellie; I'd always wanted for more time with my aunts when I was a kid and this completely makes up for it. I get to be the cool aunt!
She once told me during a sleepover that I was her favorite grown up to hang out with; the highest compliment in the land if you ask me! I am honored and really intend to spend more time with her, and Cassie. It's good for kids to get members of their family all to themselves. I so vividly remember wanting just to be with my parents when I was little. It's an easy thing to do, and an easy thing to allow time to take away.
Let me write somethings down in my calendar right now...

This morning was drippy and drizzly and I did not go out for a walk with Roxi in the wet, but I did run out to do a few errands. I thought I'd leave Roxi out of her cage for an hour or two and see what happened. This is what happened!

I keep reminding myself she is a puppy, ten months old. She is still trouble! I resort to this refrain of the pet owner and parent "Can't have shit"! Nothing to be done but throw away the casualties of foam scattered about; the shrapnel of a Roxi bomb.

"What happened in here!" ..."Well it appears as though a Roxi Bomb detonated in the vicinity"
Ugh! Well, aside from that it was a good day. Just after sundown I decided to take her out for the walk we'd missed earlier. It had pretty much quit drizzling and was cool and balmy, perfect weather. It was the first time I've gone on a night walk around here but it was early and there were lots of other people out and about afoot in the 'hood. It was perfect. It reminds me of the short time I lived in Wilmington, 13 or 14 years ago. Wow. I started walking, and I don't remember why but I always did at night, by myself and it was a wonderful indulgence, like it is now. I remember at Christmas time so many people had their porches and yards decorated for the season; colorful lights are so cheery and exciting against the bright and darkening blue sky. I know other countries accuse us of being tacky this way, and we are but it is fun!

I am a night person, biologically, medically, spiritually; in every way. I can't help it, it just suits me. I come alive at night and the creative juices get flowing and I just want to stay up and work on whatever until 4 or 5 in the morning, as long as I go to sleep before the sun comes up; that's just depressing.

I try to get to a normal human schedule, in bed around 10 and up around 7 or 8. I did pretty well over the summer and enjoyed getting as much sunlight as I could. But now after the Equinox as the dark comes earlier each night, I want to be up later and later! Can't help it.

I try to get to a normal human schedule, in bed around 10 and up around 7 or 8. I did pretty well over the summer and enjoyed getting as much sunlight as I could. But now after the Equinox as the dark comes earlier each night, I want to be up later and later! Can't help it.
I feel I have the world to myself during these late hours. It feels like time stops and I can finally open my eyes, to the world as I like to see it; dark, still, quiet, peaceful. All the nocturnal animals are my totems; the bat, the 'owl, the raccoon and best of all the dear 'possum. They don't concern themselves with what goes on in the daytime when all the other animals are scurrying about busying themselves with survival and competition. They make a nice living on Mother Nature's night shift and they seem to live life at their own pace. Plus they all have a delightful mystique about them don't they? And if you are thinking 'possums are gross, you Sir or Madam just don't know what's good.

I love the sky early at night when it has this electric dark bright glow about it; when you can see the trees in silhouette but still make out some of their own color and values...

...and further into the winter I have the bare bones trees to look forward to; shed of all their leaves they look like delicate black lace against the electric blue sky.

Ah, the changing seasons and the growing night. I can feel everything shifting already!

Isn't it so exciting?

Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings...