Cooler, fall-like air settled around me as I sat by our fire ring listening to crickets and watching a full moon rise over our two tallest trees. They stand side by side, an ash and a pin oak, towering over everything around them – these two companions have shared this space since long, long before we started paying taxes on this ground that is theirs.
In the dark, they appear to be the monarchs of our place. Watching these majestic giants in the moonlight, I’m happy with my thought that they personify two rulers. (This could be because I’ve been reading Welsh legends about trees fighting battles and dancing together. I guess it’s a classic fantasy from Narnia to Oz to imagine trees moving in a human way.)
The night atmosphere is not entirely peaceful. Traffic noises are always present because we are on a truck route near an intersection. Trains that so often pass through, resound across our end of town.
The new high school is so close that the lights of the parking lot make it much brighter at night than when we moved here. The bells that are timed for class changes and the loud speaker that sounds for announcements interrupt during the day.
In spite of these “would be” annoyances, I am so thankful that the school is so close – handy for my kids and their activities.
I am thankful that commerce is flowing in this part of the world, allowing us to have the things we need or want (or think we want).
My sylvan king and queen look down on it all, oblivious to most of the petty things that shape my world. I hope they can continue to rule long after I’m gone.
