Debra Marshall’s essay, “The Magic That Lurks” (Monitor, June 28) about her moonlit walk was a welcome respite from the barrage of sad and bad news and political wrangling of the day.
There is something so wonderful about being able to share experiences about the natural world in such a way that it inspires others to follow suit.
Debra Marshall did that beautifully, even throwing in a bit of suspense.
That suspense was tangible for me. I’ve had occasion to go wandering in the dead of night into the fields and woods of my surroundings to find a missing hound dog that caught the scent of something, but not during the full moon. The flashlight glow only goes so far and I wondered what lurked just beyond it or in the deep dark woods. Was there a bear, the one who’d left that large pile of scat on my walking trail? Was there a coyote, like the one I’d heard the other night baying in the distance? Would the old barred owl swoop down after calling “coo coo cachoo, who cooks for you?” How about the gigantic moose, the one that knocked over a large chunk of the rotting old wooden fence line when he stepped over it?
Next time the moon is full and I’m not stressed out over finding the hound dog that is now a few feet underground, I’ll venture out late enough so the moon can light my way and maybe I’ll see the yellow spotted salamanders shining in the night.
Thank you Debra Marshall for your words of inspiration.
Susannah Colt
Warner