A few weeks ago I went on a full moon hike at 5 Rivers in Delmar. As the night got cloudy, I got a peek at the moon driving over there. I was early so I sat in the car contented to have missed some of the crazier traffic. About 15 minutes before the center opened it started to rain. First a sweet, gentle spritzing then a downpour. I laughed, well Mother Nature is canceling this hike!
The center opened and the naturalist was enthusiastic and hopeful that the rain would stop or at least let-up and we could proceed.
Actually, it did! Twelve excited humans went out into the night to experience the mystery of the woods in the dark. Owls had been heard and beaver seen on the previous night in the full splendor of the moon. Would we be so fortunate on a cloudy night?
The incredible thing about being out in the dark is that our eyes really do adjust and things begin to come out of the shadows!The rods in our eyes do not reach their maximum sensitivity for about half an hour. But cones take approximately 9–10 minutes to adapt to the dark. The trail becomes clear. Details of the pond, half under ice, half black water emerge. It is magical!
We heard a slap! The beavers must be about! Ripples appeared on the surface of the pond. Beaver bodies bobbed from the water. They were hard at work or having supper. So amazing to witness their nocturnal lives.
On we went over a very tricky part of the trail - avoiding roots on the trail. The naturalist suggested that we walk heel-toe to avoid tripping. We stopped - was that an owl. No, another creature of the night, but no owls.
We wove our way back to the center. The rain cleared away the night was heavy with clouds, but we were contented, humans. We had done what eons of humans had done - been one with the night.
The center opened and the naturalist was enthusiastic and hopeful that the rain would stop or at least let-up and we could proceed.
Actually, it did! Twelve excited humans went out into the night to experience the mystery of the woods in the dark. Owls had been heard and beaver seen on the previous night in the full splendor of the moon. Would we be so fortunate on a cloudy night?
The incredible thing about being out in the dark is that our eyes really do adjust and things begin to come out of the shadows!The rods in our eyes do not reach their maximum sensitivity for about half an hour. But cones take approximately 9–10 minutes to adapt to the dark. The trail becomes clear. Details of the pond, half under ice, half black water emerge. It is magical!
We heard a slap! The beavers must be about! Ripples appeared on the surface of the pond. Beaver bodies bobbed from the water. They were hard at work or having supper. So amazing to witness their nocturnal lives.
On we went over a very tricky part of the trail - avoiding roots on the trail. The naturalist suggested that we walk heel-toe to avoid tripping. We stopped - was that an owl. No, another creature of the night, but no owls.
We wove our way back to the center. The rain cleared away the night was heavy with clouds, but we were contented, humans. We had done what eons of humans had done - been one with the night.
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