My Late Night Walks

Hi,

This has been a remarkably open winter here
on the south shore of Nova Scotia. There's
hardly been any snow, although the past two
weeks have been quite cold.

Unfortunately, this hasn't been a good period
for my nightly walks on the old mines road.
Aside from the cold weather, which has
sent me scurrying back to the warmth of my
house on a couple of occasions:), I have also
had to concern myself with the hugh clouds
of dust formed by vehicles as they travel the
road.

You see, cold weather, coupled with lack of
snow, has created a fine, dusty surface, on
the dirt roads.

The walking is great, but it isn't so nice to
meet vehicles! Last night, for instance, I had
a lovely walk in the frosty air, but had to
quickly run for the bushes when I heard an
approaching vehicle.

That's not the best way to enjoy a peaceful,
moonlight walk! :)

So, anyhow, I'm back! I haven't posted to the
blog for about a week, but, rest assured, you'll
be hearing from me again this week.

All the best, and enjoy the moon as it moves
to fullness on February 2nd.

Laurie
p.s. I just thought I'd let you know that
there's only 69 days until Easter! Happy
Easter!

It's A Cold Day, But Here's An Interesting Link

Hi Everyone,

Yes, it's a cold day here in Nova Scotia. But, what the
heck, it's already January 21st and before long Spring
will be just around the corner!

I was going to take a walk this afternoon, but the wind
is quite strong and, I suspect, makes the wind chill
factor at least ten degrees colder than the actual
temperature.

Is anyone interested in a mystery? Here's a link to a blog
entitled, Rock Piles - Stone Walls. It shows pictures of
old stone walls and ruins at a location in Lunenburg County,
Nova Scotia. The actual location is largely a secret at
the moment, and is known only to a few people.

If you think you have the answer to this mystery, please
post a comment here or on the Rock Piles - Stone Walls
blog.

All the best!
Laurie

A Writing Note

Hi,

I often try to figure out ways to make writing a bit
easier, or try to discover ways to get the creative
juices flowing or to receive inspiration.

Well, last night, after I finally made it to bed -- this
was about 3 A.M. -- I accidentally discovered an
interesting technique.

I was lying in bed, thinking about a particular story
that I was working on, when the thought occured
that I should run the story in my mind -- just let
it flow on the screen of my mind.

Well, I started visualizing the story, and relaxed,
just letting the images flow. Soon, it reached as far
as I had written the story. Now, get this: the images
continued to flow! Yes, it was like the story had
gained momentum, and continued beyond the point
I had reached with the written word.

I suddenly found that I was presented with a good
continuation of the story, and a possible ending.
This is an interesting technique, but I think it has to
be done in a relaxed manner. Just let the story flow
on the screen of your consciousness.

All the best!
Laurie

A Frosty Night

Hi,

I have just returned from a late night walk on
the old mining road. The night is frosty and cool,
and the moon is quite beautiful. It's a waning half
moon at this point, but remains quite bright.

The water in the pot-holes on the road is slightly
frozen, and makes a cracking sound when
disturbed and broken by foot steps. The sound
seems to be accented in the frosty atmosphere
of the night.

Well, this is a brief post, as I have to catch some
sleep. I'll be back soon with a statement on writing.

All the best!

A Late Night Outing

There was heavy wind and rain earlier today
and tonight. Walking was the last thing on
my mind. However, the sky started to clear
and the moon broke through the clouds at
about 11 o'clock this evening. By the time
I went walking at 1 o'clock, the sky was
clear and the moon was high overhead.

It was a night of sound. The wind was still
strong enough to create waves that splashed
against the shore in a constant rhythmic
sound. And, later, I came upon areas where
I could hear streams of water trickling down
through the forest, caused by the heavy rain
earlier in the day.

Later, the wind through dry beech leaves,
startled me, and I could hear an animal of
some kind going about its night time activity
on a field. I stopped to listen, then continued
to walk, neither of us paying much attention
to each other.

On the way home, the moonlight reflected
brightly from off the old mines road, so that
I could easily maneuver around its many
water-filled pop holes.

The walk was quite nice. Now, here I am at
2:15 in the morning, making myself a cup of
tea!

All the best,
Laurie

A Splendid Night!

Well, the temperature is hovering around zero
Celsuis, which is excellent for walking. So, I
decided to walk along the old mines road yet
again, on this beautiful moonlit night.

I left my home at about 11:30 and walked along
my usual route. A cool breeze was blowing in
from the northwest, and I noticed the swiftness
of the clouds as they crossed over the face of
the moon.

But what struck me, especially, were the shadows
cast by the clouds and the peek-a-boo effect of
the moon. I didn't have to watch the sky to notice
what was happening. Each time the moon appeared
from behind the clouds, I could look far ahead of me,
along the road, and see the light waves speeding
my way.

When they reached me, I found myself walking
in the brilliance of the January moon. It was like
daylight! Then, I could see cloud shadows coming
at me, and suddenly the night would grow darker,
although still quite pleasant for walking.

I must say, little did I think a few months back,
that I would have such a pleasant walking experience
by the light of the January moon. How nice! And,
according to the forecast, I should have good
walking all week long, although temperatures are
supposed to rise, which could make the gravel road
quite greasy.

After I returned home, I sat in candlelight enjoying
a late night tea.

All the best!
Laurie