The Hunter Moon is making its debut tonight as I weave my car
down towards NYC along The New York State Thruway. The road is dark, and the
drivers rely on the stream of head lights to show the way. The luminous red taillights
snake, slither and slide along, helping to lead the procession. I have left
behind Tarrytown, and Sleepy Hollow made famous by Washington Irving. Weaving through
the foothills of the Catskills, apples having managed to turn my bag over, roll
around in the back playing tag, happy to have escaped their enclosure. I follow
the curve in the road and there it is, a panoramic view of the beautiful new
bridge, illuminated by the large Hunter Moon straddling the Narrows, but exposing
the critters of the forest to danger. It will be a precarious night, during which
wildlife will need to move with great stealth and cunning through the woods to
live till dawn.
As the bridge grows in size the road twists and turns and at
times the moon disappears, although its glow is omnipresent. The moon is playing
Hide and Seek, playfully disappearing until I spot it hiding behind a hill,
laughing like a child at being discovered and then running away again to repeat
the process.
While driving over the bridge I look
in the rearview mirror. Is it my
imagination or do I see Ichabod Crane, being pursued by The Headless Horseman running
in terror along the pedestrian walkway? Up ahead on one of the rolling hills there
is an apparition of sleepy Rip Van Winkle waving goodbye to me with one hand while
he rubs sleep from his eyes with the other. He is recovering after a much
needed rest, brought on by playing too much nine-ball and drinking from a
questionable flagon of Hollands with some mischievous inebriated dwarves. I think
I need some sleep myself.
Jim
Oct ‘22
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