Mr. Moon got home early last night and we took a drive in the Cutlass with the top down. Since the time change, it gets dark so very early but we figured we had an hour at least.
We drove down towards a place we know on Lake Miccosukee but took a road we'd never been on before and after realizing our mistake, we decided to just head on down it anyway, see where it ended up.
Where it ended up was right on the lake, but in a different place. There's a county boat ramp there and a little dock. It was like being in another country, this place. There wasn't another human in sight and it was so still and quiet that we found ourselves talking in whispers.
The water was quite literally as smooth as glass and there was no breeze to ruffle the cypress needles. A squirrel was feasting on the cypress nuts and dropping the husks into the water and that was the loudest sound being made. There were some bird cries, what sounded like a blackbird with his melodious trill and a coot, making his loon-like call. But beside that, it was perfect stillness, perfect quiet.
We sat for awhile, just taking it in, feeling like the two luckiest people on earth to be there at that moment.
When we walked back to where the car was parked, Mr. Moon noticed a moccasin, eating something for his dinner. We watched from about two feet away while the snake swallowed what might have been a skink, his fangs appearing whenever he pulled another few centimeters of lizard into this body. Our presence must have annoyed him because he slithered off into the grass to finish his meal, the poor creature's head still poking out of his mouth.
We drove back home with the setting sun painting the clouds pink down roads with some of the biggest oak trees I've ever seen and it felt like the whole world had been dipped in magic, and us too.
I'd made a batch of venison chili the night before and I had bread rising and I baked that and made some red cabbage with dried cherries and brown sugar and vinegar and we had a good supper and cleaned up and went to bed.
We've had a lot of Friday night dates, Mr. Moon and I, but I think that one put all the rest to shame. It turned out to be something we'd never expected, which is what the best things usually are, and it all happened because we drove down the "wrong" road.
And there you go- we're so often attached to being right, to making the decisions and turns and twists that we're familiar with and know the outcome of that we completely miss what might be the best path, the most magical.
Tonight we'll be going on another kind of date down to the Legion Hall to hear Maxine and Big Lou (otherwise known as Lon and Lis Williamson) and their band, VTW.
I'm feeling a bit apprehensive because this will be the first time I've done something like this since the dark days of insanity began to take over my life. The last time I put on my silver and went out to where music was being played was, in fact, the Legion Hall and Lon and Lis were playing that night, too. It was a lot of fun and I'm sure tonight will be too, but it's a hurdle for me to cross, to go out into the night time and be in a place with lots of people.
But I want to go and I will.
And if you live around here and don't have plans for tonight, come on out and join us. Sure to be some tasty music and Lon and Lis always attract the best people.
Is it a date?
