I’ve got some family stuff going on. So, at the end of this day, despite the humidity, I took a walk to the beach. I’m so grateful to live close to the beach… Of course, I took off my shoes and waded in. I gathered a few rocks and said a prayer over each one and tossed them into the Sound. A tern flew by me, gliding low, mouth open, catching insects just above the waterline. Looking up, the moon was coming out — still hazy — above the cloud bank. Water so still. Air so thick. All was fading blue.
Walking back, I skirted a couple of rabbits; some stood still and others lifted their little white tails and fled into the shrubby grass. One hungry woodchuck ignored me. I saw long canes of wineberries and gathered the darkest red berries I could find. There was a blackberry neighbor who offered more foraging tastes.
For a while, the Earth fed me with water and sand and sky and animal and plant friends. Such a gentle night. I am so grateful for these many gentle gifts.