Ramble with Storm: Orion, muskrats & the sharp light of a winter night

Mulling things on my morning ramble

with Storm, the family’s mixed Lab.

Up in the 5 a.m. darkness, I saw Orion the Hunter dominating the southern sky as if it was a winter evening.

Another month or two and the famous constellation will dominate the evening sky. The seasons are changing.

Brisk northwest winds. I guessed the weather geeks would post a wind chill reading this morning. And I was right: 44-degree wind chill on a 49-degree air temperature.

Orion high in the night sky is forever linked in my memories with muskrats and winter nights.

It was the defining feature–lower in the evenings and higher in the mornings–in the sky when my younger brother and I checked our muskrat trap line as kids.

The light in the darkness was sharp, sharp as it is in winter when the stars seem to shoot their light straight to earth.

I waited for the predawn darkness to begin fading before the meathead and I set off.

Maybe it was the northwest winds or maybe the town pond cooled a lot with the rain, but, despite the chill, only a few wisps of fog lifted off the town pond.

Ten Canada geese flew over low (within range) as Storm and I neared the town pond. That was about the height of wildlife.

No squirrels out of town. Back in town, only two frisky young ones chasing each other around a tree.

No doves this morning, in town or out. I suspect the strong fall front pushed them on.

The depression, which always bothers as fall settles in, began poking its nose around my skull this morning.