Starry, Starry Night

One of the best things about the cold weather we've been having is the clear, clean air. The full moon shone brightly early this week, making crisp shadows and allowing me to navigate my hill at night without a light. The nights seemed brighter than many of our cloudy, rainy winter days.

Tonight the moon is up late, and the stars are out in force. So many, many stars. White, blue, yellow and red stars. The longer you stare at the sky, the more stars appear. Endless stars. In this part of the world in winter one tends to forget there is sky, let alone sun, moon and stars. There is but a white and grey cloud ceiling. Not this week. There is bright sun, blue sky, black sky, and endless stars.

I love living in the country, where light pollution is minimal. And in spite of having to haul warm water to the animals twice a day, I love the crisp, clear cold spells of winter. Frozen mud may make uneven footing, but it's easier to deal with the warm, wet, sticky mud.

And that sky.