The recent great drama for the moon, of course, was the total eclipse that overtook it just as winter solstice began. Even after the drama, the moon would linger, in full, throughout the solstice.
As all who frequent this blog know, I am a person who must get out into the open air and do something every day - walk, ride my bike, cross-country ski (at least before I shattered my shoulder and I hope very soon again) but lately I haven't.
Until yesterday afternoon, I had not taken a single walk since I last strolled across the lagoon in Barrow almost two weeks ago. I just have not been able to make myself do it and I have been atrophying. Yesterday, I decided that I must break through this and so I went walking.
As I walked, I could not help but think that this winter solstice day marked one month from the morning that I received the news that Anil had been killed in a car crash.
And today, this day, when I sit here writing, marks one month since I got the news that Sandy had followed her husband.
One month, yet I feel ten years older than I did when I awoke November 21.
I have been resisting the idea of old age - it has been my theory that old age is concept that applies to other people, but not me - that no matter how many years I accumulate, I will remain a young man.
Right now, it doesn't feel that way anymore.
Still, I intend to fight it.
Late last night, I also learned that this little blog of mine had been voted in as the Best Photography Blog of 2010 in the Blogger's Choice Awards.* For this, I would like to thank all of you who have cast votes on my behalf. And thank you, smahoney, for nominating my work in the first place.
I feel great sorrow that I cannot share this news with Sandy. I will share the news with her, and I will feel that she knows, but I won't know this for certain.
Or maybe I will.
Even when you feel something in certainty, it is hard to know for certain.
After I learned that I had won this award, I went into the house and told Margie. She did something she does not often spontaneously do that much anymore. She spontaneously reached up, put her arms around my neck, lifted her face to mine and kissed me right on the lips.
"That's wonderful," she said. "I'm not surprised. Well, I am surprised. But I'm not surprised."
It was a nice moment.
This woman has gone through so much, sacrificed so much, including anything even resembling security as old age approaches, just so I could follow my dreams and be a photographer/writer in Alaska - wandering here, wandering there, never working for money but always for love, sometimes bringing in a sudden flush of money but most of the time accomplishing quite the opposite.
Thank you, Margie.
Even before my walk ended, I started the car with the remote from about 100 yards away. I then poked my head into the house and told Margie that I was headed to Metro Cafe. OK, she said.
So here I am, pulling up to the drive-through line at Metro Cafe.
As I saw the people inside, I remembered the words from Cheers that Ice Road Truck Driver and India's Most Dangerous Road driver Lisa Kelly employed to tell CNN why she likes to go to Metro Cafe.
"Sometimes you just want to go to where everybody knows your name."
I don't think that everybody who was inside Metro Cafe on this day knows my name.
But Shoshauna does. Shoshauna knows my name. And she had a smile on her face as I approached.
When I got to the window, Shoshauna informed me that, once again, an anonymous person had bought my coffee and my cinnamon roll. I have an idea who this anonymous person might be - in fact, I think there might be more than one anonymous person.
Whether I am right or wrong, I appreciate it.
Study # 3: Shoshauna, the young writer, preparing my coffee.
;)
I was still sipping that coffee when I drove across the Little Su. I had finished the cinnamon roll.
I turned around at Grotto Iona, A Place of Prayer, and headed back towards home.
Along the way, I saw this car.
And this from India - Two Sisters:
Actually, I do not know that they are sisters. They may have been cousins, aunt and niece, teacher and student, mentor and apprentice - or just friends.
I know nothing about them, other than what you can see in this picture. I took it in a flash of a moment through the window of a taxi, hired by Murthy and Vasanthi, to take Melanie and me touring about southern India with them - and with Buddy.
I cannot even tell you what village we were passing through. It was one of countless.
*Two other Alaska-related blogs won Blogger's Choice Awards: Palingates, for Best Political Blog and conservatives4palin for Worst Blog of All Time. Congratulations to the both of you.