Yesterday, I was sitting on the sofa for a few moments, reading a chapter in a new and, so far, excellent book, when something caught my eye outside in the yard. At first I thought it was a dog, but it was a hare, a gigantic rabbit, much bigger than a cat, that went lolloping by, its ears perched forward and its impossibly long feet flashing white. We’ve seen him before; he uses our yards, both front and back, as regular shortcuts on his daily bunny commute.
Later, driving to Mats’ and Annelott’s home for the yearly Walpurgis Eve bonfire celebration, we came over the crest of a hill and started a descent into a gentle, sloping valley. Ahead of us, off to the right, was an obviously artificial forest, the trees tall and all exactly of the same height, set in a large square. The trunks rose straight and pale through a squared-off glowing, diaphanous cloud of neon-green baby beech leaves. It looked like something out of Middle-Earth. Or one of Eyvind Earle’s paintings. I couldn’t get over the unearthly, glowing leaf-mist.
I missed the bonfire last year because my choir always sings in outdoor concerts around Malmö on Walpurgis Eve. It’s a spring tradition, to sing in the greening. It was the first time I had missed the bonfire at Mats’ and Annelott’s since we moved to Sweden. Last night, it was a wind-still chilly evening. Perfect, with the proper clothes,* for sitting around a freshly-dug firepit heaped with dry logs, crackling merrily. There is something so soothing about sitting and staring into a fire. It’s so easy to get lost in the melting, shifting shadow-embers. Grilling hotdogs to eat along with potato salad, deviled eggs and potato chips rounded out the experience to a nicety. The kids disappeared within seconds of our arrival, let loose on several acres including groves, a creek, a dog, an overturned boat, and a humongous trampoline. We saw them only fleetingly until it was time to pack up in the starry-cold late night and drive home.
Really Great Writing Out There Right Now: Mosaic Minds Relativity Issue, especially a knock-me-down-wow feature story titled My Glamorous Mother…and introducing our new Forum!
More Really Great Writing Out There Right Now: NoMex 05
*I can’t believe I said that.