On New Year’s Eve, we went out to the pitch dark farmlands surrounding Pitt Lake. I blogged about this area last year, as they do wet cranberry harvesting on the little ponds and reservoirs out there. We took the tripod and camera and hoped to see the Aurora Borealis, due to a solar storm that night. We did not see the lights but were treated to a cold night full of the most stars I have seen in a long time. Orion’s Belt was in full view, and in the distance were mountains hugging the scene. There was such a sense of peace and beauty, I am not sure the best way to describe it. This was a nice start to the night before the new year, though so cold, which is a little unusual for us, as we are normally foggy, misty, and above freezing. When I get to see stars like this, it is always so wonderful.
Slightly before midnight, we dressed up in layers and went running. I was wondering if Morgan thought my idea was silly, to bring in the new year on a run, but, even if he did, he didn’t say anything and, once we got out there, he thoroughly felt good about it. I hadn’t planned to run more than a mile or two, but we ended up running just over three miles. It was really different. The streets were mostly deserted, as everyone was probably already where they wanted to be to bring in the new year, but, given that we ran through some areas with pubs and restaurants, at the stroke of midnight, a great many calls of “Happy New Year” rang out in the city, below that great fabric of stars, and we stopped to kiss–Morgan’s beard wet and frosty with condensation. We heard pots and kettles being banged, so many whoops, beyond the vague closed doors as we ran down the dark blocks.
I had been so tired before running, but exercise often gives me a second wind. I felt fully alive and grateful for this life and it was so much better than the typical new year celebration of eating too much, drinking too much, etc. It gave me new resolution to continue enjoying the outdoors in the new year.
