crossroads

Last Updated on October 4, 2025

Katy took this picture on Saturday evening.

We sat for awhile at the crossroads along the trail in the hills behind my house. We looked over at just the right moment and saw the almost full moon rising over Mt Diablo.

It’s a mystery to me why the moon so rarely shows up as large and luminous in photos as it does in real life. Does the moon feel a certain way about being perceived?

Looking out over the bay, I’m always orienting myself & trying to understand what I’m looking at out in the distance. I’m often wondering what the land over that way is called. And then I wonder why it’s important to know all the details that have been assigned. Sometimes the details that exist for me to perceive are the most important and instructive.

The way the sky paints with colors. The way the water reflects, moves in ripples and waves, or becomes chaotic in harmony with the elements. The way the last rays of sun look like tiny fires burning in the hills across the bay as the sunset reflects in windows. How peaceful it all looks from a distance. How small and peaceful I feel when I have distance. I’m a small, but present, piece of this puzzle.

Tonight I took in this view again. The moon was not full and did not rise during my time at the crossroads. This time it was the gentle breeze that moved me. The wind helped me let go of so much through deep exhales and feeling the support of the ground holding my body. I often lie on the earth and breathe. It’s always helpful.

I held the gaze of a great horned owl. They won the staring contest. I felt my human limitations and wished I could fly up to perch on a tree branch from the ground.

Now hours later, I’m inside with the door open listening to rain drops fall. The weather app says it’s not raining, but it is. The ground is wet, I hear the drops and smell wet earth. I saw the dark clouds heavy with moisture and felt like rain was possible.

The screech owls are so screech-y tonight. How do they feel about the rain? They sound closer than I’m used to hearing them. The cats sit at the screen door on high alert to the nighttime sounds and smells. It’s all very exciting.

I enjoy and feel amazed by how loud it is in the quiet of the night when all the sounds the daylight drowns have their moments to be heard loud and clear in the dark.