The parallax of everyday life.

Jane and I hike to the upper view arriving just after sunset. The sky is cloudless. 33 degrees and clear. The horizon dark orange grading to yellow and yellow green light green and then blue dark blue and dark purple straight overhead.

Jupiter is first visible in the west and I realize (from my iPhone) that Jupiter is still in the constellation Taurus just like it was last fall when we were at the moss ledge looking directly east after dark.

Suddenly everything snaps into place. My back is to the wind created by the earth's movement round the sun. 

And along the ecliptic curve -- somewhere in the light green between the sun and Jupiter -- I rapidly leave behind that spot the earth was six months ago, that moment watching Jupiter rise.

And here I am now. The parallax of everyday life.

ZPHX ~20130422

A walk in the woods, May 22, 2009

This evening Jane asks me to go for a walk in the woods. What a privilege. She is always finding things. "Because i have to look down all the time."

Several sets of coyote scat. Interesting plants. Snails.

Then, "Something was killed here." And, looking down, I see one black and white feather, then more.

"Pileated," she says, "look for the beak." She finds it. A partial skull, red feathers still attached, with powerful beak. She finds a tail feather and shows me its stiffness.

On we hike to the upper trail, bushwack over the ridge to the wetland near our southeast corner, then up the old road in the ravine and finally sit on the mossy overlook on top of the ridge. Blueberries flowering here.

Getting down is a little rough. Too steep near the upper pond. Getting dark, we backtrack and come out on the trail. I stop at the lower view to take a picture of the sunset.

At home after dark: Bats!

Zphx