Field Note: A Cherished Autumn Evening

Autumn evenings at the beach or the country have been a lifetime favorite of mine. Tonight, everything I love was gathered into one short loop of a walk with Harris.

The cool breeze at the pier. Clouds streaked bright red and orange, a fiery display over the water. In the distance, headlights crossed the bridge. Beneath my feet, jellyfish drifted through the green light around the pier posts.

On the way home, crickets and frogs called from the swales and ponds, their sounds adding another layer to the pleasure of the cool evening. Occasionally, a fish jumped in the marina—a quick splash and plop among all those voices.

Chhir chirr chirr chirr

Chit chit chit chit

Chorus of nature that I love.

My attention traveled from the distant bridge to the small, translucent lives in the water, then back to the sounds rising from the grassy dunes behind us.

Such a short walk to hold so much of what I love.

There were others out walking their dogs, too. That took a little more attention, effort, emotional reserve, but we all managed around one another just fine. At the last bend before home, an excited Akita-like pup surprised us. Harris strained, stood, and made what I think of as his “ugly snort.” But he answered my recall and walked with me up the driveway.

I didn’t say anything to the other walker. At the end of a long day, I had enough left to manage my large dog, but not quite enough for the niceties, too.

Good days can be like that. I came home good and tired, still carrying the colors of the sky and the sounds of the swales.