Nothing is perfect … is it? This may be pretty close — relatively warm temperatures for a March night this far north, just a hint of wind, enough to make the darkness sing with the soft percussion of a jigsaw of ice slabs clattering in the bay, a friend nearby up the beach at Little Sand Bay on the mainland unit of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. And above us, the sky is singing the high notes, an aria of aurora.
Few things in life are truly perfect. It may seem like it in an Instagram post or a postcard. But look closer and there is almost always cold water seeping into a pin hole in your rubber boots or the night owl screech of an amped up driver on a distant stretch of blacktop. There could be batteries running low or car keys lost in the sand.
But not tonight. My boots are so waterproof they seem like magic. My batteries are fully charged, an extra battery in my pocket. And, the only screeching comes from a sudden chorus of coyotes somewhere across the lagoon. No, this is pretty close to perfect, I think to myself as I walk up the beach to where my friend is intently photographing the shine of the aurora reflecting on the still water.
“This is good for the soul,” he says, not even looking up from his view finder when he hears my footsteps nearing. I look over his shoulder at the light on the water, the stars above, the soul shine of it all, and there is no need to even say another word.
— Jeff Rennicke (all photography by the author unless otherwise noted). These postcards are an offshoot of the Little Dipper blog. Subscribers also get a full-length, illustrated essay every Wednesday.
What made your soul shine this week? Use the button below to leave a comment or send me a message and let me know.
Needed the peace of this. Thank you.
Wow, spectacular. I needed this today.