Chapter 1: Who's Afraid of the Dark

[Nicole]

BBT writes in this chapter: “Outside, the gentle weight of the night had put me in my place and held me there, so that I could not ignore the spectacle of an ordinary summer evening. On a night like this, it is hard to understand why anyone would choose a reading lamp and the hum of the air conditioner over a box seat at the sound-and-light show outside, where it is always opening night."

What have been your positive experiences of the dark?

[Tim]

Fireworks, fireflies, stars, cool breezes.

[Jo]

Stars, the moon, cicadas singing on hot summer evenings, playing with friends . . .

[Nicole]

I actually love the dark and quiet of the early morning before dawn. I actually miss the extreme dark of the winter months a little bit. But, I don't miss the cold and snow. :-)

[Tim]

Plus, now that I'm aware and looking, it's kind of hard to find the dark(physical, that is)

[Jo]

Yes, just last night I turned off our clock that shows the time on the ceiling and turned down the display on another clock in our bedroom. Now I'm pushing to cover the LED light on a multiple plug in the sink area. It's hard to find the dark.

[Nicole]

It IS very difficult to really get the dark. If it isn't all our devices, it's street signs. I can't keep all the street lights out of my room. I do love getting up before dawn b/c it's so quiet and dark.

[Tim]

Got home Saturday night, grabbed a cigar and a scotch plopped down in the backyard and after 2 sips it was pretty bright out there!

[Nicole]

It's pretty amazing "light" it is, even when its supposed to be dark. Of course, we do have those long days this time of year. I didn't feel that way during all the winter gloom!

[Cheryl]

Laying out on the ground, under the stars. When I was younger, our 4-H group had a camp out during the Persides meteor shower. Spending long hours bundled up in sleeping bags on the dock of the lake, watching the stars with friends. Stargazing......good times!

[Nicole]

Nice. I remember watching a meteor shower on my birthday one year. So cool to see that. What a great experience as a young person.

[Cat]

Cricket song, fireworks, fishing with my dad while the family sleeps in the back of the station wagon, crunching through the frozen cornfields under the autumn moon on a hunt with dad and the hounds (we never actually killed things), blue moon New Years Eve on the Winter Haven Chain of Lakes, seeing the Milky Way over the edge of eternity at Big Sur, snowfall, Christmas lights, fireflies