Hey there, folks!
The coffee is brewin’, the crows are calling out the window, and it’s MONDAY! Raising a mug to toast an auspicious beginning to a new week - and here’s the letter that’s going out in the Nighthawk. If there’s an excessive amount of paperwork ahead of you, perhaps this virtual walk in the woods will counterbalance it.
I hope you enjoy!
Letters from Josh
The Magic Carpet Taxi Service Letter 88 6/28/22
Howdy, folks! Wouldn’t it be nice to have a flying magic carpet for hire? A whimsical taxi, a fantastical Uber, that would, with a wish and a tally-ho, whisk us to exotic lands. But, nowadays, there would probably be waivers to sign and rules to follow. So, In lieu of airborne floor dressings, I’ll write you a letter, and take you on a journey of words. Let’s go on a Sunday evening walk on the farm.
Close your eyes, and crank the imaginary humidity to 100%, dial in a slight rain falling, with a mist rising over the evening fields like the ghost of a leisurely day. There’s a melancholy to a Sunday evening, but the pines stand tall to the promise of a new dawn. The last of the evening birds chirp and flutter to roost, and we pause, noticing wild mint sprouting in the hayfield. Ah, the scent invigorates, a welcome cool in the tropical stickiness.
Down to the creek, as we step through the lush undergrowth in the glade, an occasional mosquito whines ‘round our ears. The splish splash of the water over muddy banks mingles with the drip drip of the rain knocking at the mighty oak umbrella high overhead. Suddenly, sparks…glide. A multitude of fireflies drift upward from the tall grass, flashing briefly, all at the same height. They wink out, as if their lanterns were tiny rockets lifting them skywards. Over and over, more and more, silent winks of yellow sparks rise over the lush green glade. They would make a fine Fourth of July celebration for elves. “Ooo! Ahh!” We wink back, and trudge up the hill. The rain slackens, now stops. A pinkish tinged cloud waves us good evening.
Speaking of beautiful sights, I would have sent out the magic carpet taxi to fetch you just the other night. The stars dazzled above the farm, and there I was with a telescope, peering into the depths of space. The reddish-orange star Antares (anti-Ares, or rival of Mars) blazed in the south, and the band of the Milky Way stretched out in the East. Wandering along this gauzy glow with the telescope, vast clouds of stars billowed into view. There, a hazy patch and a glow!
It was the Eagle Nebula, a giant star factory, and host of the famed “Pillars of Creation” made famous by the Hubble photo. The light that I was seeing tonight started its journey 7000 years ago, roughly the time pigs were first domesticated in China, and the Aboriginal artists were carving rocks down under.
Sitting back in my chair, I watched the stars, and felt tiny. There was the fancy telescope, looking even smaller against the backdrop of the Milky Way. I thought about how we like to peer into Infinity. Isn’t it nice to wonder and marvel? If nothing else, it sure is beautiful. Thanks for riding along on the Magic Carpet Taxi Uber Service! (Please leave five stars if so inclined!)
Until next week,
- Josh