Tuesday, February 5, 2008

MOONLIGHT


~~ He had been to several families that morning, in hopes of procuring some addition to their
number, but it was moonlight, and everybody was full of engagements.
  ~~Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility

Isn’t moonlight absolutely astonishing?  I turn out the lights preparatory to going to bed and suddenly the outside becomes completely visible.  The trees even have shadows. I check the bird feeders, but find no flying squirrels, raccoons, deer, or possums.  I check the front of the house and (fortunately) do not see any deer eating the rhododendrons.  But I can see…everything…almost as if it were

day.



In one of Jane Austen’s books, a family considers having a supper party for the coming evening.  Till they realize that, “Oh pooh, it’s moonlight.”  Meaning that everyone else will have already made plans, and will be attending other parties.  Moonlight made traveling at night much safer and more convenient, so that was the social time of the month.

Ah, moonlight!

5 comments:

  1. But full moon is when the werewolves go into full swing!! :) Moonlight is incredibly beautiful.

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  2. ahhh, now you are leaving me wanting to look back at Watership Down, there is a quote in there about moonlight (being something extra and a kind of beauty) that I love. Maybe I'll get a chance to look for it tonight.

    BTW, my crew is very, very happy at your news. Hope this will give us a chance to get together.  :)

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  3. Pretty shot. Which Austen book is that? I don't remember it. Must be MP or Pers. I don't read them that often.

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  4. Oh, I'm a dork. It's S and S as you just said. Duh.

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  5. I just want to say that you have nothing to worry about. I am not good at recognizing people and probably won't know you unless you are wearing the hat or the Red Riding Hood cape. I recall you gave away the hat and imagine it is unlikely you will wear the cape.

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