A friend came out to visit last night and said – I could hardly find your place! Why don’t you have a yard light. I couldn’t see your house from the road. There’s no light.

All the farm houses around here have a big bright yard light so the whole of the environment is lit up and all the barns and out-buildings and houses glow like space stations. I let ours go years ago – I hated that light.

The bright light interferes with the circadian rhythms of my animals, I said. Guiding him across the dark quad to the barn. Natural sleep is important to health. An animal sleeps better with only the moon as her light. More natural.

I sleep with city lights all the time, he grumbled.

Well, that explains a lot I said, as he stumbled against BooBoo. BooBoo has a tendency to lean and I think secretly delights in gently tripping up visitors as he herds them along.

Watch that dog, I said – he is a heeler.

What do you mean watch that dog, he said quietly (the dark invites quiet speech), I cannot even see him. His hand dropping naturally to find Boos head.

Boo, leaned him a little to the left to avoid a water bowl as he stretched his neck longer to keep his head placed under the hand. Dogs are helpful like that. And they always know which is a persons dog patting hand.

Light won’t make you safe, I said.

But I turned the barn light on for them.

Everyone loves the barn at night.

Big Jude came through and displayed his most excellent sitting on command skills. FreeBee made a lot of noise but is not into tricks for visitors.

After a while the humans walked back up to the house and I turned out the light. Then Boo and I sat still in the gathering night quiet. To wait for our eyes to tune in. To turn into cats.

There is a stray black cat here somewhere – but it is very afraid. I have only seen it twice. Boo and I both want to find it for different reasons.

The house door slammed shut and the mens voices were gone. Boo and I sat a moment more; shape shifting into night creatures. Feral. All ears. Breathing the scents. Allowing the stars to come out from hiding and take their full shapes in the sky.

I do all my night checks without light. In the dark. Often lit only by the stars and a little moon. It is my own personal challenge to check the animals using all my senses. Only one of which is sight. But I do have very good night vision. I think some people have better night eyes than others. Night eyes take a moment. Don’t hurry it.

Like everything you need to give your eyes a few minutes to adjust to the change.

We had a bit of a tear in the family fabric yesterday so my day started in the night. Everything was thrown up into the air as we scrambled into formation after the fright. The puzzle pieces of our lives landed with a bounce then slowly crawled back together like mercury in a saucer. We are whole again. All is well; for the moment.

I could lie back down and sleep again. Right this minute. Though I need to do my early morning check of the white chicks first.

Tonight a small crowd is coming out to eat. I hope that the night is clear so we can watch the stars after dinner. The stars are amazing at the moment. And you will remember; the sky has no secrets.

We give them all to her to hold.

I hear Quacker. Dawn is coming.

Have a lovely day.

Celi