238. Deep cobalt shadows erased the quiet streets and the world fell asleep  *comments welcome

Nothing in my life has prepared me for the end. I remember a bad fall I had a few years ago. As I was plummeting down, I thought, now is when my life should flash before my eyes, but it didn’t. As luck would have it, I crashed into the corner of a bench on the porch, requiring 19 tiny stitches above my eyebrow. I’m here still, none the wiser for the experience. I definitely remember that I wasn't afraid; I know I felt calm and peaceful, thinking with   more than a little surprise, So this is how it ends. It’s been a really a good run. *comments welcome

237.  September . . . the backyard's crammed  with bright white sunshine and late summer heat. The skies are a fresh,  clear cerulean blue. Calming breezes move through the oak leaves,  the grass a crispy brown. There's a lazy bunny napping in a patch of cool shade. Some days are  perfect that way. *comments welcome

236. HIKING IN NEW JERSEY Never a hiker myself, our Brooklyn son and daughter-in-law are veterans who have trekked the world. Last weekend they chose a wooded trail steep with inclines and treacherous with rocky footing in Jersey’s Delaware Water Gap. They began near the rush of Buttermilk Falls, then connected to the Appalachian Trail. Along the way, another hiker stopped to warn them of a timber rattlesnake sunning on the path ahead.   Undeterred, they pressed on, only to stumble upon a second rattler coiled on the trail. Startled by the story, I hadn’t realized rattlesnakes even called New Jersey home. I asked where exactly they had been, wasn't too surprised when he sheepishly replied, "Um, Rattlesnake Mountain, Mom." I should have known. *comments welcome 236. HIKING IN NEW JERSEY Never a hiker myself,  our Brooklyn son and daughter-in-law are veterans who have trekked the world.  Last weekend they chose a strenuous trail steep with inclines and treacherous with rock...

235. THE BLUE HOUR The sun waits just below the horizon, skies soft and moody, with a shimmering luster so different from  bright daylight. Indigo wavelengths scatter, dominate and the earth reflects a blue richness  twice a day, once coming up and once going down. *comments welcome The light inside me flickers faintly The blue hour is a brief period of twilight just before sunrise and just after sunset when the sky takes on a deep, cool blue hue .  During this time, the sun sits just below the horizon. Indirect sunlight scatters through the atmosphere, and blue wavelengths dominate due to light absorption characteristics in the upper atmosphere.  When and How Long It Lasts Frequency: It happens twice a day: once in the morning before the sun comes up, and once in the evening after the sun goes down. Duration: It typically lasts between 20 and 40 minutes , depending on the weather and your location on Earth. Location Effect: Regions closer to the equator ...

234.  Born on the same day just twenty-five years apart, my mother and me. *comments welcome

233.  Memories enter through  cracks in the walls of my mind, playing on a loop. *comments welcome Bitter memories drilled into cracks in my mind playing on a loop.

234.  REFLECTIONS ON MY BIRTHDAY I forgot the pot of mums they gave me so Billy dropped it off   along with an old Cool Whip container crammed with leftover party goodies: tiny cream puffs and   three different kinds of cheesecake wrapped in ruffled papers   so they won't stick together. From my chair on the porch   I watch thin rain drizzle down, a cube of raspberry cheesecake and mug of tea on the ledge next to me. I reflect on the day and my party, remember other birthdays. Then I think about next year, a major milestone. I refuse to be thought of as used up or irrelevant.  I want to age with grace, to own my wisdom and embrace new challenges. I'm more aware of my mortality now, there's a sense of urgency to do all the things I want to accomplish. Age doesn't make someone  less interesting. Wrinkles matter. They're the patina of a long life.  I don't know  what comes next.  I just know  this isn't an ending. I'm still here, I'm s...