Orion is my favorite constellation. Its appearance in the Northern Hemisphere is a harbinger of the coming of Winter; and the multitude of hunting opportunities it brings with it.
I was able to see constellations in the predawn sky for the first time in a long time Monday morning. It is that time of the year that the nights grow longer and the darkness refuses to unleash its hold on the Earth until later into each morning. It is that time of the year that I can once again marvel at the beauty of the Creation that is our Universe.
I realize that I am one of the few people who yearns for the days each year when sunlight is at its shortest and the darkness is long. I love those few days each year when I drive both to and from work in darkness.
Orion's reappearance reminds me that those days are drawing near. Even the forecast of a miserably hot and humid day could not dampen the excitement that came with my first glimpse of Orion in the Eastern sky.
Soon, our planet's annual pilgrimage around the sun will allow Orion to rule the night. It is then that I will revel in the long, dark, cold nights of a Wisconsin Winter.
Welcome back, Orion! I have missed you.
No comments:
Post a Comment