Well, as I was walking through the woods in the light of the Lakota Moon last night, I imagined I could see AHS65 faces reflecting therein as many of you were probably looking at the same wonder.  My son brought home his
college roommate and I took them hunting yesterday from daylight to moonlight.  We loaded up Natchez in the dogbox about 4.30am and headed out in the dark.  The first light was appearing over Sand Mtn along the eastern
shore of the Tennessee River as we drove up the west bank about twenty miles to where we hunted.  The last few sparkling stars hung in that crystal clear morning sky and I knew we were in for a night to remember after sunset.  It
was a beautiful drive up the river.  We were hunting in a waterfowl refuge where there is lots of water, so I was 'swinging' hip waders all day and needless to say I was a little tired at sunset.  I was glad to hear my son
and his friend say their 'calves were hurting a little'.  That made me feel better, but needless to say more than my calves were hurting and more that 'a little'.  Several times during the day I just stood in awe of the beauty
of the day.  The sky was absolutely beautiful, the colors in the refuge were supernatural, and at times it was like being in an empty cathedral it was so quiet.  We hunted from first light to last except for an hour when we drove
to a local barbeque place and ate lunch.  The barbeque was pretty good but I know it wasn't pork, beef, or chicken... I think it might have been beaver...no offense Paul B.!  But the people were very friendly and working
hard to please.  They reminded me of that family that ran Hensler's.  They were all very equally and proportionately overweight, they all looked alike, and they all tried hard to please.  After dark we decided to hang around a
few minutes to see what the Lakotas saw and sure enough about 15 minutes after dark we saw 'Moby' rise.  The first thing I noticed unusual was that the tip tops of the highest trees were 'frosted' with an ivory light very
similar to what the morning sun had done but with a golden tint to the same trees  when we arrived twelve hours earlier.  Then I looked down and noticed our shadows in the moonlight.  In just a few minutes after moonrise we could walk through the woods without lights and see every step and twig.  It was beautiful and the three of us just stood in silence for a few long moments of silence.  Several hours later after we got home and finished dinner I
went out and fed the dogs and stood in the light of that 'silvery moon' which had climbed then to about forty-five degrees.  Bonnie started barking with her nose up in the air as she winded something.  Then I heard some
'things' ... probably deer... moving in the woods behind our house.  Down the bluff from us our coyote neighbors started up a little Lakota celebration song of their own.  They can send a chill up your neck, but they
are better neighbors than most.  It was an absolutely beautiful day that I'll remember.

Harold Bright "Dances with Dogs"
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12-26-1999