[at-l] The Further Adventure of Muddbutt

[Jan Leitschuh]

"It is my belief that every good thought and act in this world creates energy.  And
it is my belief that the earth releases that energy regularly.  

The Northern Lights are that release.

       Those of you that know me well, know that I am not joking or teasing about
that...........why else would you have random bands of beautiful color splay across
the sky? I have believed that since I was a little girl, and it is because of this
that I have come here.

    Well, if I am right, then this world that we live in contains enough goodness,
beauty and love to permanantly take my breath away.  

I have finally seen the Northern Lights.

I walked out of the lodge with a young man that works here named Soh.  We crunched
down the dark path towards the flat white area used as a runway during the day. 
I had earlier joked that I was just going to lay on the runway for hours watching
the sky...turns out that since there is absolutley no plane traffic during the evening.
I can do just that!  
    There is no moon that I can see, but there are more stars than I thought were
possible.  The snow looks like it has been lit from below, and the flashlight that
the lodge owners gave me stays unused in my pocket.
As we turn to face the North, I see a green band stretched in a shallow arc across
the sky.  It looks just like a rainbow, and it is clear and focused.  As the hour
passes, different bands appear and disappear slowly.  The light is slowly undulating,
but when you focus on it, it actually appears as if the black of the night sky is
moving while the Northern Lights stay frozen.  
   Soh quietly explains to me that the eskimos believe that the Lights are a beacon
to show the dead the way into the next life.  He says that the Cheiftess of this
village died on New Years Eve and that that evening, the sky lit up with the most
grand display he had ever seen.  I explained to him my theory and he just nodded
and said softly. "yes...I like that idea...I think that it must be so".

   I know that it is almost three am for most of you, and you are warm and asleep
in you beds, but I had to share it with you now.  The magic of this will never leave
me, but by writing it to you quickly, maybe I can share some of it with you.  My
night has just begun.......I have come in long enough to get the feeling back in
my feet and then I am going back out again.  It is 10 below but the Northern Lights
will keep me warm....
Sweet Dreams..............
Anna  aka Mud Butt"

"When all is said and done here at the ending of the day, I look out on this
world and it still takes my breath away..."
"Robin's Song" Small Potatoes