Melting away

No, this is not an indication of a return of summer heat, but tonight I took a quick evening ride out to Austinville. Those who regularly read this blog will be aware of the glow worms for which that particular locality is "famous", but the moonlight tonight meant that there were few of them about (or perhaps they were just a little more difficult to spot). Instead, tonight the show was stolen by the forest itself, and that indescribable effect created by the palm trees and ancient rainforest ferns illuminated by moonlight.

A few things have changed since my last night ride here (some time ago). One of the flood-prone causeways is getting a new bridge. I've taken some stupid liberties there in the past, being at the end of a winding descent, but I've always got away with it. A little of the character of that place will disappear now, but it's not a major change.

There have also been some minor things happen in my own life. Rodney over at The Journey wrote an excellent post about the iceberg, the things we don't necessarily talk about that happen in our own lives. I've had some minor things beneath the surface recently. I've not bothered to write about them here, largely because they seem inconsequential, and also because they're probably things I'll look back on and laugh at in the future -- although I have discussed them over e-mails with a (geographically) distant friend who was aware of the issues. They've still been on my mind a little, just occasionally. They relate to certain people in a certain setting from whom I'd expected more -- even if I probably should have known better.

Yet tonight when I paused at my little forest clearing, looking up at the palm trees in the moonlight, it was just so beautiful and peaceful, it just put so many things into perspective. A lot of the mundane things we worry about in life just suddenly seemed so inconsequential. Really, who cares if people who know nothing about my situation(s) in life want to launch personal criticisms at the way I handle things (a little insight into the iceberg?), when I can come to places like this and get a greater sense of what really matters.

The bottom of the iceberg melted away a little this evening. And to think -- the temperature at Austinville was just nine degrees Celsius.