Long Days and Pleasant Nights

Yesterday morning, my alarm goes of at 6:30. My wife wakes up and says “Let’s go for a walk.” Literally 90 seconds later, I’m stumbling up the street, tripping over the speed bump, mumbling, grumbling. It takes me nearly 3 blocks to catch up to her!

Other than the crazy wonderfulness of my wife (or is that the wonderful craziness?), the significance of this walk occurs about halfway through the hike. As we make a turn and head west, I notice a handful of birds drifting off to the west-southwest - a larger solo bird and 4-5 smaller ones, separate from Solo. I note how they are flying in the same direction, even though they’re not in the same flock. I wonder, Is it even time to migrate, just as I note that the clouds beyond them have fanned into a giant arrow! The arrow is pointing almost directly southwest – the Path of the Beam followed by Roland Deschain in Stephen King’s Dark Tower books!

Momentarily, we make another turn, and Lo! There’s the sun rising between a sandwich of clouds! Above the fluffy top crust, about 25 degrees up in the eastern sky, giant rays of sunlight flash out towards the south west! The way the clouds align and poof out, only a few of the beams emanate fully from the eastern prison of dawn, along the Path of the Beam.

The clouds are actually sailing to the northeast, but since I am walking and they are slow-moving, this doesn’t even register. Is it a sign, of sorts? Should we be doing this every morning? Is this the right Path for us? Although we don’t need a Sign to tell us that we need to be exercising more, it is strangely reassuring to know that King’s multiverse agrees with you!

Just don’t ask if we got up and walked today.