Happy New Year!

   The five us, well six if one includes the nimble brown and white dog bounding alongside us, ran down the trail partly serious about reaching our destination and partly exalting in the beautiful night. Despite being deep in the forest, trees arching over the path, the moon and stars cut beautiful glimmers of magical light through the naked branches lending us more then enough light to see. The cloaks we had formally decided to wear, red, green, and black swirled around our ankles as we came to a halt on the Cascades bridge. Overtop the velvety black water, in some places partially hidden by pristine new ice we stood. As the river glided and whispered over the rocks before cascading down the waterfall with its comforting wild sound. The forest seemed still, and quiet but we were filled with the glee of the New Year. We had arrived one minute past midnight, but that was of no concern. Taking the dead leaves which we had earlier collected and inscribed with matters of the past year to let go, and resolutions of the new to intake we tossed them over the bridge, into the shallow yet endless depths of the river below. The formal act done we took silver goblets and poured into them sparkling peach juice with a few minutes of joking as we realized we had forgotten to bring something to open the bottle, but in a state new beginnings we got the bottle open and toasted the New Year.
     The night seemed more then perfect. The air was chilled only about 11 degrees fahrenheit, yet we stood on the center of the bridge, having put the silver cups down we clasped hands, huddling in a circle of warmth and friendship, the water still rushing below, the dog wandering the forest but coming back to check in, to make sure his humans were ok, standing there we sang. Songs of friendship and love, there was no need for anything encased in the comforting dark, the friendly forest, the stars glittering above, the warrior of winter: Orion seeming to gaze down at us, protecting us, blessing us. Few times in life can something be labeled as perfection, true perfection, but the stepping in to 2015, this quiet and serene celebration with true friends in the Glen what I have previous called, and stand by the home of my heart... it was perfect. A moment of pure bliss, joy, and a reassurance that the year to come would bring more then just the smile that this beautiful night brought to my face.