Shimmering Sands Starry Eyes

A blanket of soften, warm fadinging light blanketed the coast. The large, omnipresent and energizing sun was quickly retiring behind the stone cliffs which flanked the bay. The sky shone hues of yellow, orange and pinks. The sun, having spent the entire day warming the rocks, sand and shells of the day, had tired. Soon, all that would be left to remember the day would be the residual, ever-comforting warmth of the ground. But even the warmth would soon vanish as the autumn, northern winds carried in cooler night temperatures. The wind and the waves, both slowly lapping at the shore in the growing night, washed away any trace of daylight. 

It was Olive’s favorite time of day. The femme made it a priority and a promise to herself that she would take the time to escape the walls of her mind and watch the colors of the sunset. It was a time of worship and a time of affirmations. To Olive, sunset was sacred. In this time of reflection that she was truly able to honor and welcome the moon.

Yes, the sun was the foundation of life but the moon was everything divine and beautiful.

In truth, Olive had been forced to miss the past few night’s sunsets. Though not a habit Olive wanted to enter, she knew Olive had a good reason. Since leaving her home pack many months ago, Olive’s life consisted mostly of indeterminate wanderings punctuated by short times of nesting. The past few days Olive had been well traveled, traversing the coast and the looming Sequoia forests. The Sentinels reached up towards the sky, higher than Olive’s soul could climb, subsequently blocking out the sun and sky. The ground there was was shaded. Appreciating the warm sands of the bay, Olive dug her pads a little deeper into the soft ground.

Today, Olive had awoken with a mission; a mission to find an area with expansive, open skies and plenty of room to breathe. Tonight, Olive wanted to inhale and feel the tickle of the ocean in her throat. Tonight, most of all, Olive wanted to watch the full moon rise.

Olive always knew when a full moon was imminent. Olive received a rush of energy during this time and her leaping heart generally signaled the arrival of the full moon. A few days prior to the full moon, Olive usually awoke with a song in her head and light feet. The moon’s feminine energies always had that effect on her. In her old pack, full moons were always a time of celebration and tradition. Olive sang with her mother, moved and danced alongside her siblings and listened to weathered stories from her father. The woes of the day mattered none during this one night. Olive held those memories close - she had always planned to keep the tradition, even if it was a solo performance for now. 

Close enough to the bays to the high tide to feel the waters lapping at her feet, Olive watched as the warm colors of the sunset faded into a dusky black. The northern winds had pushed away any clouds that crowded the sky and the stars shone brightly against the dark canvas. The moon stood strong in the forefront, bathing Olive in the twilight. Olive took a deep breath, feeling the cool air rush past the back of her throat. The energy of the moon, the push and pull of the ocean, the strength of the sequoias and the warmth of the ground beneath her and the rush of the cool winds invigorated Olive and encouraged her to let out a primal, yet gentle and feminine yip.

Olive couldn’t help it - she was full to bursting!

Leaping up, Olive kicked her feet and yipped again. As soon as her ivory paws alighted with the ground she sprung into the air another time, wiggling her airborne body. It was an expression of pure light! Tail and ears perked with the effort, Olive graceful landed upon the earth and dropped to her belly, rolling to right and flinging a curtain of sand into the air. Olive jumped to her feet and gave her pelt a shake. The edges of her mouth pulled up into a faint smile as she danced and danced and danced. Olive may be alone, but her connection with the earth would never leave her lonely.