In 1992, when my daughters were 8 and 2, we camped at Cave Run Lake in Kentucky. At the visitor center I found a book titled “Walk When the Moon is Full,” where the author describes 13 moonlight walks with her children and their nature observations. I fell in love with the idea and started the practice that summer.
The book spoke to a 28-year-old sleep deprived mother who was short on imagination.
I don’t know why I didn’t document the expeditions. Life got in the way. Priorities shifted. Years passed, the girls grew up and moved away, and the book got lost in the shuffle.
Enter my curious young granddaughter, Ellie.
I located a copy of the now out-of-print book to share with her and began the practice once again in 2021.
The book spoke to a 57-year-old grandmother and writer, eager to recreate the magic of full moon walks and record the adventures.
This past year we’ve walked together eight times when the moon is full and I’ve written stories about each one. I even illustrated a few.
This morning I looked up the author, Frances Hamerstrom and see she passed away in 1998. I googled the illustrator, Robert Katona and see he’s a wildlife artist of world renown. He’s also an expert falconer and the first artist in North America to paint falconry art. He is the innovator of the acrylic flow painting technique and created a form of art called Techism. I am in awe of his talent and work.
Today the book spoke to a 58-year-old artist always open for inspiration from those who have come before me.
This is the 25th story in the Objects as Waypoints Writing Project series.