Some people worship the sun but I seem to be more partial to foggy days when a thick cloud of tiny water droplets restricts visibility and reshapes everything into ghostly forms.
And this morning, such was the case in Marin County. A thick layer of fog hovered over the landscape and transformed familiar scenery into a mysterious otherworldly vision.
The Las Gallinas Wildlife Ponds looked like outsized mirrors dotted by a multitude of waterfowls.
This is where by the way dwell trolls, goblins, leprechauns and korrigans. If you don’t have a clear conscience, it is a place to better avoid.
But it is nonetheless an area that I visit regularly.
I like to walk by myself, without anybody to perturb my Dreamtime journey.
I can hear the Korrigans whispering in the thick fog, but as a bone fide card-carrying pétanque player I have nothing to fear.
Playing classic music on my Smartphone also seems to have a soothing effect on the creatures.
Around one of the ponds there is also an isolate area where for a few days in a row I have met a lone Canadian goose.
She stood erect by the side of the path and watched me come without showing any apparent alarm. I walked slowly by avoiding her gaze.
She looked at me curiously but didn’t give any ground. She was a big bird and I would hate to have to tangle with her.
I always avoid looking directly at her for fear of provoking her.
I wonder why she stays there by herself? Geese are gregarious creatures and like company. Is she (like the good girls of yesteryear) discreetly hatching eggs born out of a guilty liaison?
Once in a while some ghostly figures emerge from the fog. They look human but you cannot be certain.
Some smile, some don’t. Sometimes we greet each other, sometimes we don’t.
While crossing path with them I clutch a dried paprika bean given to me by a one-eyed gypsy woman.
If evil spirits ever bother you she said, bite on the paprika and blow on your tormentors.
They will back down. It is very effective.
I believe it.
Around 11:00 am the fog lifts a little and a pale December sun peers through the darkness.
The goblins vanish and I head home.
Alain
“Cats try to teach humans a few basic words of cat language. They find that most humans can learn simple phrases such as “Let me out”, “You are an idiot”, “I want some dinner” and “Play with me.”
Stuart and Linda MacFarlane