Hot Summer Night
The crescent moon winked through broken midnight clouds. Its reflection wavered on the black waters of the Lochsa River, then disappeared again, swallowed by the clouds. Trees whispered in the night. Fir, pine, and closer to the river’s edge, willows. The warm summer breeze played them like an instrument. Their leaves fluttered and whispered to each other, dancing shapes of black silk against the distant light from a campfire at Sunrise Campground.
An owl landed on the handrail of the narrow walking bridge that crossed the river from the campground to the nature trails on the other side. Its head swiveled smoothly on its neck, its large medallion eyes shining blankly at its sole companion. It hooted at her, then went back to watching the moon. Moments later a pie
