The constellation Orion hung low over Otter Creek last night, like he was watching everything below.
I was looking east over the house when I noticed him above the big pines. His belt was easy to see, lined up straight, and shoulders spread wide. Orion didn’t feel far away or hard to find. It was just there, steady and clear in the cold sky.
The wind was quiet, and the snow on the ground reflected the light from the house, the driveway, and the woods. Nothing was moving much. Nothing needed to.
Seeing Orion stretched across the sky made the night calm and safe. It felt like he was standing guard over Otter Creek, the same way he does every winter.