The Wolf at My Window

Summer Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Shine!”

Midnight Blue Wolf. Spirit of MoonShine.

I was turning in for the night when something glimmered at the high window above the door. And there was the moon peering in at me!

I zoomed in with my phone, but the picture got blue and grainy with moonshine. I looked at the photo — and beheld a wolf. The wolf’s eyes, nose, and mouth took up the second and third panes on the right half of the frame.

Do you see it?

The moon in the picture got me thinking about wolves howling at the moon. According to experts, this is pure moonshine.

Wolves don’t howl at the moon. They howl to communicate their location, assemble their pack, attract mates, sound the alarm, and so forth.

Wolves are nocturnal animals. When howling, they throw back their heads and look up — incidentally, that is where the moon is at night. Raising their heads enables the howls to travel longer distances. In open terrain, wolves can be heard up to ten miles away.

Each wolf has a distinctive voice to allow them to identify one another.

Wolf howls are heard more clearly at night because sound travels greater distances at night.

(This is because sound waves are refracted toward the earth — toward us — after sunset. During the day, the waves are refracted away from us and toward the sky.)

Wolves occupy pride of place in European folklore and in the genre of horror movies as Werewolves.

Wolves are the stuff of myth and legend.

Thanks for reading! 🌼🌼

Thank you Ellie Jacobson and Mary Chang Story Writer for publishing my story. Loved the “Shine” challenge.

One of Yana’s stories that resonated with me:

And here’s some of my Sciku/Haiku stuff: