Lullaby for Grown-Ups - Mavis Staples

We're on the verge of saying goodbye to 2008, and based on some of the Christmas letters I received this year, it's not a moment too soon. Ready for 2009? Mavis Staples sends us on our way with this week's lullaby. Ready or not, here we go...

Lullaby for Grown-Ups - Cornell Kinderknecht

This week's lullaby comes from a winter solstice celebration two years ago. Cornell Kinderknecht performs Night Path on the bansuri flute. Beautiful and haunting, it is a lovely, meditative work. I hope you enjoy it.

The Cold, Deep Night

© Ivan Kmit | Dreamstime.com

As we approach the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, I find that my conception of winter nights - still, hushed, all of nature covered in a deep blanket of snow - may not be quite right.

Last week I was driving home after my night shift job when I saw a crow on the wing, passing through the illumination of a street light. Crows will roost in large numbers during the fall and winter, gathering at sunset, raucous, even foreboding to some observers, until they settle down to sleep. But it was hours past sun down, and I wondered where this single crow was heading.

Then, completely by chance, I read an account on a local forum (scroll down toward the end) about "mysterious noctural conventions" of crows, where, on certain snowy nights, they fly in circles around some invisible, designated point, great numbers of them, but completely silent. Maybe the crow I saw was on its way to such a meeting, since it was, in fact, snowing. I looked for more information on the phenomenon, but found nothing to explain the mystery.

The enigma of these long, cold nights remains, and certainly explains the rituals of light so many cultures have developed to mark the solstice. Below is a video you might remember - a clip from Northern Exposure, where local artist Chris, after confiscating almost every light bulb in town, creates a light sculpture to challenge the long Alaskan night.



I wish you a wonderful holiday season and safe travels. I'll be posting lullabies this Sunday and next, and will pick up the Luminous Life series following the holiday week. Best wishes and peace.

Lullaby for Grown-Ups - Debussy

Time is getting away from me these days, for reasons I don't entirely understand. Time to slow down and relax to a gorgeous rendition of Debussy's Reverie, performed by pianist David Delucia. The videographer known as Spadecaller provides lovely images to complete this week's lullaby offering.

Lullaby for Grown-Ups - Odetta and Friends

Folk legend Odetta died this past week. An ardent civil rights supporter and musical master, she will be missed by so many. This week's lullaby is Hymn, by Janis Ian, sung by Ian, Odetta and Phoebe Snow, possibly the only collaboration of these three gifted singers. Easily one of the best lullabies you will find on this blog.

Luminous Life - An Intro to Bioluminescence

To me, bioluminescence, the ability of some microbes, plants and animals to emit visible light, is one of the most interesting phenomena in the natural world. It's time to explore how some life forms have developed this talent, which evolved first in the blackness of the deep sea, and then among land plants and animals that glow against the backdrop of the night.

Most people are familiar with the fireflies that grace summer evenings. But the greenish glow doesn't end there. The image above shows eerie fungi found in a state park in Brazil - as if the woods in the nighttime weren't mysterious enough.

To get started, here's a video that showcases some deep sea bioluminescent creatures, as well as some octopi camoflaging themselves in amazing ways. There's more to come as we survey the luminous life around us.