I discovered that the word for twilight in Dutch is schemering. I have now taught it to my Dutch wife, because she couldn’t remember when I asked her yesterday. Honestly, I don’t ask for much! Uncle Google is useful for that kind of thing though.

This weekend just gone, I took my first walk up the hill and through the woods at twilight. It was not dark, but it was getting dark. My first step towards overcoming the fear of being in the woods after dark that I spoke about yesterday. I’d like to be able to spend a few nights sleeping out there this year.

I managed my first walk without too much trouble. You have to be more careful with your footsteps when vision decreases. And even more so when walking on your own.

In the middle of the walk, in the middle of the forest, it was at its darkest. Not completely dark, but enough for me to feel that little bit of edge. For my musiciany ears to start hearing things a little bit TOO clearly. For the movements of the trees to become simply “movements”. You know the sort of thing. It’s not any kind of issue when I’m close to civilisation, but more s in the middle of a bunch of trees when no-one else (no on that I saw anyway!) is around.

I made a point of occasionally pausing for a few moments to take in the experience, as I do in the daylight. It was all OK. I mainly enjoyed it.

First steps are the most important they say. And now I’ve done my first twilight challenge.