Sleeping Outside

 

                On the third hot night of the year, Mark and I move outside. (It takes that long for him to give in; if it were up to me, I’d be out in mid-June…) We haul the bed from the back of the ark and settle it, on a tarp, near the greenhouse where a hefty block of wood creates a headboard.  I find three light blankets for layering purposes and then the Big Blanket—which a very stiff, very large, cheap comforter that Mark bought 30 years ago---covers it all. By morning, we will be under all of them. At the same time, I bring out a lamp for the table so that we can see to read while we wait for the sea breeze to cool off the night.

                Over the years we have been woken up by a couple of joyful, hairless dogs on a neighborhood romp, delighted to find people out to pat them at 4 AM; showers that came on quickly; a young possum wandering across our feet; and our cat, who was also delighted to have people outside in the night.  We’ve heard many rustles but have never been disturbed by rodents or raccoons. We’ve had owls in the big trees occasionally.  People walk by in the alley or on the street, but, because of the buildings, they can’t see us—I used to hang a sheet on the line to protect us from the back alley but everything is so thick back there now I don’t need to.

                It’s a beautiful way to spend the summer nights. We can watch the stars and satellites before we fall asleep. I wake up in the middle of the night to a garden bathed in brilliant moonlight. In the early morning, the sky is so blue and my house so yellow that I am stunned in wakefulness.  

                Every summer, I dream about creating some sort of lift for the bed so that we do not stress the grass underneath us when we stay out for long periods of time. A futon frame would be great—and I could find one easily. Maybe I could build little frame around it to hold curtains like a tent? That would be cool.  But then I think, where would I put it all winter? I’ve considered using plywood and old picnic benches (which we retired to basement shelves because they would not hold our company safely…) but they are not big enough, or sturdy enough. Cinder blocks? Maybe…if I found a couple of pieces of plywood being thrown out somewhere….I will keep my eye out.  Until then, what we have is lovely.