I love to find myself in hot water. It’s my moment of zen.  And it’s my hot tub.

Actually it’s a hot tub in name only…literally, a tub that holds hot water.  Don’t imagine a spa with jets and bubbles that massage tired muscles.  It is a 30 year old hand-me-down sans bells-and-whistles, but it is my space to connect with nature and the “wild Maine nightlife”.

Each season I feel more in touch with the natural world because of my time here. And each year these moments become more cherished.

In winter the atmosphere is so dry and crisp that millions more stars become visible. The night sky is alight with twinkles.  I watch satellites float across the expanse. I catch shooting stars streaking through the black. I pick out constellations as they journey across the winter sky. The blanket of snow reflects the moonlight so brilliantly that at times it feels more like day than night. And the quiet-it is oh, so quiet. Only interrupted by an occasional snowmobile, coyote, or fox in the distance.

In spring the sounds begin breaking through the sleep of winter. My ears ache to catch the first peeper of the season. An owl hoots from the woods across the field. A woodcock’s nasally peet calls at dusk and the drips of melting snow can be heard long into April.

In summer the days are longer and twilight tends to be my hot tub time.  I watch the sunlight cling to the tops of trees. Orange and pink compete for the landscape of the evening sky. I wait to see which robin will be the last to sing out as I watch the fireflies begin their dance over the field. I hear the giggles and shrieks of neighborhood kids allowed to stay out late. Sometimes a rumble or a flash will cut short my time, or my kids and their friends want me to share, but I don’t mind.

In autumn I note the changing silhouettes of the trees as they become near-naked week after week. The air grows cooler and the water feels warmer. Twilight comes earlier so my dips become darker and I stare at the horizon waiting for the arrival of the harvest moon. Life becomes busier and this time more precious.

The seasons pass and I soak it all up. Here’s to the weekend and some much-needed hot tub time.