The night before
With apologies to Clement Clarke Moore:
"Twas the night before Christmas
And by the porch light.
The Winter Moths gathered.
It was really a fright.
I hadn't seen so many in a few weeks, and with a taste of warmth in the air—so much for a white Christmas—those male pests came out in the hundreds to search for their flightless mates. I took a quick look, photographed the horde, and then went back inside to engage in the most traditional of Christmas Eve pursuits: helping to put together a toy for my granddaughter Stasia. The high-stakes and too-often-late requirement used to fill me with dread, but, with the able assistance of my brother and my son, this job proved relatively straight-forward, even, I should add, fun. When we finished, the moths were still there and busy.