Aurora Borealis

 

Aurora Borealis

Of late I have seen many wonderful photos on social media of the beautiful northern lights that have been taken in many different parts of Canada. I loved watching these lights swirl and dance as they change color and strut their stuff in the northern sky. I have not been able to see any of these “lights” other than on social media for a few years. Partly it is because of our location and the number of tall trees surrounding our yard and partly it is because they usually make their appearance when I am already sleeping.

I could get up at two o’clock in the morning and drive out into the countryside where I would have an unobstructed view. I would have to chance that they would make an appearance. This latter proposition would also be difficult to me because of my health concerns. And so I enjoy the wonderful photos others in Canada have taken and posted.

I am also reminded of the times when as a young lad I would climb on the slanted roof of our machinery shed and watch the performances of the northern lights. It was much better than television which was still unavailable to us at that time! Particularly I remember one particular night.  I was about 15 years old.

Now a winter’s night in Saskatchewan can be quite cold and dark. One February evening in 1958 was like that. There was no moon to light up the countryside. We were returning home in our recently purchased new truck from an unusual mid-week visit to Yorkton. My dad was driving, my mom was in the middle, and I was riding shotgun. It was past the supper hour and we were very late for chores that needed to be done.

Our milk cows would be lowing in the corral, their udders full to overflowing. The pigs would be squealing their hunger pangs from their shed, and Harry, our black Labrador dog, would be on guard on our driveway, wondering where we were. The house would be cold, as the oil-fueled stove we used to heat the house was good for about 8 hours, and we were well past that limit.

Suddenly to the north the sky seemed to come to life. The northern lights were on the march, and what an impressive sight they were! As they started to dance in the sky with their bluish-yellow and green light, a startling transformation took place. Their colors melded into one crimson shade. They swelled in size, and soon the whole sky was filled from north to the south and from east to west, as far as one could see, with an eerie red color. The snow that covered the ground looked blood red, washed with the light of this strange aurora borealis. My mom crossed herself and prayed because to her this was obviously the end of the world!

As my dad turned into our driveway, neighbors in their cars started to arrive.  Everyone stood beside their vehicles, gaping at the never-before seen spectacle.  True, there had been other fantastic displays of the northern lights according to the older people in the gathering.  But none could ever remember the sky being totally a red color like this.  This was an ominous sign!  There was fear in the voices of many while the scholars amongst us tried to convince ourselves that we had nothing to fear. They pooh-poohed the idea of the end of the world. 

"It's only the grand daddy of solar flares which has excited the upper atmosphere." This, from my dad, who had a grade six education but who was a voracious reader and up on scientific facts like that. However, he didn't sound too convincing and none of us were reassured as we all stood there, humbled by the awesome display and wondering what was to come next. Earthquakes? Storms? The splitting of the Earth's surface to swallow us up?  Was God indeed finally bringing his final judgement down upon us? 

The display lasted for what seemed like hours but actually was probably not more than an hour. The lights faded back to their bluish yellowish green movement.  They were still quite spectacular but now they were back in the normal realm  We hardy prairie people had seen many displays of this variety and these lights we could appreciate.  They inspired us with awe, not the fear with which the earlier blood red light had filled us.

I have seen many a display of northern lights since and many were very spectacular.  But none have ever came close to filling me with the awe and fear that grabbed us on that night in February in a bygone time on a cold and dark prairie night.