Pondering the Magic

The best silence opens up clues to deeper mysteries, and the world gets ever more wonderful as we go.

David Rothenberg in Bug Music

Christmas has passed, and during this quiet week between that holiday and New Years’ Day, I often ponder the magic. We are reminded of it by the “right jolly old elf” who showed up on Christmas eve. As a child I wanted very much to believe in Santa Claus, but because I questioned everything, I could not figure out how this old man with his hearty laugh could fit all of the toys for all of the children in the world into one bag that could be slung over his shoulder with apparent ease. This was the sticking point for me, more so than the eight flying reindeer or how it was he managed to fit in the chimney with his giant belly that shook like a bowlful of jelly.

Still, I did not want to give up on magic, so I chose a more plausible fantasy, the sugar plum fairies that were promised to appear in our dreams. In all honesty I have never known exactly what a sugar plum fairy is, but I am quite certain that if they exist they can be found in Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park.

Yes, I am very clear about their location. Take a look at the photo above. Can you think of any better place for fairies to appear? What looks like low clouds in the photo is actually steam rising from the hot springs and geysers in the basin. What you miss in the photo is the hissing and bubbling sound of the hot water rising to the surface in a trickle or a burst that is thrust into the air as a geyser. You miss the feel of the hot mist as it touches your face. You may even miss the smell of sulfur. While it is famously compared to rotten eggs, it is nevertheless a smell that I find pleasant, reminding me of my many walks in that geyser basin and the place where the fairies hang out. 

There is no better time than winter to visit the park. The hot springs melt the snow, causing grass to surround the pools, attracting grazing animals like bison and elk. The mist that rises from the pools freezes, catching the sunlight, sparkling like. . .fairy dust.

As a child I read science books for fun when my friends were all reading Nancy Drew mysteries. I remember the awe I experienced when I caused it to rain by placing a tea kettle in a small enclosed space. I still cherish the memory of walking on the beach with my dad when he explained how the moon produces the tides. The story seemed so fantastical I actually wondered if he was making it up. And when my family visited Yellowstone for the first time, and I saw water rising into the sky as Old Faithful erupted, this was far more magical to me than a right jolly old elf riding across the sky in a sleigh. That water had been circulating under ground for one hundred years. It first fell as rain when my father was a small child and was probably reading a chemistry book for fun. Yes, there is magic in the world. It hisses and bubbles and steams. This is better than Santa Claus and does not defy the laws of physics. Yes, I am a believer.