Stories from the road: In my twenties, I intentionally lived in my car for about two years while I was touring and making music.
One night, after playing a show in Binghampton, New York, I got in the car and started driving towards the Midwest. I had a gig the next day in Ohio and the schedule was tight if I wanted to get there and rest a bit before having to play again.
I always enjoyed the quiet of a late-night drive and the beauty of the winter landscape playing out my windows as I drove. The drive was my time for thought. Sometimes I would even write songs in my head (and put them to paper later).
On this particular night, I found myself alone on a long stretch of highway with no man-made lights. There were hills, bluffs, trees, and snow, but no signs of life.
Suddenly, far up ahead, I saw a figure in the middle of the road. It appeared to be an animal of some kind, and it was big. It had squared off to face my car with its head low in the semblance of a threat.
As I got closer, I slowed from 60 miles per hour to 15 miles per hour. I flashed my headlights and tapped my horn but the animal, which I could now see was a large grey and white wolf, did not cede his ground.
I slowed to 5 miles per hour and still, he did not move. I then stopped the car and turned off the engine.
The wolf stood illuminated by moonlight and now my headlights. Our eyes were locked.
I waited.
He waited.
And then just as suddenly as he appeared, he broke my gaze and slowly and deliberately trotted across the road into the forest.
After a moment, I started up my car and continued on to Ohio without incident. (I wrote a song in the car that night – see below).
For years, I’ve had dreams about that moment in time and wondered what made a wild animal stare down a moving vehicle until the sheer force of his will brought it to a complete stop.
I may never know. But it was pure magic, and I’ll never forget it. Hear the resulting song, The Moon is Yours (music/lyrics by Kellie Lin Knott, all rights reserved), here.
On a Winter’s Night (The Moon is Yours)
