Cornfield sunset, originally uploaded by James Jordan.

Over at Margin Notes, Sutton’s imagination almost got the better of him.

I live on a farm. It gets dark out here. VERY dark. And there are things lurking out there, like coyotes that get pretty darn close sometimes. Something got into the barnyard last year that was enough to get the horses pretty upset. Did I mention how dark it gets?

I manage to act like a grown-up when I have to go out to the barn at night, but only because I don’t watch movies like Children of the Corn, or Signs. I don’t need any help imagining things just beyond the periphery of my vision.

Sutton wonders what he’d do if some big, hairy thing did rush upon him in the darkness. I’ve wondered the same thing, though usually about sharks in the water. (Another area where I don’t need any help in the imagination department. I handled enough search and rescue recovery cases in California to know exactly what happens.)

Personally, my plan in the event of shark, hairy beast, or alien is to die of immediate heart failure.