Earthquake!

4.35 am. There was a violent shaking, rocking motion, and a wild clamour of rumbling, creaking, crashing. I struggled to get out of my heaving bed. When my feet hit the floor I couldn't stand. I thought about the Big One that the Alpine Fault is 200 years overdue for.

There was no electricity and it was pitch dark. I scrambled for my torch and braced myself in doorways to get to the livingroom. The terrified cat was crouching among a scattering of fallen objects. The big pipe windchimes were bonging away. A broken jar of pasta sauce dripped gore from the pantry shelf.

My son was here. We can't see any other damage, which is very fortunate since we are much closer to the epicentre than places that have sustained considerable damage.

While it was still dark I stepped outside. Yesterday's snow crunched under my feet. I stood still in the deep silence and the velvety dark. A thin moon was rising into the Orion constellation. The sky above was filled with a mass of stars. Nature can be so violent and so beautiful.