Tag Archives: Snow days

Fragile beauty

I had my lengthy to-do list. It snowed in the night and I decided to keep to my plan. Then I looked outside and saw the woodpecker pecking at snow to find the small bit of suet left in the feeder. I picked up my camera as I went out to feed him. Beauty.

I’m sure I heard my grateful little friend say, “Come out and play! And so I did. To-do list forgotten. But not the fresh coffee!

Join me on my journey – not to Narnia, but still, into cold winter beauty. The roads are clear!

It was a lovely morning adventure and unusually quiet at the reservoir with little traffic which made it rather perfect.

And then the sun came out and melted it all into memory. I’m so glad for digital cameras!

A click on a photo will enlarge the image for you.

February Quiet

January ended with deep snow and cold blowing in the Snow Queen took up residence and has been reluctant to leave, affecting this whole month. Barely had one storm been cleared when the next blew in. While this week brought heavy rains and flooding, there are still tall mounds of icy snow in some yards and many parking lots a month later.

This guy was a frequent visitor harassing the birds and learning tricks to steal their food.

Of course, he wasn’t the only animal out looking for a good meal. Not that there is much left to browse, but still they come, now by the herd.

Usually February is the time to pour over seed and plant catalogs, dreaming of beautiful, lush flower beds, fragrant herbs and bountiful vegetables. No more.

The robins are delighted that neither deer nor squirrels have a taste for holly. I spied them at the bird bath and realized they must be stripping the tree by the front deck, and they were.

For my indoor gardening efforts – a sunny window, occasional water – and the amaryllis are finally coming along. These bulbs are at least two years with me and get exactly the same care. They seemed quite healthy when I potted them up so I find it very odd that one has no leaves, just the bloom stalk. It was very, very slow to even decide to put forth that effort. A mystery.

I’ll close now with the lovely, lovely snowdrops – pulsing with life, they pushed through frozen ground and soggy leaves this week. Like little bells ringing out good news – Spring is coming! Spring is coming!

I’m almost ready.

February Snow globe

Swirling snow, glittering ice changing scenes inside my world like a snow globe upending daily.

Outside our home, brutal cold; while inside, a kind of hibernation seemed to take hold as both I and my computer had viruses. I am delighted to report we have both recovered ourselves.

This has been a winter not soon forgotten. We’re so very grateful for home and warmth and traveling safety these long days.

January: joy in quiet days

Merry Little Christmas!

Happy New Year! Blessed Epiphany Greetings!

Growing up, I loved Christmas music. Throughout the season I would search through the old records and play them over and over. This one lingers in my memory still. To me, this version of We Three Kings has a rich, mysterious and regal sound. The person who posted to Youtube has added some beautiful artwork to the page, if you care to linger there.

Magi once travelled far from their comfortable homes to seek, to gaze. I think about them each year, the seekers, the searchers, the brave adventurers, the courageous explorers. Their breed has not vanished from the earth, you know. They are among us still.

There is a stargazer inside me – one searching for The Star; longing to gaze into His face, His eyes.

However, I am a bit like this one – see him? Down on his knees, begging his camel to come along… I find it all too easy among all the festivities to become distracted by things that are to serve us, and to serve them. And not only that, but see how the others have become distracted too? Yah, I can lead others to distractions too. Then we miss the shining path through life.

This year, I want to follow our pastor’s encouragement to ‘step into my dark and look up for the star.’

I want to find my way to the promise of grace, wonder, glory and great beauty in this New Year.

May you find yours as well.

Several years ago, I read and interesting book by Brent Landau titled, Revelation of the Magi. This is a translation of an ancient Syriac document. It is a fascinating story of the Nativity told from the point of view of the Magi and told with great reverence. You might find it interesting.

We had the gift of a light snow today. The beauty offsets the bitter cold.

It follows after evening and morning glorious of Monday which I simply must share.

{You may click on any photo to enlarge it.}

Earth dreaming

The Snow Moon will shine tonight. Whether or not we will see it or just more falling snow is still unknown. There was much snow this week; much more than I cared to shovel. But shovel we do. Dig out the heat pump and shovel a path to the bird feeders. Then there is the driveway to consider. Normally we don’t consider it too much any more; Joe plows for us. Except when his rig breaks down, like it did yesterday morning leaving us with 14 inches or so to contemplate today. So we shoveled and chopped ice and made phone calls and repeated the process. Then the phone rang and our new neighbor offered to come with his tractor. Such blessed relief!

Today I learned the proverb, “St Valentine brings the keys of roots.” Within it is the thought that this is the day when plants start growing. Last week I noticed a slight swelling of the magnolia buds and I found this… a snowdrop! It is now blanketed with deep snow but its bravery was a sign of the earth dreaming Spring!

Weather repeat

I don’t really collect stats on weather or seasons in my life. I do remember cold winters and snow and ice winters but this one does seem relentless. Heavy rain in the night turned to rain and snow and sleet and left a coat of the heaviest kind to be pushed and shoveled.

But it was very beautiful and perhaps it was that beauty and the slightly perceptible lengthening of daylight that was energizing. I enjoyed creative time in the kitchen and we were delighted to share our muffins with the man who plowed and then helped to shovel, too! God bless Joe!

January energizing

When Bonnie, the Faith Barista, announced the prompt for this week – photo journaling – she linked back to a post on Whitespace: a photo journal. I need this getting away, this time in nature, in quiet. But it has been so very cold. This past Tuesday, it was “warm” so I drove to the reservoir. A few minutes in the roaring wind and I retreated.

I sat a while and watched the gulls and geese and enjoyed the beauty. The wind seemed to keep the gulls huddled on the snow. In “the one that got away”- I didn’t have my camera ready – all the gulls rose but could not fly into the wind and were forced back and down onto the snow. This time they kept low to the water and made a turn back to the road. Someone had stopped and was feeding the geese and gulls from their car.

And then I went home, feeling like I had not accomplished what my soul needed.

Thursday: But it did warm a bit and I wanted to go away and I wanted to stay at home. So I pulled on my boots, coat and mittens and walked out the door to my own back yard. The focus of the day in the devotional I am following was peace and the verse I was thinking about was from Luke 19.

Jesus was weeping over Jerusalem when He said, “…if you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace…”

I stop on the step as a goldfinch lands on the feeder just a few feet away. He seems at peace with my presence as I pull the camera from my pocket and snap away while he busily feeds from his provision.

I walk slowly listening to the crunch of snow as I walk through the field. I stop to look at tree bark and seed stalks and the beauty of light and shadow and think of things that make for peace in life.

And the things that steal peace till I wander around in confusion.

I keep crunching along among deer tracks and rabbit trails and other critters trails too, caught up in the beauty of glittering snow and grateful for whitespace in my own back yard!

Life by seasons

Very early I woke to the particular pearly grey dark of snow. I could see the thickly coated trees from the window and decided to continue my night season a little longer!

When I emerged from my cocoon, the snow was falling fast and piling thickly. The snowbirds are still with us and were busy breakfasting.

The jonquils by the kitchen door where so cheery yesterday with the promise of bloom but today lie cozy under their comforter of snow.

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven Eccl 3:1

It would seem this winter season is still upon us, the snow gently watering the earth and I delight in the quiet beauty of the day.

I hope there is beauty in your days and a bit of fun too! This is mine…

I can see this tree through the window while I cook. It rather reminds me of a very large rabbit playing at holding up the sky and I sometimes wonder if he dances in the moonlight.

I might go and have a look. The snow stopped long ago and the warm earth sucked in much of the snow till there is only a thin blanket left for the moonshine glow. Peace to you.

Snow Moon Gift

I’m never fond of shoveling snow, but I do most winters. This winter is bland – so far – so it was a beautiful surprise to see the night’s dusting – no shoveling required!