January Winter

January is such a silent month.  Quite often the earth is blanketed in snow.  This always sets us for a  a cushion of calm.  The hustle and bustle of the Holidays is over and with snow and cold it is the perfect month to snuggle inside.  Yet with any opportunity I can get, I love to venture outside.  There is beauty to behold in the stillness, the barren.  Lots of tracks from those that carry on day to day.  One day I went for a walk on a trail I go on often but it was early in the morning about 15 degree F and the only others that had been out were the Coyotes.  It was fascinating following their tracks and imagining what they were up to . So stay in or go out but enjoy January- it is a fleeting.

Sunshine and Shadow

 This was the sun rising in the East and the shadow was the weeds in from of the pumpkin and I was just in the right place at the right time.   There is beauty all around us if only we can see. 

Have a fun weekend - some pumpkin carving and Halloween cookie baking on our schedule!

January Sunrise's . . .

There is something special about the sunrise and sunsets of mid -winter, they are some of the best all year.  Unfortunately there are not that many due to our heavy and consistent cloud/snow-cloud cover. Also as in this case- just because there was a pretty sunrise does not mean that the sun will actually shine at all during the day. The day will be gray and white and dark.   We are in a pattern of bitter cold, snow, lake effect snow, warming to 24ish then dropping to zero or below zero and warming again to mid 20's.  Right now a day at 30 really feels oh so warm.  As long as the wood cook stove is running the house is very comfortable.   Hoping you are warm and the sun is shining wherever you are.  Happy Friday!

Just thinking . . . .

" When late morning rolls around and you're feeling a bit out of sorts, don't worry; your're probably just a little eleven o'clockish."   Winnie the Pooh

Inspire me . . .Early Morning Light

“It's not what you have on the outside that glitters in light, it's what you have on the inside that shines in the dark.”

- Anthony Liccone

A March Morning to behold . . .

Ah, a very cold morning today,  checking in at a mere -8 setting a record here for March 6th. Despite the bitter cold it was a beautiful morning. Everything was coated in a thin covering of frost like a tulle dress. As the sun rose it reflected off every thin shard of frost creating a shimmer to behold. Walking around outside the air was biting and the snow was crunchy underfoot.  Edna was sniffing and following all the new tracks from overnight.  There are always Deer in the yard, the opossum has returned, coyotes at times and every other little creature.   She gets all excited every now and then and runs around, with her nose coated in snow crystals at all times.  Then she is back to a slow and measured walk following up on trails left by the many different creatures that share her space.  We always walk up to the Apple Trees and check on how they are holding up and who has been to visit them.  Every low branch has been chewed off by this point.  The deer basically will eat anything they can reach. My Pussy-Willow Tree is completely gone this year  they have chewed it all  - last year after 10 years I actually had some branches I could bring inside.

Today there was bright sun , blue sky and bird song like I have not heard in months. Perhaps despite being in the deep throws of winters clutches, there is a spring somewhere.  The ground and all the Lakes around us are still frozen very solid. They say we will be below normal in temperature for the whole month of March.  At least the days are getting longer and I am thankful that I bought more wood than we usually do. We are warm despite the bitter cold. 

The gentle curling wisp of my neighbors wood stove reaching towards the heavens on this bright but frigid day.

The morning after . . .

              Well living in the Northeast and especially Western NY means that we get a lot of snow in the winter. This is expected and we are prepared. Everyone owns shovels, salt, snow blowers are optional. Every town has multiple snowplows, sidewalk plows and stockpiles of road salt and gravel. We have school "SNOW" days but they are not often used. Just one this year on a day with -25 to -35 windchill. You keep your car full of gas, travel with extra water in the car and a blanket , boots, hat, mittens and snacks if you are going any distance. The best way to drive in the snow is SLOW. It is often not you as the driver but it is the other driver that you need to watch out for. When it is getting ready to snow the sky gets very dark, gray and then if it is snowing heavy it is what we call a Whiteout. Driving in whiteouts is dangerous and no fun , driving on un-treated road surfaces is very difficult and not safe. As we have watched the southern states try to deal with this, my heart goes out to them. Thick snow on the road pulls your car, icy areas and you lose traction and begin to slide- to me these are scary but many people just drive right on through like it is the middle of July.
              The best part of a snowstorm is the morning after. It is usually clear, blue sky and wonderful blankets of undisturbed white stuff. Today was exactly that, I snapped these pictures before I went to work - to fill in for a co-worker who was out ill.

What a Blanket of Snow looks like . . .

Glad to have a short driveway when we get this much snow!!  It thankfully was the light fluffy type and made the removal of  the snow so much easier.

About 15 inch snowstorm on 2/5/14

Sunrise

The Moments No. 9

"I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape. Something waits beneath it; the whole story doesn't show"

Andrew Wyeth

We never know what gift Mother Nature will bestow us each morning.

Signs of Fall

Every where we look right now we see the signs of Fall.  The Horse chestnuts are falling fast and furious- such shiny jewels tucked neatly inside such a prickly  package.
        Bringing in the bright bounty of the season to enjoy looking at and eating,  one never tires of this.  Above is a Turban squash this type we always got at my Grandfathers Farm growing up as kids.  We are entering the great seasons of spectacular Sunrises and sunsets,  although bad weather also accompanies these majestic events.  Today it is gray rainy and a day only made for curling up with tea, quilt and good book.  Such a dream- to much preparation for the cold weather underway right now, but soon we will have lots of cozy book reading weather.
      Watching the hills and trees change color is just a blessed event. Just over night the changes are incredible.  It is often as such a fairy flew around with a paintbrush over night transforming  trees into colorful works of art.  Everyday there is something new to admire and wonder at.
               I am seeing a higher than average number of mushrooms this fall. I need to get some pictures of them to share here.  They are such interesting parts of nature.  Get out and enjoy!!!

This and That Tuesday

Snow Moon Setting 3/26

This was Tuesday Feb. 26 at Sunrise. I live on a hill, so standing on my front lawn, looking left- East I could see this beautiful sunrise and turning right- West I could see the Great Snow Moon setting, it was really pretty cool.  It was very bright for a setting moon and although no snow on the ground in the AM by evening we had a few inches again.  Everything was tucked back in a blanket of white.

 Some descriptions of this months full moon are as follows:

            • Full Snow Moon – February Since the heaviest snow usually falls during this month, native tribes of the north and east most often called February’s full Moon the Full Snow Moon. Some tribes also referred to this Moon as the Full Hunger Moon, since harsh weather conditions in their areas made hunting very difficult.

                 February: The Snow Moon   http://www.moonconnection.com/full-moon-names.phtml
Snow piles even higher in February, giving this moon its most common name. Among tribes that used this name for the January moon, the February moon was called the Hunger Moon due to the challenging hunting conditions.

Next Month is the Full Sap moon or Full Worm Moon it will rise on Wednesday March 27th, 2013