Symphony in Snow

A moody day while snow falls yet again. Watching it blanket the landscape I hear strings of Vivaldi. Specifically Concerto No. 4 “L’inverno” or more commonly known as Winter from The Four Seasons.

Clear deep blue sky
on a bitter cold night
as the Full moon shines
upon ice encrusted field
wind twirls slowly, sensuously
enticing wayward snowflakes
to join in the dance
of intensifying beats
leaving those breathless in the wind
scattered yet yearning.

Mmm, calmness after the storm
movement is relaxed and o so calm
air is sweet yet refreshingly cold
while snow falls gently
upon open mouths
of those too savouring this moment.

The symphony nears the end
having reached its peak
yet there is more
there is sorrow for
flurries blown confused
at which way to turn
as dawn draws near
snowflakes ponder
will there be another time
for us caught in the dance
of the swirl.

Lighting the Season

At last, the outside Kissiemuch lights are up and sparkling. Whew. I swag a garland of fresh greens along the top of the veranda and wrap it in white and yellow large bulbs and of course green twinkles. Well they don’t twinkle like those bloody Disco inspired lights from a few years ago. Neighbours would hang them along eaves and flip the switch. Arrghhhhh me eyes me eyes. I felt caught in that video floating on the net of an engineer who wired his home and the exterior lights flashed to Trans Siberian Orchestra every friggen night. If he was mine I would have snuck under the cover of darkness and snipped a few wires. Thank heavens those days are over.

I do enjoy lights this season but there has to be rules. It may be harsh but we will all be better off for it. Trust me :D

1. If you’re decorating a tree wrap the branches please. Ideally the same you would as your own Kissiemuch tree. Don’t be wrapping the trunk with those nets of lights and stop when you can’t reach any further. This only gives night lights to the rodents who chew bark during the Winter.

2. When hanging icicle lights kindly ensure the string is the same colour as the house eave. Tis fine while they are on at night but o dear during daylight those white strings against a black eave are a dead give away and take away the magic.

3. Do not mix that unearthly glow of LED lights with traditional. NO NO NO. Stick with one or the other. That is an assault on the visual senses making munchkins and animals go blind.

4. When confronted with boxes of single colour strings do take the time to mix the bulbs. A yellow string connected to a green connected to an orange connected to a blue connected to a red just isn’t right. Makes me think of a Rubics cube and even that joined successfully isn’t pleasing to the eye.

5. Once done, do flip the switch to ensure all bulbs are lit. Even if it means dragging out the ladder in -20 weather and replacing a few. I’ve seen too many pretty light displays where a few are burnt out. It reminds me of a few teefs missing in a smile. Take the time to check lights in the warmth of your home before hanging outside.

Happy lighting and remember Santa sees those lights and will record who’s are naughty and which ones are nice. He also assures Mortimer is watching over The Pond. :D

Waiting and Watching

They sit and watch
greys, blacks and reds
with wee beady black eyes
in both sides of their heads.

Glaring and staring
waiting for me to finish
the task of planting bulbs
so they can feed their famish

Crafty those buggers be
playing tic tac toe
with the landscaping
and holes dug just so.

Thumping and drumming
bushy tails with anger
I stand with hands on hips
warning of the danger.

Chatter ceases as
visions of their own tails
wrapped around anothers neck
leaves them pale.

The task is complete
and tools stored away
even though squirrels are waiting
I sit back and enjoy the final summers Chardonnay.

hehehehehe :D

And the race is on...

As the Silly Season approaches and the landscape is a dismal pallet of brown, grey, and beige, I purchased a few bulbs to colour my world over the next month or two. The usual Paper Whites or “blanc de papieres” hardy har har, and three Amaryllis are safely potted. And now the race is on.

Too Rouge is out of the pot first having a weeks lead. Bright green leaves 18” high this day, and without a bud to be seen. Yep, tis definitely a gelding. Perhaps I’ll move him next to Pinkie.

Candy Cane, rounds the corner taking the lead. 8” leaves and yes there is a bud hidden amongst them. Wooooooo hoooooooo, she’s number 1 on the race card. Go Candy Cane Go !

Pinkie, brings up the rear. Gated beside Candy Cane, this one is coming up lame. A one inch high leaf and sadly only one may cause Pinkie to be put out of its misery and right into the compost.

The Paper Whites though not of the same stock as the Amaryllis are the favourites to win. Faved, because they are this stable owners’ most loved of the winter bulbs. Their petiteness belies their powerful and o so intoxicating scent. Mmm mmm A much nicer sniff then what’s behind the barn ;)

As Darkness Plays With Us

Darkness wraps her cloak early
extinguishing the flame of day
as mortals blow out a candles’ wick.

Night is silent & calm, to calm
for the chill seeps in causing
our very souls to shudder.

Darkness falls over the land
night, day, is there a fine line
during this season of silence.

Vacant landscape void of colour
surrounds us with no escape
til the legions march in Spring.

Darkness plays with us
daring our souls to best her
& we shall for there is light after all.

Bon Voyage Vince

A lazy Saturday morn, enjoying the paper, CBC, and tea, and out of the corner of me eye I spied movement on the floor. Turning to see it with both eyes I sighed and an “o shite” escaped these lips. I sat and watched it scurry pondering what creature is this. Short tail, wee ears, though it did have furry body it was definitely not a mouse. Those large ears and white gloves were missing.

Behind the stove, then around the fridge he made his way stopping to sniff and look around thinking he was in heaven. The kitchen, clean and warm and no crumbs to be found didn’t make for a banquet. I sat back and pondered all the while saying, “look wee fella there’s just no room at the Inn”. Okies, I know he didn’t understand but it was worth the try.

Finished me tea and with an o well lets get to it attitude the search began. AHA! There he was scraping his wee claws trying to make it over the Wedgwood cabinet. Now that I knew he was behind it I paused and thought what now ? Get thee a bowl I said to meself and so went to the pantry and found a see thru plastic one, good depth so I wouldn’t flatten him and room to move around. Perfect for me home is a “No Squash Zone”. Grabbing it I set forth and plunked down in front of the cabinet.

Dum de dum de dum, I sat and waited. Finally he made a run for it back into the kitchen. Round and round the Palm he goes, where he ends nobody knows. Me mind digressed to the many Merry-Go-Round rides as a youngster. Inhaling, exhaling and poised I waited til just the right moment. I smacked the bowl over and captured the wee bugga. Ha Ha, I shouted with glee, “you’re mine !”

After donning clothes, just so I wouldn’t be questioned by the local constabulary, I found the tape and cardboard. This wee critter was a slippery one so there will be no attempt at sliding the bowls lid underneath. This calls for a more secure lid. With lots of ducttape wrapped around we leave the house. The poor wee thing, scrambled at the lid and left droppings all around. One could say he was scared shiteless :)

As he wasn’t the normal mouse and more of a vole I named him Vince. Kinda fitting for he was long dark and rather handsome. La la la, after Vince Vaughan. Vince and I took a drive though he fought at first but after hearing a soothing voice he knew it was for the best. We ended our journey at the ole creek where I cut the tape and let Vince free to find another nest. Bon Voyage Vinnie, don’t come back soon ya here

That cursor

Damn cursor
blinks at me
from the white screen
waiting for this writer
to have a flash
though I’ve never been flashed
and if I ever was, snip snip
with rusty shears needing oiling
as the season for snipping
is over, they sit on the shelf
with seashells scooped
from The Pond
to dry and whiten over the Winter
a whiteness to rival
the purest snow
fresh fallen on a country field
away from smokestacks
which inhabit the land
colouring the rivers
flowing strong and cold
shuddering those who walk alone
searching for red dogwood
to brighten the planters
stuffed with boughs
of pine, cedar, spruce
bringing colour to the landscape
for the garden is asleep
while they seek their rest
only to revive with vigor
in the Spring

Thru the lens

I love photography, viewing and shooting. Tis one of me passions. Presently I have two, a 26 year ole Minolta SLR and a one year ole Canon digi. If you had to take one from me, I’ll gladly throw you the Canon. I have nothing against digies but heavens after so many years controlling the shots the digi loses every time.

When I began photographing I shot only in black and white. It is pure. You either capture it or you don’t and a bad shot can not be disguised in black and white. Photographing single items and some landscapes ala Ansel Adams, but mostly I shot architecture. The detail fascinates me. Using shadows one can capture so much more then colour.

Minnie went with me everywhere. She became an appendage often choosing her over the purse and for a woman to say that, o the horror ! She has lost a few parts over the years and has more then her share of scratches. I still want to wade in that stream where one of her knobs came off though it is long lost as the stream surely is.

Beginning with the regular 35m lens I later bought zoooooom and macro lenses. Now what fun that macro is ! Thru trial and error we can be no more then 4” from the subject. Meaning I’d find meself laid flat out on the ground capturing moss and lichen and those funky fungi. Some mushrooms no larger then the eraser end of a pencil caught just so perfectly. 3” high morels hiding in the leaves, earthstars ready to burst, and the colourful witches butter so moist on a rotted tree trunk. I won’t even mention the moss photographed. :)

The macro also allows me to shoot another fave, flora, so close you can almost smell the perfume wafting thru the air. A yearly record of the fuschia species, bugs on blooms and of course, spiders ! There are times I’ll see something, shoot, and when developed say oooooooo, didn’t know that was there. Or one of me prized photos of an Oriental poppy backlit by the sun. The orange so vibrant surrounding stamens of such a blue it amazed me when developed.

Ms Zooooom is also a delight. Walking along the river bank on a misty morn the scene was breathtaking, click, click, click, even able to catch the waves of a retreating beaver made it so much more special. Illumination on this site was taken using it. The views I see on country forays are brought home using its features. No more climbing over hill and dale, well almost.

That is what I enjoy the most, the control of the subject. I want to capture on film what these eyes see thru the lens. Sad to say the digi just doesn’t do it. O it is fine for snapping the new paint colour of the kitchen or the latest white shite to email. But that is it. There is too much automatic for my taste, or could it be I’m pressing the wrong buttons, hhmmm. Til I figger it out it shall remain, just Minnie and Me :)

What do they know we don't, hhmmm

Bbbbrrrrrr, the season is upon us. That one, which waxed shovels, scoops have replaced forks and rakes. Windows are sealed shut, furnace tuned, Sorels, parka, mitts, scarves, toque are dug out of the closet, notice I didn’t type socks :), and bird feeders hung.

That brings me to the subject of our avian friends. I’ve noticed very few flocks of geese escaping to the south this Autumn. Last year the familiar V’s began in August and we all know what that Winter was like. Ye gads, tons of white shite. None I’ve seen since I found an ole photo taken in 1962 of me bro and I standing on the banks as high as the house eaves. Those were the days but then our parents had to deal with it, not us for it was our Winter playground. I digress…

Besides few geese, Robins are still about. Either they know something we don’t or their wee brains are still in a sugar high from the bountiful season and dare not want to leave Eden. I prefer to believe the former.

The last Hummer passed thru here September 23 at least a month overdue. Though a pessimist would say, “yeah but they sensed the hurricanes so delayed their flight” geeez. I’m an optimist so I say they did know something.

Blue Jays, Juncos, Chickadeedeedees, Cardinals and Doves are slowly finding their way here. Actually they’ve always been around. Nesting in the pygmy invested forest and stopping by The Pond throughout the year. Tis always a treat watching them, especially the Doves, landing on the iced covered Pond. Hehehehe, a group of bowling pins crashing into each other.

This coming week brings us double digit temps and sunshine ! Woooo hooooooo. Me thinks I’ll toss those Sorels back into the closet though I won’t be removing the snow tires. After all I was a Girl Guide ;)