Spring Last Year

Just to remind us it will come!

A Walk In The Park

A Sunday afternoon walk in the park of the Park revealed winter still holding tight to the earth. In the darkening sky were birds who seemed to be in a hurry, heading "home for the night". Where do they go to settle down and sleep? How do they all know where to go? At first we saw two geese, Harold commenting that they were very noisy geese. Then the bigger v-shaped flock appeared over the trees, honking and carrying on. Then came unorganized ripples of smaller dark birds, some crows, some I couldn't tell. I heard an occasional "kek-kek" as they hurried across the sky.

A large oak had toppled over, perhaps in the wind, perhaps it just couldn't hold itself up any more. It had a large hollow inside and a huge poison ivy vine growing on it. A crew had come and cut it up, but left large pieces there on the ground. It smelled like mulch. It is a little sad to loose another large tree in the neighborhood, this one had been hanging on a long time on very little wood. I'm often amazed at how long a tree can stand and be completely hollow inside.

Brightness follows Storm

After two days of stormy weather, snow, rain, freezing rain, ice covered trees, ice covered streets, the bright winter sun has returned for St. Valentine's Day. The wind has died down, the cold is retreating. We will have 40 degree weather again. It makes one wonder about global warming, or normal weather cycles. Are we having a warm winter now and then as a part of a larger cycle?

There were two does in the back yard this morning. Very nervous does, their ears twitching about something back in the woods. They kept looking over toward the woods, then stepped carefully back into the brambles, ears twitching and turning, tails flicking. A few more steps, they were nearly invisible. Only a twitch of an ear or a tail revealed them. After a bit, the human world here inside the house went on and I left the window. Later on I looked again but could not pick them out. Had they moved on? The deer world goes on too, they have purpose to their lives, things to do with their day.

Winter Beauty: Ice on My Car

Bringing to Light

I just want to post now and then, some little something I've observed, or managed to photograph, or heard. I wanted a place to put some of the links I've come across that I like. I'm writing in winter, a time most associated with darkness, cold and gray skies. The winter sun here in Maryland is intense and sharp, sometimes it hurts your eyes. Winter seems a perfect time to start something new, to bring it to light. So, from here I go...into the light.