Still Winter

It is still winter, season of harsh, cruel beauty. I've been whining this week because our weather continues to be colder and wetter than average. Then I read Ev Barbee's blog, Arrows & Prayers (www.arrowsandprayers.blogspot.com). She is in India, working in mission with women. She does a short term trip somewhere every year. Her writing is beautiful, thoughtful and convicts me of the pampered life I am fortunate to have. I don't know Ev, but I've become a follower. Her father has been my dentist since before she was born. Later the news shows the northeast, where people are truly suffering winter. How dare I complain. Yet I long for a warm sunny weekend like last so I can be outdoors and stretching my body. My garden vision for next weekend, barring rain:

2/28/2010
Fiery ritual
Garden bed aflame
Dross and pests consumed by fire.
Purification.


Two contrasting views on winter's past:

12/2008
Winter Forest
Stripped of excess green
The winter forest reveals
its inner beauty.

3/15/2009
Trees broken and torn
By nature's cold cruel hand.
Winter storm of ice.

Sunshine

Glorius sunshine all weekend brought joy to my soul. Bill and I were able to get outside, he to clearing a large limb that came down with the snow a few weeks ago, and I to a little garden clean-up. Today we planted 4 blueberry bushes in hopes that they will be more successful than the previous ones. The first seeds will go in the ground on the next sunny weekend, whenever that may be.

Winter Thoughts

1/24/2010 Downpour Rain. 

Falling, pooling, running, 

roiling, joining streams. 

Moving always down.

1/31/2010 Winter Day 

Shadows in winter 

Crisp against glist'ning snowpack. Icy trees aglow. 

 2/3/10 Water 

Old as creation. 

Created new each moment. 

Life-giving water.

2/13/10 Old Leaves 

Brown leaves dripping ice Clinging beyond their season Refuse to let go. 

 2/18/10 Winter Receding 

Casted shadows long, 

Later by each waxing day. 

Winter receding

Introduction

I have been searching for a way to quietly share my thoughts with family and friends. Maybe a blog is the answer. For years I have found the process of journaling too cumbersome to pursue regularly. A couple of years ago, on vacation, I had the idea of recording a vacation journal in the form of haiku that would summarize the key experience of each day. So now when an experience, especially of nature, inspires, I try to express that experience in haiku, often with an accompanying photograph. In this space I will post some of my past work as well as current. Comment if you like. I need critique.