In February, first come the snowdrops, then the crocuses. Then, when all the other deciduous trees are still stripped bare, there’s one that blazes forth in bright sunshine yellow. With its saffron strands, the witch hazel announces itself against the bleak grey-brown of the winter landscape. It tells me, it’s not just the ground flowers … Continue reading Witch hazel
Today was warm and windy. The dry winter grasses whipped like ponytails out back. When I took the compost out on my lunch break, I carried my camera, too. I thought the snowdrops might have come up, and I was delighted to see that they have. One crocus has opened as well, despite its greenery … Continue reading Snowdrops and crocus
The air smells heavy this morning. Temperatures hover around freezing, and the air is clear, but I feel moisture. Earlier this week, I could only poke my nose out the back door to sniff the air; it was too frigid to put any more of my body outside. Today the air is cold but doesn’t … Continue reading Storm’s coming
When we first moved to Blacksburg, Virginia, nearly 10 years ago, I read (and blogged about) a local newspaper article about how to build durable happiness. The article said that to sustain happiness, we should appreciate and savor, and continue to appreciate and savor, the good things we have in our lives. I want to … Continue reading I can’t believe I get to live here
We had our windows open Saturday. On New Years Day, in a part of the Northern Hemisphere where it should have been cold, if not freezing, it was warm enough to air the house out. I walked the floors in bare feet and short sleeves. What I wanted to do was cup a warm mug … Continue reading Leaning into winter
It is full on autumn outside. When I woke this morning, I thought it was raining. I listened harder and realized the sound I heard was wind rushing through trees. The morning was dark and spooky with that howling wind. As late October should be. Before sunrise was the warmest part of the day. By … Continue reading Grey skies and golden light
Butterfly Mind 