Standing at the Trailhead of Winter

The end of the semester is here. I can breathe a sigh of relief that for a few weeks I don't have to read and grade papers generated by AI and papers that show the student really doesn't care about improving their own writing skills and critical thinking skills. I don't have to respond to students who fail to submit work by the due date then email the assignment, asking that I read it even though they didn't meet the due date. It's so quiet now. The noise is gone. I get to focus on a few projects I've been kicking around. I get to focus on Sunny. The snowshoes are by the back door, just waiting for the few inches of snow that is forecast for tonight and tomorrow. I get to look forward to the kids coming to visit over the holidays.  Sunny is growing into a beautiful young dog. He has captured my heart. I've never had a dog that cuddles the way he does. I've never had a dog who leans so completely into my chest that I can feel his heartbeat. Every evening ...

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For awhile now I've been having trouble with my keyboard. It's wireless, and I've had it four or five years. The last few months, when I try to type, nothing happens or all kinds of gibberish covers the page. When I try to back up, delete, re-type, the cursor doesn't do anything. It reached the point of being extremely frustrating trying to type in my password to my computer. I end up restarting my computer or shutting it down for a few minutes then booting back up to see if the keyboard will behave. A few days ago, I couldn't do anything. I ended up pulling out the laptop so I could get some work done. An hour or so after rebooting, my keyboard decided it was going to behave. I put a message in the family chat about my keyboard woes, and Funny Delightful Son suggested I purchase a mechanical keyboard, one that is not wireless. Angel Baby jumped in and educated me on the difference between a wireless keyboard vs. a wired keyboard. After it was all explained, I knew ...

New Year's day we had an ice storm. Very early Saturday morning, around 3 am (I was outside with Murphy), big, beautiful snowflakes fell. By the time we got up later, around 7, we had nearly five inches of snow on the ground. Because the ice hadn't melted before it began snowing, and because there was no wind, the snow blanketed everything in a thick layer. The result? A gorgeous winter landscape like I haven't seen in many, many years.  The treeline behind my house. I love the almost sepia tone look my camera gave to the image. The maple at the back of my yard. So far it  seems like the maple trees are fairing best. My street as we head home on our walk. The downside is all the weight of ice and snow on the trees has taken a toll. Lots and lots of tree damage. I have two tall pines on the property, and one is decimated. The village in which I live has lovely old trees, and so many have taken a hit. Every time we go out for a walk, it seems like I see more damage than I saw...

An arctic blast has moved in. The -23 degrees wind chill makes my face hurt as soon as I step outside. Even Ado, who typically loves being out in the cold, did his business quickly this morning then turned around an made a dash for home. I fear for animals and the homeless when the temps dip like this. I hope shelter is available, enough to give adequate warmth. This afternoon snow fell, adding a layer of slippery on top of the sheet of ice that is my driveway right now. I searched high and low for my landlord's number, but somewhere in the move to the smaller apartment his number went missing. Today, while Angel Baby and I were messing around with the old typewriter I just bought a new ribbon for, trying to figure out how to make an exclamation point since there is no 1 key (shift, hit the 8 key, back up, hit the period key), my landlord pulled in. I slipped my feet into my boots and went out to say hello and ask for his number. Almost immediately he apologized for the condition...

Snow. Finally. Ice and snow at the creek So far about eight inches, and it's still falling. Supposed to fall through the day, making today a wonderful day to stay inside and bake orange-cranberry scones (done), listen to good alternative music (doing), sketch out some new ideas for poems (doing, well, in between baking, listening to music, and writing this blog post). And watching the bright red cardinal at the bird feeder. I took Angel Baby to work this morning since the snow was already about five inches deep. Doesn't seem like a lot, but when walking in it the going can be tough. Maybe not for a youngun' like him, but I also wanted to try out the four-wheel drive on the Jeep. It works. It works really, really well. The roads had been plowed somewhat, but they were still a mess. The Jeep made the snow seem like child's play. No spinning tires. No fish-tailing. Just like a usual driving day. During break I organized my dresser, closet and laundry room. I also...

Did you know snowflakes can hurt? I found this out yesterday on my way home from the transit station. I'd ridden my bike up in the morning to catch the bus, and during the afternoon a light snow fell when I returned to the transit station to get my bike and ride home. Almost as soon as I started out, a snowflake hit me in the eye. Not a pleasant feeling! All the way home I was blinking and keeping my head down to avoid having snowflakes maul my eyeballs. Being out, riding through the snow, was invigorating. I've actually been considering trying to ride twenty miles or more on a weekly basis all winter long no matter what kind of weather we're having. First, I have to find my booties, though. I really don't like having cold toes. You know what else hurts? Dreams. I had a dream last night during which something happened that created an intense emotional pain. One part of the dream I remember the most is me standing at a sink, washing coffee mugs and crying because of ...

I held a red-bellied woodpecker in the palm of my hand today. Snow swirled down, and I could hear the flakes whispering against dry leaves at the edge of the yard. The woodpecker's claws clung to the skin of my hand as it gathered its bearings. For about ten minutes, I watched the bird. I could feel a vibration from its body against my fingers and palm. When it was ready, the bird with the bright red cap and muted red belly feathers flew up into the cedar tree. It was the most magical moment of my year so far.

I know it's lofty saying today has been the perfect Christmas, but truly, I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful, fun-filled day. Though a frigid wind blew, the sun was bright and the snow glittered. I sat for a while, before anyone else was up and ready to open gifts, watching the birds at the feeder while a fire burned in the fireplace. Right after we opened presents, Lovely Beautiful Daughter and I made our way to the kitchen to get the meal going. I made bread stuffing for the turkey, the bread stuffing I grew up eating every Thanksgiving and Christmas. Mom's bread stuffing. I snagged a bite as I made it, just like I used to when Mom made it. That stuffing is Christmas through and through. The turkey roasted in the oven for just over four hours, and during that four hour period, I made a couple of mincemeat turnovers to take to Dad tomorrow. He's the only one who liked the mincemeat pies that Mom made, so I thought I'd make a couple of turnovers just for h...