A frosted sunrise

I went for an early walk this morning. The sun was just rising, the flora was frosted; and the air was cool, near freezing. A beautifully brittle glow pervaded the environs. I took many pictures (with my ‘unsmart’ cellphone), and the photo below comes closest to the wondrous sensation I felt; an indescribable beginning to my day…

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Winter Soltice

The first big snowfall of the season came a couple of days before the winter solstice; but, for me, the snow marked the beginning of the Christmas/Winter season. I’m off work now until the end of the year, but two days ago I was wishing my holidays started slightly earlier: it took me three hours to get home, and that was after a half-hour spent digging my car out of the snow bank created by a plough. After a snow dump of 15 cm, it rained, which caused very icy conditions, especially in heavy-traffic areas.

I must admit, a snow-ladened landscape is incredibly stunning, but it’s so much easier to appreciate while at home, sitting on the sofa, warm and comfortable by the fire.

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Autumn

I’m not sure what is is about autumn; but, for me, there is an enchantment that pervades the world. I was walking on our street and noticed the lovely yellow plumage of the trees in front of our condominium complex, which reminded me of Van Morrison’s song Moondance. Interestingly, as the song ran through my mind, it was the arrangement of leaves on the ground that brought  the romance of the season into focus…

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And all the leaves on the trees are falling

To the sound of the breezes that blow

And I’m trying to please to the calling

Of your heart-strings that play soft and low

You know the night’s magic

Seems to whisper and hush

And all the soft moonlight

Seems to shine, in your blush…

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(from Moonlight, by Van Morrison)

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Dappled Moonlight

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Dappled moonlight;

I daren’t breathe…

The water calm, murmuring

She rolls her shoulders:

Luminous sprites dance;

An undulous shawl,

A furtive message;

Whispers, the shore

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The wedding season

One of my nieces began an exciting new chapter in life as a married woman yesterday. The wedding ceremony took place in a beautiful, outdoor setting: but, for me, it was two children who truly brightened the event: the Ring Bearer, stolid and steady enough to make Gandalf proud; and the Flower Girl, as carefree as the wind.

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The Red Wheelbarrow

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.

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William Carlos Williams

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An August Sunset

When I stepped outside last night, the sun was just about to disappear; sunlight was radiating through the clouds, which fanned the sun’s rays across the sky. I took a few quick pictures; the one below was the best, although a picture never quite seems to capture the aura and awe of the moment

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Patterns

Sometimes patterns open mnemonic pathways; yesterday, my wife’s umbrella unfolded recollections of Howie S., licorice, cartography, Mrs. Haffington, chess, mountains, the 1970s, birds, Spirograph, mandalas, and rain:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Buddha and the cat

I really like this photo…

A cat relaxes on a Buddha-statue’s palm and lap [image credit: amanatsu’tumblr]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A Good Walk

I put on a long-sleeved shirt; it was a nice day, with a slight breeze. The morning sun was behind a thin cloud-cover, just above the trees.

Another walker was ambling toward me: he was wearing a toque and a light ski-jacket. His beard was stippled with shades of red ochre.

“Good morning,” I said, raising my right-hand in a half-wave.

His face broke into a wide grin and, through a slight Scottish brogue, he said, “Aye; and a good mornin’ to you.”

Next, I ‘met’ a young man on his first-floor-condo-balcony; he was smoking a cigarette, wearing only boxers and a dark sports-jacket. He told me a joke I didn’t understand, but won’t repeat, just in case its dirty.

I turned west on 108th: a small Asian woman was plucking young fiddle-head ferns along the grass-lined boulevard. She smiled and nodded at me as I passed.

I walked around the block, stopping to sip my coffee every now and then.

It was a good walk.