~
Sunday, December 31, 2006 8:30 a.m.
21 degrees, calm, foggy
Fog slowly crept up the hill just after sunrise, and now
engulfs the entire view.
We can barely see the edge of the garden, and the next
house down the road has
been swallowed whole by mist. It is one thing to awaken
to fog, and another to watch
it advance like a slow-moving wave, absolutely silent and
a little spooky. Things appear
and disappear as if by magic; cars and trucks slip in and
out of view with just the faintest
hiss of tires on snow and soft halos around the lights.
Crows and jays materialize as if by
magic, gliding mute to their watchful perches one at a
time, then departing in the same fashion.
Only the blackbirds remain steadfast on their maple
branch, whistling a bit to bring cheer to this
quiet and dull morning. We have about an inch of new
fluffy snow atop the existing two inch base,
still not enough to entice me onto my cross country skis.
Snowmaking continues at the Snow
Ridge Ski Resort, and friends report that the natural
powder that fell yesterday made for
pretty nice downhill skiing and snowboarding. For me, it
looks like another hike will
be the outdoor activity of the day. At least with the
fresh layer of snow we will be
able to check out tracks left by various critters, and
see what tales they tell.
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Saturday, December 30, 2006 8:30 a.m.
27 degrees, calm, overcast, flurries
Fine flakes fall silently to the ground, so tiny as to be
nearly invisible. Even as
little as an inch of new snow would provide a good cross-country
ski surface, and
my hopes are up. Dozens of snowmobiles passed our place
last night, their drivers
imagining that two inches of snow is enough to support
the combined weight of them
and their sled. We know you got a brand new sled for
Christmakuh, and can’t wait to
try it out, but there really isn’t any snow on
Tug Hill. Yet. Snow Ridge Ski Area opens
today with one trail and one lift operating, on a man-made
groomed surface. If you have been
jonesing for downhill skiing or snowboarding, this is the
place. Off the ski slope, hiking remains
the best bet for outdoor fun until we get that big storm
we all long for. We had an invigorating
walk along a back road yesterday afternoon, and the
temperature was cold enough that our
feet stayed dry for a change. The sun was bright, but not
warm enough to dry a load of towels
hung outdoors. I carried them in from the clothesline
like lumber on my shoulder, four foot long
rectangles of nubby cotton frozen stiff. As they finish
drying on a rack the fresh clean smell of
December air wafts through the house. Now the snow is
falling a little harder;
dare I hope it might amount to something ?
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Friday, December 29, 2006 8:00 a.m.
17 degrees, calm, mostly sunny
It has been a while since we have seen such a beautiful
and colorful sunrise. There are
motes of frost hovering in the air that catch the pure
morning light as well as snow on the
ground that shimmers with appreciation. The blackbirds
have returned to the yard; perhaps
they were just waiting for the sun to shine a spotlight
on their morning recitals. They sang a wide
variety of pre-dawn tunes, complete with bells and
whistles, backed up by a woodpecker drum-
ming at the very top of the tree. I’ll bet if a
starling heard a didgeridoo, tuba, or harmonica they
would be able to reproduce those sounds as well, they are
such great mimics. Last year we
had birds that sounded like our dog barking, a snowplow
backing up, me whistling for the
dog, and the village fire siren. There are a lot of crows
in the hedgerow this morning as
well, a dozen or so; they are hard to count as they are
doing some kind of airborne
contra-dance, switching from tree to tree and calling out
the moves loudly to each
other as they fly. Do-si-do you noisy crow, and greet
your partner smartly...
Have a fine day,
Daisy
~
Thursday, December 28, 2006 8:30 a.m.
31 degrees, breezy, overcast
We fully expected to awaken this morning to a fresh layer
of lake effect snow, but
the forecast was (once again) wrong. A few flakes fell
during the day and continued to
mosey down in the evening hours, but the storm never
fully materialized. Snow Ridge Ski
Area has been making snow now that the temperature has
dropped, and may be able to finally
open on Saturday. Their webpage is down, so for an
accurate and up-to-date ski report give
them a jingle at 315-348-8456. On our part of Tug Hill
the hiking continues to be better than
the cross-country skiing, and as much as I love to glide
I don’t want to subject my ski bottoms
to all of the rocks and scurf that underlie the thin
layer of snow. The deer have been having a
field day, literally finding much to munch in the fields
and meadows; there are hoofprints
everywhere. The snow is packed too solid to imprint
smaller critters’ tracks, but the
deer and dogs (both wild and domestic) have peppered our
property with so
many prints the snow looks like swiss cheese. Mmmmmm,
cheese...
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Wednesday, December 27, 2006 8:00 a.m.
22 degrees, calm, mostly cloudy
Light sugary snow dusts tiny twigs and sits in a neat row
atop the clothesline,
perched above a scattering of little round icicles
leftover from yesterday’s rain.
There was both rain and snow all day long, finally
changing over to all snow as the
temperature dropped. I drove through quite a squall in
Talcottville last evening, but
when I got to Turin the grass was bare. Flurries
increased as I climbed Gomer Hill,
giving us about an inch of new snow this morning. The sun
is beginning to beam through
a heavy layer of clouds, and even our small amount of
snow brightens the landscape with
its sparkle and shine. A whole lot of blue jays have been
hanging around lately, more than
I have ever seen in this neck of the woods. Our corn and
sunflowers have been tilled into the
soil, so I am not sure what has attracted these handsome
birds to our yard. There were plenty
of beechnuts in the hedgerow trees this fall, perhaps
they have been feasting on those. They
also will eat small rodents; the lack of snowfall this
season has left the meadows wide open
for all predators, including blue jays I suppose. I haven’t
seen our blackbirds for several
days; I miss their cheerful morning greetings. Maybe our
forty acres isn’t big enough
to support both jays and starlings for the winter. It is
possible that the arrival of two
more dogs into the yard last week has kept the blackbirds
out of sight. We will
wait and see if they return after our company departs
next week.
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Tuesday, December 26, 2006 8:00 a.m.
32 degrees, calm, overcast, snow
Snow is falling straight down this morning, wet and fast.
It is nearly warm enough
to turn to rain, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it
were indeed raining on the flatlanders.
We had a nice walk yesterday afternoon after our mid-day
feast, and found quite a bit
of snow on the road once we were in the shade of the
forest trees and out of the wind-
swept meadow areas. It crunched and squeaked loudly under
our boots, a real memorable
winter sound. Fresh snow started to show up last night
just after dark, with flakes the size
of a dime being driven sideways by a swift southwest
breeze. We sat in the great room
lit only by the glow from our holiday tree, and turned on
the backyard floodlight. The
big flakes turned into shining silvery ribbons, little
comets of brilliance that were mes-
merizing; we all sat in silent awe at the unexpected and
long awaited white christmas.
Have a wonderful day,
Daisy
~
Monday, December 25, 2006 8:00 a.m.
28 degrees, breezy, foggy
Fog has frozen on to the vehicles but not the trees. It
mingles the clouds with the
sparse covering of snow, making this a white christmas
from the ground all the way
to the sky. Three ravens have made a brief silent visit
to the copse around the spring
outlet, two plodding through the wet grass and one
keeping sentry in an old apple tree.
All at once the three big birds lifted off and made a
beeline back to their forest home,
all business with deep steady wingbeats and never a
backward glance. In ancient times,
Dec. 25 was the accepted date of the winter solstice,
before the star priests were able to
calculate it more precisely as Dec. 21. This date has
been celebrated in the Northern world
for more than 6,000 years as the birth of the Solar
Child, Renewer of Light. Long before the
birth of Jesus of Nazareth, considered by his devotees to
be the Promised One, the birthdays
of such deities as Horus, Osiris, Mithras, Apollo,
Adonis, Dionysus, Attis, and Baldur were
celebrated on this date, all of whom represented the Sun
in a divine and holy way. In Christian
calendars, this is Christmas, hailing the birth of the
Messiah, whom Christians revere as the fully
realized embodiment of divinity, the Christ. Whether or
not this particular day is personally
meaningful or holy, we can all appreciate the fact that
our daylight hours are becoming
gradually longer, and a return to the Light is underway.
Light is good.
Have a wonderful day,
Daisy
~
Sunday, December 24, 2006 8:30 a.m.
31 degrees, windy, overcast, SNOWING !
Snow is falling steadily and a fierce west wind plasters
the wet stuff to the sides
of trees and buildings. Not much is landing on the
ground; I believe our long-awaited
snow is blowing clear across the valley to the mountains
on the horizon. This storm will be
short-lived, with the real deal (hopefully) showing up on
Tuesday. Yesterday turned into a
fairly pleasant day, with bits of blue sky gracing the
afternoon after a rainy morning. The dogs
had a good romp, finding lots of juicy spots and muddy
wallows, flushing birds from cover and
surprising some grazing deer. I am looking forward to the
transition from muddy paws to snowy,
although the cleanup is minimal compared to the pleasure
of having all our pups home for the holidays.
It is said that animals will speak at midnight on
Christmas Eve; should we wake them up to find out ?
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Saturday, December 23, 2006 8:00 a.m.
40 degrees, breezy, overcast, raining
It has been raining hard most of the night, and the
temperature has remained right around
freezing until a little while ago. It is cold enough that
the dribs and drabs of snow that ac-
cumulated at the roadside earlier in the week are still
there, bright white and waterlogged.
We had a spell of really nasty weather late yesterday
afternoon and evening, cold rain that
froze on to every surface. A dinner guest was considering
the possibility that she might have
to spend the night, but the town crew was on the job with
their sand trucks, doing their usual
excellent job of keeping the roadways safe. All of the
ice is gone this morning, but for a while
the bright yardlight revealed a wonderland of adamantine
beauty, every twig and blade of
grass captured in shiny glaze. Today will be a wet one,
but I believe the worst of this
particular storm has passed. There is plenty to occupy us
indoors this time of year;
thank goodness there are no pressing outdoorchores
remaining on our to-do list.
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Friday, December 22, 2006 9:00 a.m.
33 degrees, breezy, cloudy
Sunrise was colorful and beautiful while it lasted, but
now clouds overlie the entire viewing
area. The Adirondack Mountains are barely visible through
thick atmospheric haze, and the
air is laden with potential moisture. I think rain is
imminent. We have been taking advantage of
these unusually mild days to cut, split and pile firewood
that we had intended to do in the spring;
it is wonderful that we have been able to have so many
bug-free days and the opportunity for the
fuel to warm us at least once before it ever sees a flame.
Snow Ridge has been making snow on
these frosty nights, and the genuine article is in the
forecast for next week, maybe even on Christmas
night, so hopefully the Ski Area will be able to open for
at least part of the holiday week. You can
keep posted by checking their web page here. Too
bad the cross-country ski trails don’t have
snow-making. Ah well, the roads and woodlandpaths have
been just perfect for hiking,
and I am sure there will be plenty of time for gliding as
the season wears on.
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Thursday, December 21, 2006 8:30 a.m.
35 degrees, breezy, sunny
It is a perfect October day. Too bad it’s December,
but we will take what we get;
to do otherwise will surely harsh the festive spirit that
permeates this sacred day. Today
is the winter solstice, which marks the Sun’s
southernmost point on the horizon, and the
beginning of longer daylight hours for us Earthbound
creatures. We must leave a lamp
burning all night (safer than a candle, especially in a
home with cats) to remind us that
the darkest days are behind us and spring will return, as
it has every year since the four
seasons began. This is one of my favorite times of
year, our cozy home fires lending more
than mere warmth, with hearty savory soups and stews
bubbling slowly all day long. Hot
coffee is extra tasty on a cold sunny morning; how about
just one cookie before breakfast ?
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Wednesday, December 20, 2006 8:00 a.m.
26 degrees, windy, mostly sunny
A bitter cold wind cuts right to the bone on this bright
morning. Some snow sits
on the frozen meadows, much less than we would have
thought from yesterday’s
frequent flurries. The ground is barely covered for now,
but if we got just this much
snow every day for the next five days I think that would
qualify as the much anticipated
white christmas. We will just have to wait and see. The
snowflakes lent a festive setting
to our quest for a balsam tree for the living room corner.
The whole house is redolent with
the sweet fragrance of fir, awakening memories of three
dozen christmas seasons here on Tug
Hill. When I was a child, we always had a fresh scotch
pine, which was very pretty but not aro-
matic. I love the smell of balsam so much that I saved
the dry needles from a long-ago tree and
stuffed a small pillow with them. After many years, it is
still a pleasant reminder of holidays past,
even in the heat of summer. There is a new moon tonight (which,
oddly, means that there is no
moon at all) so if the skies are clear tonight there
should be some good stargazing opportunities.
Bundle up and take a gander.
Keep looking up,
Daisy
~
Tuesday, December 19, 2006 8:00 a.m.
28 degrees, calm, mostly cloudy, flurries
There is one small strip of clear sky to the southeast,
and it is through that small
sliver that the sun made its majestic appearance about a
half hour ago. The clouds
reflected the giant fireball’s light for quite a
while before it finally split the sky with
piercing orange rays, casting a golden glow all across
the land. Frost crystals in the
air twinkled like glitter on a christmas card, best
viewed from a sideways glance, dis-
appearing when looked at head-on. Yesterday was an
awesomely beautiful day, warm
enough in the morning to hang out two lines of laundry to
almost dry. The air turned sharply
colder in mid afternoon, driven across the hill by an icy
north wind. As we walked a dirt road
late in the day we were all hunched forward with our
heads down, leaning into the gusts and
catching our breath when we could. The smell of snow
filled the air, but it was not to be a
significant amount, at least in our neighborhood. A very
thin film of snow sits on the vehicles,
but is nearly invisible on the ground. A few tiny
flurries have just started to fall, fine as mist in the
still air. This year, the anticipation of a white
christmas seems almost as great as the actual event.
Have a wonderful day,
Daisy
~
Monday, December 18, 2006 7:30 a.m.
34 degrees, calm, cloudy
It is chilly and a little damp this morning, with no
sunshine to warm us up so far. We are
thinking that this might be the perfect day to fetch home
our holiday tree. At least we won’t
have to melt any snow from the boughs, not this year
anyway. Instead of skis or snowshoes
our gear will include a tarp for under the tree so that
when we drag it out of the woods we won’t
fill it full of mud and forest mulch. I recall one other
year when the December weather took a turn
for the mild, and some of us even wore shorts to search
for our tree. It was mild enough last night
to throw the windows wide open, and coyotes were very
much a part of the sound track. They must
have been in the meadow across the road from the house;
it sounded like a large pack. Maybe some
tracks will show up in the soft garden dirt. Several
crows greeted the pre-dawn glow with a loud con-
versation, better than any alarm clock, but lacking a
snooze button. A small hole has just opened up
in the clouds, allowing a single silver beam of light to
escape like a stairway to heaven: “...a new day
will dawn for those who stand long and the forest will
echo with laughter...” (Page/Plant)
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Sunday, December 17, 2006 8:30 a.m.
39 degrees, calm, overcast
We are in for another warm day, maybe even another record-breaking
one with
the high in the fifties. While I am eager to get on my
cross-country skis for a little deep
woods adventure, there is still good fun to be had in a
plain old pair of hiking boots. My
main concern is that spring plants will take a notion to
get a (four month) early start, and then
be too depleted of stored energy to bloom in April. We
dug up a few daffodil bulbs and they
are beginning to break out of the papery covering and
thrust upwards towards the sun. The
garlic is still nice and tight, but the soil has been so
wet that we are concerned that the whole
crop may drown if we get much more rain. Flurries filled
the air for most of yesterday, and the
air was decidedly wintry for our afternoon walk. Our
ponds and little streams are brimful, and
Horsey Creek gurgled a peaceful tune as it made its way
to the gorge below. Eyes closed and
ears open, the music of the creek, a brisk breeze, and
cold snowflakes on my face swiftly erased
the stress that can build during the course of a busy day.
We need to take a moment every day to
just stand still and listen, even if there is little to
hear. The sound of silence can soothe away the dol-
drums and megrims that may try to drag us down. Let your
mind go blank, ignore the list of chores
(they will, after all, still be there whether you worry
about them or not) and take joy in the moment.
Have a peaceful day,
Daisy
~
Saturday, December 16, 2006 7:35 a.m.
32 degrees, breezy, partly cloudy, flurries
Heavy dense clouds obscure the sun entirely but
the sky is clear overhead, with a thin
sliver of moon balanced on its back like a silver canoe.
A light sprinkling of snow is blowing
around, adding a minute amount of white to the sugar-coating
that fell overnight. It is likely that
rain is falling in the valley, and our altitude is
providing the one degree of temperature difference
needed to create snowflakes. It won’t last long, as
the clouds are moving swiftly out of the neigh-
borhood. The long spell of springlike weather is winding
down, although yesterday I was able to fill
a small vase with pansy blossoms. Snowdrops are beginning
to send their slender spikes up through
the sod, and iris corms are showing bits of yellow-green
where new growth is bursting through the
skin. We walked the meadow paths yesterday afternoon and
they really need to be mowed, along
with the lawn. (We will not be mowing lawns in mid-December,
but they could use it.) We admired
the deep green clovers as we searched for one with four
leaves, and the bright red wild strawberry
leaves added a nice accent of color to the miniature
jungle around our boots. Try taking the bugs-
eye view of things sometime; crouch low and look at the
ground as if you were only an inch tall.
It’s a whole different point of view, a fantasy land
straight out of Honey I shrunk the Kids.
It never hurts to shift your focus and experience things
from a different angle once in a while.
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Friday, December 15, 2006 7:45 a.m.
42 degrees, breezy, mostly cloudy
Yesterdays high temperature of fifty degrees broke the
record for that date, and
it was indeed a lovely spring-like day. Once again our
golden pansies and little purple
violas are loaded with buds ready to burst into bloom,
and it wouldn’t surprise me to see
a few sunny yellow dandelions scattered around the lawn.
We walked yesterday along a
back road that was surprisingly icy in spite of the warm
sun; it was very tricky footing for
much of the trek. Lacy woodland ferns are perking up,
tall and green against the bare twigs
of thick December underbrush. There is still some snow in
the woods, and the surface is
riddled with tracks from deer and coyotes. Both dogs were
very interested in the rich
smells along the roadside, and we let them explore a bit,
taking away some of the fitness
benefits of our normally brisk pace, but it was wonderful
to see the pooches so happy
and busy. It looks like a great weekend coming up with a
little rain or snow tonight;
make some plans to hike around a bit and see what’s
new in your neck of the woods.
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Thursday, December 14, 2006 8:00 a.m.
42 degrees, windy, mostly sunny
What a spectacular morning ! A south wind will usher in
ridiculously warm
temperatures for a few days, and things may settle down
into more wintry weather
by the beginning of next week. We went to the city
yesterday, and were pleasantly
surprised when the clouds parted and the sun shone
brightly on all of our errands.
The wind was brisk, blowing my hair straight up like some
Doctor Seuss character
and whisking trash and other debris from one end of the
parking lot to the other.
Everything is all decorated for the holidays, and even
with the spring-like weather
there is a festive vibe all over the shopping centers and
local stores. Our purchases
were mostly practical, a shower curtain and a case of
motor oil, but who could resist
a new ornament or two for the tree and a pound of
excellent dark chocolate to share
with company. While you are out and about, don’t
forget to drop a bill in the red kettle
or buy a board game or teddy bear for one of the local
toy drives set up in every plaza.
Celebrate the season to the best of your ability, and the
weather will take care of itself.
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Wednesday, December 13, 2006 8:30 a.m.
40 degrees, breezy, overcast, raining
A poem for my spouse and all other disappointed winter
sports enthusiasts:
Oh, the weather outside is frightful,
Twelve more days to turn delightful;
Though some may think snow’s a pain,
Snow is way more fun than rain !
The rain doesn’t seem to be stopping...
Have to wear hip boots to go shopping !
One way to escape this rain;
(It involves fermented grain).
When we finally kiss goodnight,
We can still hear the rain on the tin.
Still we dream of wintry delight
In spite of the watery din...
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...
The fire isn’t even burning;
For frosty weather we both are yearning.
But as long as you love me so,
We will wait patiently for snow !
On the other hand,
be careful what you wish for...
Daisy
~
Tuesday, December 12, 2006 8:00 a.m.
35 degrees, calm, overcast, foggy
What a peaceful morning ! The fog is a soft reminder that
humidity is at 100%,
in the air, in the ground, and even helping to plump out
the fine lines in my face that
are a lifelong project. Who needs botox when you can
spend a little while strolling in
the rejuvenating fog? The mild temperatures have brought
a few mosquitoes out of hiding,
and their buzzing presence was a little pesky in the wee
hours of the morning. Ladybugs and
houseflies are stirring in the window sashes as well, and
a swarm of some lacey-winged insects
showed up outdoors by the barn yesterday. It almost seems
like spring is coming, except the
beautiful holiday lights all along the route to Boonville
bring us quickly back into December.
There are all kinds of displays, from elegant through
beyond tacky, each style with its own
charm. One of my favorite houses simply has a candle in
each window, lending a warm
and homey look to the big old farmhouse. Our big back
window has the best decoration
of all, a line of crystal clear icicles dripping slowly,
a real-life version of bubble-lights in
the soft foggy morning light. Festivity lurks in the
heart anyway, not in the landscape.
(Good thing !)
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Monday, December 11, 2006 8:30 a.m.
32 degrees, breezy, overcast, flurries
Light snow started to fall a little while ago, and we had
better enjoy these picturesque
flurries while they last, as rain will once again soon
overtake the hill. Is it me, or has this
been the rainiest autumn ever ? Sure, winter still
is officially ten days away, but usually by
now the landscape has settled into at least the
appearance of winter. Trees are bare of both
leaves and snow, and big muddy patches have been squashed
into the hayfields by roaming
hordes of trespassing snowmobilers, who apparently would
rather fill their tracks with tender
roots and topsoil than road sand and salt. Here’s a
thought: fill your tracks with actual snow,
which is that white cold stuff that, try as you might,
will not appear on the trails simply because
you wish it so. Meanwhile, the skiers, snowshoe trekkers,
and other true winter sports enthusiasts
wish there was snow too, but you don’t see us
gliding across mud-filled meadows on our cross-
country skis where there is no snow, that would just be
stupid. Stupid. Seen any snowboarders
thrashing down the slopes at Snow Ridge lately? Didn’t
think so. And now, off for a walk,
which is appropriate to today’s snow conditions so
far.
Enjoy your day,
Daisy
~
Sunday, December 10, 2006 7:30 a.m.
30 degrees, windy, mostly sunny
A few clouds hover above the horizon, neon orange around
the brightly shining early morning sun.
A big doe just leapt across the road and continued
through the snow to a nearby cornfield. I waited
to see if something was giving chase, but it was only the
doe, running full-tilt boogie maybe just for
the heck of it. The wind is whipping little bits of snow
around in circles, picking it up from the mea-
dow and creating chilly whirling funnels that make the
morning seem much colder than it actually is.
If one can find a sheltered spot, the sun is actually
quite warm. There is a slight chance of some
mixed precipitation tonight and tomorrow, and it looks
like the rest of the week could go either
way between rain and snow. Will we have a White Christmas
this year ? Stay tuned.
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Saturday, December 9, 2006 8:30 a.m.
20 degrees, breezy, cloudy
Thank goodness it warmed up a little bit from yesterday !
Although the sun shone brightly
there was little warmth in it, and the dog couldn’t
be coaxed to walk any farther than the corner.
I put him back inside and walked as far as Horsey Creek
before the wind froze my nose, far enough
anyway to check out the turkey tracks from earlier in the
day. They came out of the woods in two places,
and walked along the creek for a bit, probably getting
drinks. They stumbled up the steep bank, leaving
little skid trails where they lost control of their heavy
bodies in the slippery snow, and from there they
entered the roadway where the imprints disappeared under
tire tracks. They were below the house
yesterday, smack in the middle of the road pecking up
grit and salt, when a neighbor came down
the hill in her SUV; those birds weren’t moving for
anyone, and she had to wait while they slowly
moseyed over to one side of the road. They finally left
the road and ended up in the cornfield
for the rest of the day. A wild turkey’s life must
be hard, especially in winter.
Enjoy your comparatively easy day,
Daisy
~
Friday, December 8, 2006 7:30 a.m.
-4 degrees, breezy, mostly sunny
This is the time of year when the rising sun is directly
opposite my office window. It is so
bright this morning that even with the drape dropped I am
squinting at the computer monitor.
Because I write about nature every day, I am acutely
aware of things like the position of the
sun and moon relative to the planet Earth. There are
certain times of year that we have to hang a
curtain over one window and not another, and although it
appears that the sun is traveling across
the sky, in reality it is the Earth that has changed
location. Just another wonderful natural fact that
bears recognition, but if I think about it too much it is
overwhelming. My right brain knows that
things aren’t always what they appear to be, so I
try not to jump to conclusions, especially in areas
of science where my lesser developed left brain
analytical skills are often left in the cosmic dust.
Right brain: look at all those funny turkeys walking
single file down the road; what the heck ?
Left brain: The urge to consume salt and grit for
nutritional purposes leads these large birds
to the contents of the town truck that have been spread
over the byways to provide traction
for internal-combustion engine powered vehicles. My
creative side imagines the birds to be in
some kind of post-Thanksgiving celebratory parade,
flipping off the hunters that didn’t manage to
bag one of them (figuratively giving them the bird),
and my analytical side is all... huh, dietary re-
quirement for poultry being met. Gotta love the right
side of our brains, keeping things interesting.
Have a right good day,
Daisy
~
Thursday, December 7, 2006 8:30 a.m.
33 degrees, breezy, overcast, flurries
It looks like we may be in for quite a bit of snow today,
depending on the lake effect pattern.
What was just a few flurries a moment ago is now a near
white-out, thick flakes falling side-by-
side, blown in from the west and zipping by the window at
a furious clip. Let’s hope this snow
will stick around long enough to get in a little cross-country
skiing over the weekend. It has been
cold enough for the groundwater to firm up a little bit,
and gliding should be great once the wind
dies down. Late last night we were astounded to see
several snowmobiles flying down our bare
road; not only is it a closed road but there is not
enough snow anywhere on the hill (yet) for these
heavy machines to travel safely. None of the snowmobile
trail websites even have snow reports
posted yet, that’s how thin the coverage is up here.
I urge everyone to wait a while before coming
to the north country for snowmobiling; when you do come,
please respect our closed roads and
posted signs. Otherwise you may run into a piece of farm
equipment that lies just beneath the
snow’s surface, or in Lewis County, you could very
well receive a ticket from our Sheriff’s
snowmobile patrollers. Play safe, and follow the rules.
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Wednesday, December 6, 2006 8:30 a.m.
25 degrees, breezy, mostly cloudy
Snow fell off and on yesterday, leaving us with a fresh
thick coating, for a total of about
eight inches on the ground so far. We have had nearly
twenty inches so far this season, but
the stuff that came in October and November didn’t
stick around very long. Most of it has
blown off of the trees, as yesterday was very blustery.
Perhaps today would be a good day to
choose a holiday tree, before they fill up with snow
again; then it must drip dry in the garage for
a few days before bringing it into the house. It is still
early to even think about decorating, although
I noticed a lot of lights went up between here and
Boonville the first of November this year. What
ever happened to waiting until after Thanksgiving to deck
the halls and garage doors ? I guess any day
now we will be seeing Valentine’s Day cards and
gifts in the shops. I like my holidays one at a time,
so I can give each the full attention it deserves. In
fact, today is the true Feast Day for Saint Nicholas,
patron saint of Russia and the model for our Santa Claus
persona. He worked many miracles during
his time on Earth, and that may be reflected in the fact
that children are usually on their best behavior
during the weeks before Christmas, a minor miracle in
itself. Raise a glass to the memory of Saint Nick
tonight, and thank him for inspiring the gift of giving
from the heart that underlies this time of year.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Tuesday, December 5, 2006 8:00 a.m.
15 degrees, breezy, overcast, flurries
A dusting of new snow showed up overnight, and more is
headed our way
this morning, a little or a lot depending on which way
the lake effect bands flow.
A couple of schools north of here are closed. Already the
wind is picking up and
flakes fall a little faster. Clouds didn’t roll in
until after we had a good view of last
night’s full moon. It rose just as the sun cast its
last rosy hues all over the sky. Even
though I was at my job in town we had to step outside to
appreciate the awesome
sight of a huge moon rising underneath such fulsome and
effulgent clouds. As I arrived
home in the early evening, a flock of geese could be
heard flying low, and I looked
up just in time to see them passing in a long line
directly in front of the moon, an
unforgettable and somewhat rare sight. Make sure you step
out to view moon-
rise tonight if the weather cooperates; it will occur
just after sunset, about 4:30.
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Monday, December 4, 2006 8:00 a.m.
20 degrees, calm, mostly cloudy, flurries
Clouds abound to the south and the sky is blue directly
overhead. We awoke to
five or six inches of beautiful new fluffy snow. It snuck
in overnight, no big wind or
fancy fanfare, just a quiet blanket tucking in the land
as we slept. Right now each perfect
hexagonal flake catches the morning sun as it floats and
moseys; many seem to stall out briefly
before finally succumbing to gravity. Each branch and
twig supports a perfect thick layer of frosting,
waiting for a bird or two to shake it loose. Half a dozen
starlings are high in one of our maple trees,
all in a row on the same fat limb, whistling and
chattering to each other and to anyone who ventures
into the yard. I could hear a woodpecker working away for
its breakfast; I hope he is drilling a tree
and not exploring the eaves of our old barn. We walked an
unplowed road yesterday afternoon and
saw more human bootprints than animal tracks. It was the
last day of deer hunting season, and I think
the critters that were too slow or stupid are all in
freezers. The wily have fled deep into the forest,
and will not be seen again until later in the month.
There was a lack of smaller pawprints as well,
no coyotes or squirrels or mice, just a few turkey tracks
crossing the road at the creek. Because
the snow is so wet, my dog developed ice balls in between
his toes so we turned back early.
Maybe I could spray his toes with Pam ?
Just kidding,
Daisy
~
Sunday, December 3, 2006 8:30 a.m.
29 degrees, breezy, mostly sunny
We didn’t get nearly as much snow as expected
yesterday, but the meadows are
mostly buried and it is a pretty thing to behold,
especially to a winter-lover such as I.
Slanted rays of early morning sun cast pencil-thin long
shadows from every weed stalk
and hay stem, creating interesting geometric patterns and
stripes on the clean white surface.
A flock of chickadees paused briefly in the spruce trees
behind the house, posing on snow-
kissed branches as if for a holiday greeting card. We
tried to ski around the meadow late
yesterday, but the ground is so wet that the water wicked
up through the snow and made
for very tough gliding. Perhaps later in the week, after
the moisture has had time to soak
into the ground and we have received a little more snow
things will be a little more user-
friendly to the winter sports enthusiast. Today will be a
good day for a walk on any little-
traveled road, scanning the snow for animal tracks and
other signs of the season. Be
sure to check out the moon the next couple of nights as
well; it will be full tomorrow,
but it is awesome at any stage shining down on a
snowcovered landscape.
Have a wonderful day,
Daisy
~
Saturday, December 2, 2006 9:00 a.m.
28 degrees, cloudy, windy, snowing
Yikes ! Is there any kind of weather we have not
experienced during the past week ?
For a few days we seemed stuck in balmy indian summer,
with temps in the sixties and
dandelions showing their bright yellow faces on sun-dappled
lawns. We worked outdoors
most of the week in cotton shirts and trousers, sweating
under our protective gear as we cut
firewood, annoyed by the buzzing of newly-hatched insects.
Then the rains came yesterday
morning, at first falling straight down with such density
it was as if a gigantic pail had been
tipped over, sheets of water streaming earthward, falling
so hard it even made inroads against
the fabric of my umbrella as I walked through town,
dripping on my bare head. Later in the day
the wind picked up, accompanied by thunder, lightning,
and brief bouts of hail. The temperature
fell from the sixties to the thirties in a matter of
hours, and just after midnight the rain changed over
to snow. We haven’t had much in the way of
accumulation (so far) but the wind has plastered much
of the wet snow to tree trunks, so it never had a chance
to pile up. The wind has been fierce; twice
during the night the house echoed as something smacked
into the roof. It is hard to believe anything
is left to blow down, after the massive gales of the past
year. I hesitate to go into the forest across
the way, to see what new obstacles have fallen across our
newly-restored trails. Perhaps there
will be enough snow for a little cross-country ski
adventure tomorrow. Meanwhile, enjoy
this sudden transition, December coming in like a lion;
looks like winter is finally here !
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Daily Om
December 1st, 2006
People Who Don't Get It
You may be someone who understands
the true nature of reality, perceiving deeply that we all
emanate
from the same source, that we are all essentially one,
and that we are here on earth to love one another.
To understand this is to be awakened to the true nature
of the self, and it is a blessing. Nevertheless, people
who just don't get it are seemingly everywhere and,
often, in positions of power. It can be frustrating and
painful to watch them behave unconsciously. We all
encounter individuals of this bent in our families,
at work, and in all areas of public life. It is easy to
find ourselves feeling intolerant of these people,
wishing we could be free of them even though we know that
separation from them is an illusion.
It helps sometimes to think of us all as different parts
of one psyche. Just as within our own hearts and
minds we have dark places that need healing, the heart
and mind of the world has its dark places. The
health of the whole organism depends upon the relative
health of the individuals within it. We increase
harmony when we hold onto the light, not allowing it to
be darkened by judgment, anger, and fear about
those who behave unconsciously. It's easier to accomplish
this if we don't focus on the negative qualities
of individuals and instead focus on how increasing our
own light will increase the light of the overall picture.
When dealing with people who seem very unconscious, it
helps to remember that every one must
find their own way to awakening and that the experiences
they are having are an essential part of
their process. Holding them in the light of our own
energy may be the best way to awaken theirs.
At the same time, we are inspired by their example to
look within and shed light on our own un-
conscious places, sacrificing the urge to judge and
surrendering instead to humble self-inquiry.
~
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