A Day for Play

It was snowing lightly on Monday when I returned from school. I took the dogs outside to potty and hooked Sawyer onto the fifty foot leash to run around a bit.


He loves his squeaky tennis ball on a rope!

Today I am grateful for adorable bunny prints in the snow. It's fun to track them with the dog, even if he doesn't know what we're doing.

Until next time,

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday


This is Fidget, mom's Min Pin. Her name is accurate. She is never still. Never. It took several minutes and lots of distraction to get this photo, the only clear one out of about twenty.

Today I am grateful for pine cones, because Fidget thinks they are treats.

Silence in Ice

I walked by the corner of the shed today and hanging off the moss-covered roof were icicles. Every single winter, as the morning sun rises and melts the snow on the shed roof, it drips down and forms a perfect row of icicles.

The icicles have always been here, a comforting winter staple. On our way out to the school bus in the morning we would grab a few and pelt each other with them. We would compete to knock them all off before someone else could. We would pick the biggest of them and die dramatically on the snow, icicle firmly lodged in our armpits.


Even now I find uses for them. I feed them to the dog, who delights in throwing them around and chasing them, then settling in for a good, long chew. Knocking them off the edge of the roof still gives the same satisfaction as it did all those years ago.

Winter is often maligned or outright hated. I will admit to disliking winter myself, but when I stop and look for the beauty, even simple icicles bring warm memories that brighten the short and dreary winter days.

Not so long ago, when the world was more agrarian, winter was a time of rest from the long days spent in the fields, coaxing forth the crops that would be next winter's food. Or long days spent in the barn, coaxing forth new life from the farm animals. Now winter is mostly an inconvenience.

How unfortunate that we as a nation, no longer take the time to appreciate winter.

Today I am grateful for the beautiful pattern the sun makes as it passes through an icicle; a tiny little rainbow patch in the snow.

Until next time,

Photo A Day / Week 3 / 2015

I decided to take a photo every day and link up with Natasha, whose blog I've followed for years and who feels like a friend after all this time.

A photo per day is a lot harder than in seemed like it would be. School started this past week as well as this challenge, so I had little time to spare, but I made it work. The best part was realizing I hadn't taken a picture and now it was dark outside. Definitely had me noticing things in my house that I hadn't noticed in years.

I added each photo after it was taken, on the day it was taken. Enjoy!


Jan. 18th // Lilac buds. Even though it's been frigid lately, the lilacs are getting ready for spring. Isn't that a hopeful thing?


Jan. 19th // Moss growing on the shed roof. Classes started up again today, and it is frightening the amount of work I have to do already.


Jan. 20th // My desk at the office where I work part time, two days per week.


Jan. 21st // A lovely tea towel I bought with teal chevron. Teal is one of my favorite colors!


Jan. 22nd // In the mornings when I am getting dressed, I open the curtain for Sawyer to look upon the world and survey all he owns. He takes it very seriously. His expression is this tense the whole time. (When he's looking outside that is. He's pretty goofy too.)


Jan. 23rd // I almost forgot to take a picture today! Luckily I remembered around 10:30pm and started taking random photos. This was my favorite. Sawyer's teal collar over his paw - though he didn't stay very still for it!

I did, however neglect Saturday and Sunday, so we'll start fresh tomorrow! (As long as I can find my camera! ;) )

Today I am grateful for bird song in winter, as it reminds that spring isn't so far off after all.

Until next time,

Out of Daylight

And just like that, winter descends, great beast that she is. (Is winter considered a he or she? It feels like a her this time around. Maybe it just depends on the year.) We've had several days, two weeks, of below freezing weather. When it got to 27°F people were commenting about the heat wave.

But that's just how it is. Warm summer, cold and sometimes bitter winters. Payment for long days of sunshine is with long nights of dark.

I like darkness.

Sometimes.

Sometimes I shiver and shudder in the dark, repeat Psalm 23 and walk as quickly as I can without running, but other times there is a delicious thrill to the dark. The thought of things just beyond sight.

Some nights, rare nights, there is an electricity that fills you up. Maybe such a night wakes the sleeping thing in us all. Makes the wild stir within us and rise up for a moment, when all clarity and cunning belong to you. For moments. Then gone and leaving you to feel normal again, under the wide arc of stars. With naught but a memory.

Oh, yes. There are some nights worth venturing out in.

And I go out every night. With the dog. So he can pee.

And if I can stand on the other end of the leash while he's doing his thing and look into the darkness just outside the circle of light and safety and feel that wildness stirring, well, I'm all the better for it.

Or, you know, I could be a lunatic.

I am grateful today for a lot of things. I cannot discern and specify one at the moment, but in the interest of brevity, I will say I am thankful for the safety net of stars and moon.

Until next time,