Nature’s song

Stages.

All of nature is song.  Sometimes the song is in a minor key, with purple tones that stir the soul, bursting the heart with pent-up emotions.  Sometimes it is joyous, full of rich melodies and grand chords that bring electric thrills.  Sometimes it descends into strange modes, guttural chants, and obscure dissonances.

~ Deng Ming-Dao, 365 Tao Daily Meditations

Before the ice storm arrived.

True winter doesn’t visit us very often here on the Eastern Shore.  It does get cold (for this area, which is to say nothing like you northern folks get), and sometimes the cold is accompanied by the dampness of rain.  We also have quite a few sunny days, more so than we ever saw in the Bogs (northeast Ohio) during the winter months.  But what I think of as true winter often eludes us.

During.

Yesterday, true winter arrived in the form of freezing rain that left a layer of ice on everything.  Just about everything in the area was closed, including M’s place of work, so we were able to spend the day at home, and go out for walks around the ranch.  It’s easy to appreciate snow and ice when you don’t have to drive in it.

Meadow ice.

I spent a little over two hours walking around in the freezing rain yesterday.  You never know how fast winter will melt.  Had I waited until the rain stopped, it would have been dark.  Had I waited for this morning, the temperature might have risen overnight and the ephemeral beauty of the ice would have been gone.

Iced wax myrtle.

Those who know me, even not all that well, know I love the way Old Man Winter decorates the great outdoors when he puts his mind to it.  Freezing rain is not going to keep me indoors.  Layers of clothing, a warmly lined rain slicker, good boots, and good gloves help me handle the cold and the wet.

New day.

It was dark and beautiful yesterday.  This morning was bright and sparkling.  I walked through a glistening winter wonderland for a few hours, marveling at the wonder of ice greeting sunlight.

Fog and frost and ice.

When the clouds broke up and the sun came out, the warmth and cold met and formed a light fog around the trees and in the woods.

The Mystery Woods.

The ice melted quickly, tinkling and dripping and falling from the trees in the woods and the plants in the meadows.  It was a lovely sound, unlike the harsh cracking sounds of branches breaking yesterday.

Winterized. (Butterfly Bush.)

What had been thick ice yesterday became delicate jewels today.

Jewels.

Do you know what never ceases to amaze me?

Winter coat.

The magic available to us every day.  All we have to do is pay attention.

Pearls.

I reckon that’s it from the Wabi-Sabi Ranch on this glittering, sparkling day.  Most of the ice is gone now.  You can still find some in the shady spots, but it’s warming up and I doubt even that will be there by the weekend.  Let’s go down to the Point to watch the sunset this evening.  It will be cold, but the air is still so it shouldn’t feel too bad.  Sunset is at 5:07 PM.  Meet you there about fifteen or twenty minutes early.  We’ll probably have the place to ourselves.  Not too many people go out there on cold days.  Maybe we’ll get lucky and see an eagle or two.

Pretty lights.

Be good, be kind, be loving.  Just Be.  🙂

If you’d like to see some beautiful images of the ice from a place just a few hours south of here, and read some beautiful prose to go with it, see Bejeweled at the Forest Garden Blog.  Woodland Gnome shows and describes it well.

Priceless.

Today’s joys:  Finding magic in the meadows and woods; sunlight sparkling and twinkling; the chiming musical sound of ice falling and melting; a long walk outdoors; boot socks to keep my toes warm when I’m wandering around outside on cold days.

Hint of things to come.