an infrequent repository of mostly new stuff
Morning Snow on the HIlls
Snowed last night.
It’s funny, the hills and Blue Ridge spend all year a hazy blue-grey – sometimes more grey, sometimes more blue. There’s a brief period on clear days in Spring when they’re mottled greens, and in the fall there’s a week or so when they’re rusty. But after fresh snow is when they suddenly stand up and want to be noticed.
Treeline, Old Field
First strip planks in place
After two months of careful preparation, it’s crazy how fast the planking goes up, and how quickly what was only abstract art becomes a physical boat.
An extra set of hands, like those of a daughter home from college, really help. When those hands have to go back to school, you have to improvise. These snug fitting “fingers” hold the gluey strips in place as you work your way back with the staple gun.
Hey! Remember me?
Notes to self:
Some things bear mentioning over and over again.
Ice Storm
First mark of Winter.
In just a week or so, a flock of robins will be here, and will spend a few days stripping the Holly tree of berries. They’ll start at the top and slowly work their way down, leaving no berries behind. Then they’ll leave.
But for now, the berries are glazed with ice.
Inner Transom
Yellow Pine smells like Georgia.
And Sandalwood incense.
And the rosin in my grandfather’s fiddle case.
Heading Home
Days grow longer by increments now. Light, gaining strength, lingers on the rim of hills a bit longer each evening, before slipping back down to black. Some nights the twilight spreads all the way around the horizon, like a red hem on winter‘s star-sequined gown.
Took some photos on the way home, shivering, so cold I couldn’t feel my finger on the shutter.
Cattails in winter twilight
It’s been really cold lately. On Saturday, when I went down to the shop, it was 4 below. I don’t remember it being that cold here. In other parts of the country, New England and the Midwest, it dipped into the -30’s. My folks marveled it was snowing at the beach in South Carolina.