And then it was white....

With fresh brewed coffee I made my way to the couch this morning... And as is my habit, I looked out to see what the lake was offering today. To my surprise the blue water had been stolen by the Old Man of the North during the night! There was just a small area about midway across this end of the lake that was still open... The rest was frozen and with a dusting of snow that made it white. The "frozen tundra" time has begun. And with temps not predicted to go above freezing for the next week, it's likely that I won't see a lot of open water out there again until late Winter.


The waterfowl were either crowding into the open water or flying off to find something more hospitable. As the day unfolded and I went off to do my errands I saw that many flocks had formed and were, no doubt, going to journey further to the South before another freezing night. There will be those who stay as long as possible; as long as they have "control" over the open areas and can keep them open. And, sadly, there will be those who because of some injury will not be able to leave the lake and will, in time, be trapped by the water freezing around them. It happens every year  and every year those living in the vicinity must watch, helpless to do anything because the ice has not yet thickened enough to be safe for humans.


I love Nature and Mother Earth... As a child I had the good fortune to be able to wander aimlessly with my dog through woods and farm fields, through hills and swampy lowlands, through creeks and all sorts of bodies of water, through conversations with people and critters all along my way. I got up close and personal with the tiniest of flowers and bugs and snails and baby animals... and I learned so much about so many things. Most important, I learned about the cycles of life and the symbiotic relationships we all share.


From the Bible comes a bit of wisdom that seems to have been inborn in me, and one I've never left behind as I moved through life and into the older years... 

Job 12:7-8 (New International Version)

 ⁷ "But ask the animals, and they will teach you, 

       Or the birds of the air, and they will tell you;

 ⁸ or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, 

       Or let the fish of the sea inform you."

But now it is night, and I "have miles to go before I sleep"... Christmas Eve is tomorrow and I have much yet to do. Things are cooking as I write, and gifts are waiting to be wrapped and tagged. It's good to know that we have snow cover and will have intermitted light snow through tomorrow and Christmas Day... It will be a white Christmas again this year and that always seems to make things just a little better!

Keeping Christmas

A favorite writing that I first read in a very old book many years ago.....

Keeping Christmas

by Henry Van Dyke

Romans, xiv, 6: He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord

It is a good thing to observe Christmas day. The mere marking of times and seasons, when men agree to stop work and make merry together, is a wise and wholesome custom. It helps one to feel the supremacy of the common life over the individual life. It reminds a man to set his own little watch, now and then, by the great clock of humanity which runs on sun time.

But there is a better thing than the observance of Christmas day, and that is, keeping Christmas.

Are you willing to forget what you have done for other people, and to remember what other people have done for you; to ignore what the world owes you, and to think what you owe the world; to put your rights in the background, and your duties in the middle distance, and your chances to do a little more than your duty in the foreground; to see that your fellowmen are just as real as you are, and try to look behind their faces to their hearts, hungry for joy; to own that probably the only good reason for your existence is not what you are going to get out of life, but what you are going to give to life; to close your book of complaints against the management of the universe, and look around you for a place where you can sow a few seeds of happiness—are you willing to do these things even for a day? Then you can keep Christmas.

Are you willing to stoop down and consider the needs and the desires of little children; to remember the weakness and loneliness of people who are growing old; to stop asking how much your friends love you, and ask yourself whether you love them enough; to bear in mind the things that other people have to bear in their hearts; to try to understand what those who live in the same house with you really want, without waiting for them to tell you; to trim your lamp so that it will give more light and less smoke, and to carry it in front so that your shadow will fall behind you; to make a grave for your ugly thoughts and a garden for your kindly feelings, with the gate open—are you willing to do these things even for a day? Then you can keep Christmas.

Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world—stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death—and that the blessed life which began in Bethlehem nineteen hundred years ago is the image and brightness of the Eternal Love? Then you can keep Christmas.

And if you keep it for a day, why not always?

But you can never keep it alone.

Snowy Sunday

It's a quiet day here. The snow has progressed from barely visible, to lazy Christmas-y snow, to some serious lake effect snow carried on the winds. Lady Sage and Smudge the Cat have been cozied and curled up most of the morning.. Despite the fact that they are well taken care of pets, biologically they return to the habits of their wild ancestors always.... They start eating more in August to sustain themselves over the Winter and when they sense bad weather they hunker down in whatever "den" they find suitable in the little house we share. 


It seems to me that the more inventions that come along to make our lives easier the more we leave our genetic habituations behind... And the more we leave those things behind, the less human we've become. There are many I have seen who have become so addicted to these inventions that they really think little of all others except to cast blame when things don't go their way. Whether it's our Earth Mother, her beings, or any other facet of her, unless it's something they have to deal with directly... nothing matters to them. So sad. We are a cell in the great being of our planet and the even greater infinity of things off planet from us. They don't understand that in ignoring the ills of our societies and Earth is much like simply ignoring a cancerous part of our bodies... The ailing parts are still there and, for the most part, will continue to grow unchecked without some caring and tending and empathy by all.


Books..."Silent Spring","Fahrenheit 451", "War and Peace", "Dr. Zhivago", or even "Soylent Green". Do people even read these anymore? And, if they do, is there any little bit of comprehension or correlation to today? Of course, there are thousands of other books, other words, other teachings of benefit to Earth's varied and many societies... Different ways of saying some of the same things in ways that the variety of people might understand. But how can so many even be reached when they are stuck in their egoic quests for stuff, more stuff, and the variety of truly unhealthy "entertainment" available to them?


Time to do the mundane and be nurtured by it... Pay the bills, close up the air conditioner (which should have been done two months ago!), and make the Christmas card and gift lists. Let the music in the background make peaceful my little bit of the world today.... And snuggle the critters when they choose to share time out of their little mini hibernations.

Big Buck by the Beaver Pond

First snow cover

I woke up to a bit of snow covering things outside and it's still lightly flurry-ing... Time for the Summery things of Nature to tuck themselves in for a long Winter's nap and dream about what will be birthed in the Spring.


This past week I have watched "armadas" of waterfowl flying onto or off of the lake or just swimming by in large flocks, knowing that they've overnighted in the harvested fields and ready to begin the next leg of their flights to the south... I'm grateful for that little "window" to the lake where I can see between the houses across the street. I see the goings on of the Seasons through there, and the big white Mute Swans are often out where I can see them floating, too. Most of them stay around as long as they can find an open water place in one of the lakes or ponds nearby.


Yesterday when I was checking my e-mail something caught my attention in the upper periphery of my vision... It was out near the tops of the bare trees in the wooded area behind my place. When I looked closely I saw that it was a Red Tail Hawk and just about then it took off with a Red Squirrel in its talons... It must have listened to its inner voice saying "feed yourself before the snow comes", don't you think?


The ways of Nature are just what they are... not always pleasant to witness but always teaching us of birth, life, death, rebirth and the continuing circles and cycles here on our Earth. The Squirrel finished its job of gathering up acorns and replanting them to birth new Oak Trees in the Spring then gave away its life so that the Red Tail might live to make new Hawks in the Spring... Both thus assuring that life in the woods will continue.


And so it is here in my little place...

Thank you!

Thank you, Jenni, for making all of this happen... I don't know what I'm doing, but at least I'm not just spinning my wheels, I'm goin' somewhere! :-)

Laugh

There's an Irish saying that goes, "You really are never poor if you can laugh." I like that. I believe that. Furthermore, "if you keep laughing they'll think you're already crazy"... That's what a cousin told me years ago and I've tried to live up to it every chance I can.

Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon

Most High, all-powerful, all-good Lord, All praise is Yours, all glory, all honour and all blessings.

To you alone, Most High, do they belong, and no mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your Name.

Praised be You my Lord with all Your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
Who is the day through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour,
Of You Most High, he bears the likeness.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
In the heavens you have made them bright, precious and fair.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,
And fair and stormy, all weather's moods,
by which You cherish all that You have made.

Praised be You my Lord through Sister Water,
So useful, humble, precious and pure.

Praised be You my Lord through Brother Fire,
through whom You light the night and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.

Praised be You my Lord through our Sister,
Mother Earth
who sustains and governs us,
producing varied fruits with coloured flowers and herbs.
Praise be You my Lord through those who grant pardon for love of You and bear sickness and trial.

Blessed are those who endure in peace, By You Most High, they will be crowned.

Praised be You, my Lord through Sister Death,
from whom no-one living can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin! Blessed are they She finds doing Your Will.

No second death can do them harm. Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks,
And serve Him with great humility.