Tuesday, January 6, 2009

PIEBALD DAYS OF WINTER



piebald
Adjective – marked in two colors, esp. black and white
Synonyms – painted, pied, parti-colored



The snow isn’t leaving for good, this I know. This is just a pause between the slow drumbeats of the season. It’s as if Old Man Winter is teasing us by offering a frosty vision of what it will be like, if only we will hold on. As if we had any choice but to hold on!

The patches of snow and ice on the land make wonderful pinto patterns. They remind me a little of the horse figures cut into the chalk hills of Britain. Along the canal, water is seeping through the ice, quickly turning it back into dark liquid. The moment I happened by there was only a couple of small patches of slush, which look to me like a catfish and a swimming mink, both albino of course. The shore above is dappled with snow and rocks instead of sun and shadow. Everywhere I look it’s stark, but perhaps not unlovely.

16 comments:

Great Grandma Lin said...

just tread lightly on ice it can be decieving...interesting post and ideas.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Yes Deb, Mother Nature does tease us ALOT, doesn't she???? Your snow will be back I'm sure---but I know that you are enjoying the little break from it. Just be careful on the icy spots.
Hugs,
Betsy

Kim said...

Yikes at the ice. I can't get over the last photo. Be careful out there.

Old man winter is quite the tease. I just hope he decides to tease us a little more with a January thaw of at least 5 days.

wispy willow said...

What a perfect way to describe the bleak winter landscape... "stark, but not unlovely." Great phrase!!

I'm a fan of snow for about 6 days.
Ice and slush, never.

What can I say? I'm an old California beach bunnie. Give me lots of sunshine, green lawns, hydrangeas and delphiniums to gladden the eyes and the fragrance of gardenias to tickle the nose.

These pictures are pretty indeed.
But, they chill my aging bones when I think of being out and about walking in such a scene.

The view from my loft window is also beautiful... a grove of trees and a covered bridge recently frosted with a new layer of snow. It's sad, really, that I've grown tired of it so soon.

I need to be slappeds into a higher level of gratitude for the refreshment that winter gives to the land.

sgreerpitt said...

beautiful post; your line "As if we had any choice but to hold on!" is one that we all would do well to remember.
I know I've wasted too much time in my life worrying about whether/when the next big snow storm will hit, as if all my worrying would have any impact on nature's timing!

Kat Mortensen said...

Not unlovely at all. Those horse are fantastic, aren't they? Did you ever read/see "Chariots of the Gods" back in the 70s? It was incredible, as I remember.

Kat

Shelley said...

It's almost like the calm before the storm. I really enjoy your perspective - combined w/ your photos.

Rose said...

"Plainis brownwinian duckus"!--LOL I needed that.

I was looking at your blog apparently while you were looking at mine. You really have a way with words...no, it is not unlovely--just a different type of beauty.

Sylvia K said...

Most definitely not unlovely! Soft, different, cold and beautiful! Thanks as always for sharing the beauty around you!

Squirrel said...

piebald... never knew what it meant. !

thanks. and for the pics, double thanks. I was out today looking for some winter inspiration. the snow is nearly gone, but more in the forecast and it felt like a heavy snow was coming--the air felt like it.

Unknown said...

That's a special moment in time to see the water in dance back and forth between solid and liquid state. I miss that here in Florida. If a freeze passes by (unlikely) everyone runs out a cup or bowl of water to see if it freezes.

magiceye said...

seem so idyllic

SandyCarlson said...

Oh, wow. Mama Nature sure does her thing in a range of colors and moods. Thanks for this.

Quiet Paths said...

Your horse image reminds me of the elven water horses in the Lord of the Rings. Winter is nature's way of having us slow down and reflect, I believe. I love your reflections.

Anonymous said...

I always wish it would snow just once here around L.A. but the icy shots are kind of scary. "We" can barely handle the rain. I can only imagine the havoc snow and ice would cause.

Kathie Brown said...

Perhaps my pied pigeon should fly over here to visit you! Love the Uffington horse. I'd never heard of such a thing! The photos are amazing and the horse has nice lines.