The Third Act

Sunday

I've been enjoying the birds coming to the feeder.  It's an amazing distraction!  I figured I might as well put my 70-300mm lens to use (I honestly can't remember the last time it was on my camera).

 

 

 

and just like that...

It feels like winter again.  The day has grown increasingly dreary...and cold. While the temps aren't extreme (46F for our walk), it feels colder than that.  I hadn't felt inclined to fire up the wood stove until this afternoon, because following outside activity it definitely feels good.

February warmth can be a real tease.  Winter isn't over.  For the almost seven years I've lived in Virginia, there hasn't been a true early spring.  The cold seems to come back for another blast, accompanied by precipitation, sometimes even as snow.

So, we go back to our den and hibernate just a little longer.  Honestly, it's really nothing that profound...my enthusiasm for working in the garden is just tempered slightly.  However, it won't be long before all those little daffodil buds start to open!

 

Thursday stream of consciousness...

You know, for the past two Thursdays I got so muddled I thought for sure it was Friday.  Even last week, when I'd reminded myself in the morning of what day it was, by evening I forgot (and I believe I already wrote about this before...speaking of memory!).  I'm working to give each day of the week it's own special feel...based on any number of rituals or associations.  

What does Thursday feel like?  It was always the anticipation for Friday, quite honestly!  When I had a family, Thursday (and sometimes Friday) was grocery shopping day.  Thursday was still a day for a home cooked meal (maybe left overs) with an excitement for going out or getting pizza on Friday (and watching a movie with the family or my husband at the time).  That doesn't exactly equate to my life now, but I know I can tap into that feel.

Today is the third morning in a row of glorious sunshine.  It won't be as warm as the previous couple days, but still quite lovely.  Given the weather, I've been spending a good deal of time outside. 

Yesterday found me using my chainsaw on my neighbor's downed beech limb.  He probably thought I was a little eccentric, sending a text message asking if it was okay to do so.  I told him I wanted to use the wood (never desiring to let resources go to waste!).  My intent was to build up a good store of kindling for next cold season, but also to have several fresh logs to try my hand at mushroom cultivation.  After a discussion with my arborist (who has been venturing into this mycological activity) I found out that old, already rotting or compromised logs can't be used to cultivate specific varieties of mushrooms.  Fresh, clean logs are what is needed and those I was able to glean from this beech tree are perfectly sized.  Spore plugs have been ordered online (because what can't you find online?) for this new hobby, which has piqued my curiosity.

A number of seeds were planted in little pots yesterday as well.  I'm already imaging the garden.  There's still so much to do, but my mind is working out the details every time I step outside (and then some).

The pandemic marches on, but more and more folks are getting vaccinated.  Several of my family members have had at least one of the shots.  I have no idea when I can get mine.  I don't fall into any higher tier, so whenever it's available to the general public will be my turn.  It's not a big deal for me, given I'm used to this isolated lifestyle.  While not ideal, I continually find ways to cope and keep my spirits up.  That being said, I look forward to seeing friends and family for extended visiting again.  It's been 14 months since I could safely travel to California...I miss my loves out there.

Lastly, I'm finishing up my month (more of less) off of Facebook.  I started this as an experiment to see if removing myself from sources of distraction would be helpful for my creativity and other personal work...the jury is still out on this.  However, I found that what I miss most are my friends.  I think it's hard for people to connect off of social media, once that's become the norm.  I get it.  There were a handful of friends who sent me notes to check on me and that felt good.  I would love for more folks to read this blog and follow me on Flickr (for these are two of the primary places where I share my ongoing creative efforts), that it might touch or entertain them.  The issue is that many of my friends don't know where to look if I don't share links to FB first.  And all of this has nothing to do with other problematic aspects of that site.  If I were in a relationship, if real life interaction was back to a place of normalcy, social media sites wouldn't hold quite the sense of importance that they do right now.  I've thought a lot about the overwhelm of information, not all of it promoting any kind of self development or positivity, of how consumption (and I'm using that in broad terms) reigns just about everywhere and I don't like it...it feels icky to me and that's not how I want to live my life.

All that being said, for a while anyway, I'll be sharing my creative content via FB again.  With some self directed limiting guidelines regarding time actually spent on the site, I may get the best of both worlds (kind of?  I don't know...).  It's going to be spring again soon enough and that will mean lots of other pursuits/vocations ramping up into higher gear, so that will make my efforts that much easier.

 

 

 

 

red wing blackbirds

I could watch these guys for hours, with their sleek black bodies, striped on the shoulders with bright red and yellow.  How they chatter and cavort, indulging in the seeds and fruit left out for whomever comes to settle for a bit.  They take off when a car drives by or a door opens, frenetic unity in the flock.  

 

 

 

winter sunshine

It's still streaming in, mostly in the afternoon.  The sun is yet far enough to the south to be able to angle in under the deep eaves.  Bare trees give the light that much more access.  It won't be long until day time hours are longer, but less sunshine makes it into my house.  By then I'll be surrounded by green, growing things and ever more heat...so the shade will be a blessing.  But I do love my muse, natural light.

I'm looking for inspiration where ever comes these days.  Often, it doesn't come at all but then there will be a burst of it.  I recently found out about the films of Sergei Parajanov and I'll have something rich to delve into.  Color, symbolism, spirituality...I'm up for it!

In other news...clear skies and much warmer temperatures today will mean working in the yard a bit (mostly I need to get done sorting the firewood).  I soaked some seeds last night and will be sprouting tomato, pepper and eggplant before placing into seed starting mix.  The garden is always inspiration on many fronts.  I miss it and am looking forward to communing once again in the upcoming seasons.

 

 

that went fast

Here we are at the last Monday in February.  Wow. 2021 is racing by.  Why does it feel that I'm as yet unmoving??

It's gray and wet today.  While there's still a chill at 40F, all the ice has melted.  I'm watching as the most recent system is moving on out to the east.  There will be a couple sunny, and even warm, days ahead!  Oh spring...I know you're just around the corner!

In the mean time...a little bit of this and that.  Laundry in the dryer, creating steam outside.  How about a little abstract self portraiture (really, sometimes I just mess around)?

 

 

 

raining melting ice

First off...allow me to remind myself that today is Friday.  I started off Thursday (yesterday), reminding myself that that was indeed the correct day.  Last week, I made a post that said it was Friday and it was really Thursday and I was determined to not let that happen again!  Well, come around late afternoon and my brain decided to have some fun with me.  There's a book club I attend on Zoom, two Fridays a month.  Somehow, in my head, I skipped over the rest of Thursday and was absolutely certain it was Friday evening.  I got on the Zoom link and waited...and waited...and wondered what was happening.  I finally messaged one of the co-moderators only to have her tell me, "Today is Thursday."  Good grief.  So...yes...it's Friday!

The current ice event is finally winding down.  There was a break yesterday afternoon, which was a relief.  I didn't, however, anticipate waking in the middle of the night to the ping ping pinging of sleet pellets.  Fortunately, it doesn't seem to have added any significant weight to the already iced world.  Now I can hear the steady drip (like rain) of melting ice.  It's about 33F right now and is supposed to reach the upper 30s.  

Whenever it happens, I'll be delighted to see sunshine again.  I feel like the iced trees outside, in suspended animation, waiting for some kind of restriction in my psyche to be set free again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

same window, different view

Yesterday provided glorious, spring like sunshine.  In the afternoon the sun will often reflect off the car parked in my neighbor's driveway, in through this window and on to the photograph in the hall.  The shadows of the tea camellia plus the grid from the window itself always delight me.

This morning looking out, I see gray, wet, icy conditions.  Not quite the same buoy to spirit as the light on the previous afternoon.

I keep sending out good energy to the trees, have plenty of wood for the stove, made a pot of chili that can be heated up on said stove should the power go out.  I believe I've done all I can do.  It seemed prudent to get this post up early, all things considered.  I'm looking forward to more sunshine in coming days...and spring sounds good too.

 

 

tease

It looks like spring outside my window this morning.  The sunshine is streaming in and the sky is blue. I can see crocus and daffodil bulbs pushing up through the mulch.  Sure, it's still chilly, but that glorious solar glow makes me happy.

All that being said, late tonight another winter weather event will creep into the area.  If it were just snow, or even a mix the whole time, I could deal with that.  But the forecast is for another half inch of ice.  Ugh.  What a strange winter.  What a strange year or so!  

I'll be sorting through more wood, finding pieces that are appropriately sized for my wood stove (I'm never buying from this supplier again, because I see far more chain saw sessions in my future than pleases me), and bringing them on to the back porch.  Even though this fuel isn't seasoned yet, if I pile it near the wood stove while it's in use, I can at least dry it out a little before feeding the fire.  Other than that, I need to give my trees a pep talk, telling them they're strong and flexible and resilient (and if they do need to shed any limbs, can they do it away from the house?).  I could use more candles, now that I think of it.  Oh, and if I can find a box that would fit my fridge perishables, to fill and stick outside in the near freezing temps (would probably be colder than a fridge that's been unpowered for several hours), that might be prudent.  Nothing is a sure thing, as far as limbs falling and a disruption in my electricity, but it's best to be prepared.  Sounds like the confidence in the ice event is high, in any case.

Today...I'll enjoy the spring tease.

 

 

ice and snow

For the most part, the snow and ice from the last two winter weather events have melted.  There was a a heavy rain last night, combined with warmer temps which moved things along.  And glory of glories, the sun actually shone for a short while today.  Oddly, when I was out and about, parking lots still had good sized mounds of snow in them.

Tomorrow night into Thursday, however, is shaping up for more freezing rain.  Ugh.  Why couldn't we just have it as snow?  I'm not looking forward to another power outage.  Since there's nothing to do but prepare (more wood drying out for one thing), I might as well adopt an adventurous mindset.  Either that, or high tail it to visit my brother in Florida (I kid...mostly).

What a strange year it's been...I mean, since last February.  My sense of time is quite distorted.  I'm so very much looking forward to spring.  It's been a kind of winter for 12 months and that's just too much for my taste!