The Thrill is Gone

Rain and rain and more rain all night and continuing. Rain that must be on the verge of sleet. It washes the snow off the trees and roofs but leaves it on the ground with bare patches of brown leaves showing through. A quail was right in front of the house this morning looking for seeds. They don't usually come that close, but hunger from days of snow covered earth has forced the issue. Amazingly the pelton wheel keeps turning. I listened for it last night, thinking it must have quit and planning how to deal with the intake submerged in freezing swollen waters and the added concern of the deer kill right above the intake, completely cleaned of meat. Just how hungry is that mountain lion?? And Samson is not so brave as his name might suggest.

So today I look out the window at the bleak world, the sad soggy snow and the silver rain that doesn't stop and turn to stoke up the fire. I hesitate to go get the dog his food or bring in the day's wood. The car needs to be put on the far side of the slide, but don't feel like leaving the sanctuary of the house. This could go on a while. And after all what are winters for if not to remind us that about the downside of it all. We had plans to go tobogganing and build the snowdog even higher. Pat was going to come cut wood. Now everything is put on hold. Survive is the word. Wait it out. Learn to love ground zero. For here we are. The river will be rising and later today, I'll go be stunned by water. Right now I have old writings to shuffle through and WOW an online scrabble site to enjoy. Maybe play real time with anyone who braves it out here. Maybe a pipe and some hot mulled wine, oh yeah. Let it rain.