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Saturday, February 02, 2008

More Forms of Water

Richard came by today grumbling that he could have stayed in Chicago and had this kind of weather. Had to laugh as it really is the first winter in a while. Others who have been here long enough to know better have been saying there's been nothing like it. But in the 70's lots of winters were like this. It snowed deeper and just as long the year Jim and Glenn's house burnt down. And one winter in deep snow it got below zero. Kathy and Bill were here and we had rugs piled in front of the door for warmth. This year there has been more than a week now of snow turning to rain turning to sleet back into snow. Today sleety rain covers the road about an inch deep and Richard's tracks are the only ones visible.

The day has passed in an eye blink. Laundry, scrabble, meditation, scrabble, bake bread, scrabble when I look up I discover that the light is fading and I must get out for a walk before night comes. So Samson come with me sooo excited to be out. Sniffs, pees, runs, sniffs, pees again, and we walk past the slide which has slipped some more, but not really blocking the road yet, to the truck on the other side where I left a dozen eggs as I couldn't carry it all home Thurs. It makes me very happy this lone walk up the road to realize I have the cabin, the fire, the time to lollygag though another day. I have puttered around cleaning out the filing cabinet and burning old useless papers, including letters I saved of an argument with a friend sure that time would prove me right. I emptied old jars of who knows what into the compost. Let the birds decide. I watched out the window at the falling water in its various forms and now night has fallen. The solitude is complete.

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.

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