stark in the snowstorm

stark in the snowstorm,

bare black trees, black Angus cows --

the world in black and white

It looks like I took these photographs with black and white film, but that's the way the world looks, white snow, black trees and cows. It's been snowing continuously for three day, sometimes light, sometimes heavy. Temperatures have been wavering a few degrees above and below freezing, so the snow melts during the day, then piles up at night.
          The Black Angus have been hovering around the big round bales the farmer trucks in, pulling the hay down to eat and then sleeping in the dry grass that fall to the ground. About a month ago there were a dozen adult cattle in this little pasture. Overnight half of them seemed to shrink in size. I guess the farmer somehow traded adults for calves. Mighty cold for the poor babies trying to nurse in a snowstorm. 
          Four Canada Geese were standing on the ice on Osage Pond, but the moment I stopped the car, they flew off, only to land with the rest of the flock feeding in the corn field east of the cattle. You can see one of them flying above the cows in the bottom photograph. Later, several long lines of wild geese flew over, snow and wind pushing them west.

sun lights the solar light

sun lights the solar light,

heats the dark metal, leaf, stone,

melts the sparkling snow

Before today's snow storm, last week's snow was nearly gone, melting faster around anything dark, a leaf, a stone, the black metal post of a solar light. At night the little solar light, fueled by stored sunlight, spreads its solar-like rays on the sparkling snow. 

wads of snow cotton

wads of snow cotton

caught on the bare lilac bush

bearing branches down

Another late spring snow storm, tiny wet flakes falling steadily all day and night, plastering tree trunks and collecting in every crotch like wads of cotton, weighing down the branches. Beautiful on foot, dangerous on wheels, a good excuse to stay home by the wood stove, listen to music, read a book.

snow on the golden dome

snow on the golden dome

softened by sun suddenly

whoosh! let's go

Floating inside a circle of tranquility, practicing letting go. A sudden loud roar on the round roof as a layer of snow, softened by the sun, lets go and slides down the south side of the golden dome. No one even opens an eye. Silence outside swiftly returns to match the reverberating silence inside.

whitecaps on the pond

whitecaps on the pond --

snowstorm from the west, east wind blowing

ice crystal waves on blue ice

Enormous ice crystal halo around the moon last night, omen of a late winter snowstorm heading our way from the west. So now that it's here, why is the wind hurling a gale from the east? Weird result of a low pressure front doing a flip flop. The storm is slated to last 24 hours but for now it's blowing so hard not much is piling up. Osage Pond appears to be covered with whitecaps -- white ice crystal waves on blue ice.

frost flowers blooming

frost flowers blooming

on glass panes -- spicules of ice

born from seeds of dust

The tempestuous passage from winter to spring continues: frost yesterday morning, rain today, turning to huge snowflakes. The window frost on the truck looks like lace, blossoms, feathers, ferns, arrows. The shape of the crystals is influenced by irregularities in the surface of the glass, such as scratches or dust. Like snowflakes, diamonds and pearls, the perfection of ice patterns is born from seeds of imperfection.

first robin of spring

first robin of spring,

bold redbreast against bare branch,

waiting for ground thaw

Coming back from a walk in the woods I catch a flash of red-orange in the bare branches of a tree by Jack's Pond, the first Robin of Spring. Then another, and another, three red-breasted Robins, plump and healthy. The ground is still too frozen for earthworm-delving, so the Robins flit silently from tree to tree, searching for the last of the wild plums and chokecherries. They've been here all winter, roosting in trees, but mostly go unnoticed until they start hopping around on the grass, cocking an ear to the ground, listening for earthworms.