Favoring February - Haiku 2/2

remnants of summer linger

above the February snow

rabbit tracks below

You caught me.  I did not get all of the summer's bounty harvested.  I left a generous quantity of Brussels sprouts lingering in the garden.  A few times this winter, I have trudged out in the snow to gather a few for roasting.  They are beautifully preserved, having been frozen much of this time. However, the wild rabbits that haunt the garden have been busy of late.  Well, they need to eat too!

How is your February going so far?  We have decided in our home to watch a bunch of comedies this month.  Intellectual sunshine, perhaps?  We could go for motivational talks, such as Ted Talks (which I truly appreciate) or something of that fine caliber, but a good belly laugh in the midst of a gloomy winter does a great deal of good, I believe.  Tonight, we will honor the day by watching Bill Murray's Groundhog Day.  

Where ever you are, whatever the weather, I wish you good cheer.

Favoring February - Haiku 2/1

2/1

dawn light falls across

snow drifts and shadow

february rises

There is a pot of oats warming on the wood stove as I write, a hearty breakfast sweetened with cinnamon, cashews, and a hint of dark chocolate.  Coffee scents the morning air.  The only sounds are those mysterious wooden creaks and whispers of an old house on a windy February morning. January and February are the winter months; the only two that are winter the whole month long. Can we celebrate that?

Shall we cross-country ski in the silvery afternoon light, on days so cold that our breath makes tiny clouds of sea mist in the air as we move?   Shall we invite friends over for sleigh rides or sledding and serve them hot chocolate with a vast array of choices to stir into their steaming mugs?  Shall we savor quiet moments in our cozy homes, with books and music, and pillows and quilts?  Let's try it all, as we favor February, the winter month.

Where ever you are, whatever the weather, I wish you comfort and joy.

Note: 2/1 is my first Haiku of the NaHaiWriMo challenge.  The organizers of the challenge discourage stubborn adherence to the 5/7/5 rule that many  of us learned for haiku writing, so I am trying to relax and just catch a moment of time in my tiny poems.

Note 2:  Somehow I missed Pom Pom's stroll on Sunday, so I am posting the link HERE and on Sunday's post.  You don't want to miss it!

Favoring February: All Haiku, All the Time

If you would like a little challenge for the short month of February, consider participating in National Haiku Writing Month.  Share online, if you wish to, or just sketch your thoughts gently into a notebook, for your eyes only.  You can read all about it here: NaHaiWriMo.

What a way to honor this month in the midst of winter!  It can be a tough month weather-wise, at least where I live, but I have to ask myself, how could I make this month a favorite?  What rituals or traditions could I initiate or resurrect?  How can I, I wonder, favor February?

I will begin, one haiku at a time.  How will you favor February?

Where ever you are, whatever the weather, I wish you contentment.

Sunday Stroll - Last Sunday in January

Let us walk a new trail today, 

along the western edge of the swamp.

Let us walk among the cedar trees,

to the place where the brazen squirrels 

leave their spoils.

Let us step around the soft grass,

still so green in January.

When we come to that soft rise 

on the northern edge of the meadow,

let us lay in the snow for a while.

We will hear the wind sigh,

feel the earth breathe,

as we look up and see the runes

that the trees have written on the sky.

Where ever you are, whatever the weather, I wish you peace.

Check out Steve's icy Sunday at Out on the Prarie

Don't miss Pom Pom's stroll at Pom Pom's Ponderings.

Sunday Stroll Invitation - Last Sunday in January

Have you taken a good nature walk lately?  Have  you taken a few moments to look at the world around you with the "eyes of a child" - full of curiosity, wonder and joy?  I hope you have.  I'd love to see your surroundings through your eyes, and to read your thoughts about connecting with nature.

Please join me today for a Sunday Stroll.  Even a few photos from the back deck will do, if you s.l.o.w.  d.o.w.n. to a Sunday Stroll pace, breath deeply, and notice what nature has to offer late in the month of January.

If you do snap a few photos of nature in your neck of the woods today, please share a link in the comments, and I will add you to a list of strollers so that we may all share the beauty of this world, one little bit at a time.


Check out Steve's icy Sunday at Out on the Prairie.
And, Pom Pom at Pom Pom's Ponderings.

Saturday Snapshot - January Quiet

In the morning,
while the others in the house are sleeping,

I hear the quiet.
The ceiling fan whirs,
a whisper, a hum,
pushing the heat that rises from the wood stove
down into the room.

I see shadows and light,
a hint of gray sky through the bare window.
The tops of the cedar trees sway.

I smell and taste morning coffee, dark and fragrant,
a comforting morning ritual.
As I drink it,
I remember my mom wrapped in a thick white robe,
curled up on the couch sipping her coffee.

I feel connected and tranquil on a quiet January morning.


Where ever you are, whatever the weather, I wish you serenity.

A Little Quote and a Little Note - Seeds

Sequoia seeds have flat wings, 

and glint and glance in their flight like a boy's kite. 

~ John Muir

John Muir had such a lovely concept of seeds, didn't he?  As I plant, I am inclined to think of playing with beads.  I love the variety of shapes and sizes, the soft natural palette of colors: shades of green, gray and brown, gold and coral.  

At any rate, it has begun!  I have started planting the seeds for this year's garden.  First, we will sow trays full of onion seed: Copra and Cortland (two varieties of yellow storage onions.)  Next, we will plant Ring-o-Fire Cayenne and Ruby King Bell Peppers.  Soon, little Amish Paste Tomato seeds will get tucked into the soil.  These are just the beginning!

It is a silly thing, perhaps, to be so excited to see the first little leaves of green... but I feel it, nevertheless. That sweet shade of green, peeking up through dark seed-starting soil, reassures me that spring is on the way; the wide wheel of the year is turning.

Where ever you are, whatever the weather, I wish you hope!

quote from: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/johnmuir752682.html?src=t_seeds