warmth and soul-seeking
winter below the surface
life continues on.
—
“and don’t think the garden loses its ecstasy in winter. it’s quiet down there but the roots are riotous.”
-rumi
—
photo credit: science hub (nodules on the roots of the white clover)
“the grand show is eternal.
it is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising.
eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and eternal glowing…
as the round earth rolls.”
-john muir
here comes the snow, tiptoeing in –
the beginning of a very long season ahead
—
“the beginning is always today.”
-mary shelly, author of frankenstein
after yet another unique and powerful winter storm
with lots and lots and lots of
heavy, wet, beautiful, pure white snow
i woke up early to a power outage
spending my morning in the library
with coffee, power bars, and locals
powering up, reading, talking, and writing
watching as a lovely grandmother
kneels down to her young grandson’s level
as she very patiently and quietly
teaches him and then lets him
check out each of his very own books
one by one
gently guiding him as he goes
only when he needs it
when he proudly finishes his work
he loads each into his own little backpack
she helps him
put on each woolen mitten and zips up his coat
he holds onto her leg as she slowly stands
they very naturally cradle their hands together
as they make their way out of the library
back out into the world with beautiful white snow
what a simple yet powerful act of love
that warms me
more than this comfortable and welcoming building ever will
it’s always the people within who do that.
—
“if a family has an old person in it, it possesses a jewel.”
-chinese proverb
march arrives and mother nature sits undecided
—
“the seasons change their manner,
as the year had found some months asleep and leapt them over.”
-william shakespeare
—
ann arbor, mi, usa – march 2023 – mlive photo credit
*the thunder ice cometh.
—
“thou art all ice. thy kindness freezes.”
-william shakespeare
—
*Yes, Thunder Ice is a real thing.
Thundersnow is so last year.
This week in the U.S. there have been a few reports of “thunder ice” or “thunder-freezing rain.” It’s basically a thunderstorm during freezing rain or sleet.
“It’s not something we see very often, but it does happen from time to time and that’s what we experienced across the country,” said Chris Bowman, a National Weather Service meteorologist. “It’s fairly unusual,” he said. “You get pretty heavy rainfall rates and obviously with temperatures below freezing it happens.”
How does all of this happen? Convection — upward motion of air — helps produce thunderstorms. But it’s fairly rare to have convection within a winter storm. Thunder and lightning are much more common in warm-season thunderstorms. When there’s strong enough convection, along with plenty of moisture available, a winter storm can produce thundersnow. And when there’s a layer of warm air above a colder surface layer, freezing rain and sleet falls while the thunder is booming – thunder ice.
here’s to staying warm and safe during these, the coldest days.
—
“i don’t take naps, i accidentally hibernate.”
-wordporn
—
image credit: ‘martha rabbit and tabitha cat,’ by shirley barber
downtown snowman, safe and sound
—
“snowfall rouses your inner child to dream and play once more.”
-angie weiland-crosby
I didn't have my glasses on.... 