Ghosts in a snow storm #phenology

The weather we have, with temperatures hanging just above or just below freezing, is a mess. The township plowed the road, leaving washboarding, puddles and mud everywhere. Local waters that were beginning to freeze over now have ice islands floating around. At least the freezing rain has kept to a minimum. Winter works better when we get cold, frozen ground, ice cover, and then soft, light flakes to blanket all, in that sequence. I'm not sure when we last had a Winter set up like that, but it's been a while.

trumpeter swans at Carlos Avery pools

Photo by J. Harrington

The weather has brought a flock, looks like a family of 3 or 4 cygnets and a pair of adults, to the nearby pools on the Sunrise River in the Carlos Avery Wildlife Management Area. Even if they're only here for awhile, they bring a lot of class to the neighborhood. Almost as classy were the three does I saw crossing the road this morning at the south end of our property. Their gray Winter coats, appearing through the light snow showers, looked like shadows wrapped in invisibility cloaks.

whitetail deer in snowy field

Photo by J. Harrington

As you go through your listing of things to be grateful for tomorrow, don't forget to include Nature's beauty and the services like clean air and water she provides us at no charge.

Thanks

W. S. Merwin, 1927

Listen 
with the night falling we are saying thank you 
we are stopping on the bridges to bow from the railings 
we are running out of the glass rooms 
with our mouths full of food to look at the sky 
and say thank you 
we are standing by the water thanking it 
smiling by the windows looking out 
in our directions 

back from a series of hospitals back from a mugging 
after funerals we are saying thank you 
after the news of the dead 
whether or not we knew them we are saying thank you

over telephones we are saying thank you 
in doorways and in the backs of cars and in elevators 
remembering wars and the police at the door 
and the beatings on stairs we are saying thank you 
in the banks we are saying thank you 
in the faces of the officials and the rich
and of all who will never change
we go on saying thank you thank you

with the animals dying around us 
our lost feelings we are saying thank you 
with the forests falling faster than the minutes 
of our lives we are saying thank you 
with the words going out like cells of a brain 
with the cities growing over us 
we are saying thank you faster and faster 
with nobody listening we are saying thank you 
we are saying thank you and waving 
dark though it is

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Please be kind to each other while you can.